[i830] LVDS flickers continuously

[Jukka Alasalmi]

Binary package hint: xserver-xorg-video-intel

The local flat panel of the laptop flickers continuously when booting the laptop in the X. I have checked the refresh rate and display mode with xrandr, and I didn't notice anything wrong. The text consoles are working correctly. I haven't tried to attach external monitor. This issue occurred after upgrading to Ubuntu 9.10. The flickering is continuous and of very high frequency - possibly 1/2 frames are drawn completely black and the rest correctly.

Often also the display output is displaced a bit to the right, and the image is wrapped around so that the right part of the display contents is drawn on the left.

Sometimes going quickly to the text consoles and back to X fixes this issue, but sometimes it does not have any effect, even when repeating several times. Also, after doing this, even if the flicker stops, the display output may still be displaced, but sometimes also this is fixed when going to the console and back.

ProblemType: Bug
Architecture: i386
Date: Sat Nov 7 11:22:48 2009
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 9.10
Lsusb:
 Bus 001 Device 002: ID 046d:c00e Logitech, Inc. M-BJ58/M-BJ69 Optical Wheel Mouse
 Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
 Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
 Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
MachineType: Hewlett-Packard HP OmniBook PC
Package: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.9.0-1ubuntu2
PccardctlIdent:
 Socket 0:
   no product info available
 Socket 1:
   no product info available
PccardctlStatus:
 Socket 0:
   no card
 Socket 1:
   3.3V 32-bit PC Card
ProcCmdLine: root=UUID=173d8e63-e537-4490-95b7-37f5b4a4e5e6 ro quiet splash vga=792
ProcEnviron:
 PATH=(custom, user)
 LANG=fi_FI.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.31-14.48-generic
RelatedPackageVersions:
 xserver-xorg 1:7.4+3ubuntu7
 libgl1-mesa-glx 7.6.0-1ubuntu4
 libdrm2 2.4.14-1ubuntu1
 xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.9.0-1ubuntu2
 xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:6.12.99+git20090929.7968e1fb-0ubuntu1
SourcePackage: xserver-xorg-video-intel
Uname: Linux 2.6.31-14-generic i686
XsessionErrors: (polkit-gnome-authentication-agent-1:2816): GLib-CRITICAL **: g_once_init_leave: assertion `initialization_value != 0' failed
dmi.bios.date: 11/27/2002
dmi.bios.vendor: Phoenix Technologies LTD
dmi.bios.version: GF.M1.14
dmi.board.name: N/A
dmi.board.vendor: Hewlett-Packard
dmi.board.version: OmniBook N32N-101
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: No Asset Tag
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: Hewlett-Packard
dmi.chassis.version: N/A
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnPhoenixTechnologiesLTD:bvrGF.M1.14:bd11/27/2002:svnHewlett-Packard:pnHPOmniBookPC:pvrHPOmniBookXE3GF:rvnHewlett-Packard:rnN/A:rvrOmniBookN32N-101:cvnHewlett-Packard:ct10:cvrN/A:
dmi.product.name: HP OmniBook PC
dmi.product.version: HP OmniBook XE3 GF
dmi.sys.vendor: Hewlett-Packard
fglrx: Not loaded
system:
 distro: Ubuntu
 architecture: i686kernel: 2.6.31-14-generic

[lspci]
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: Intel Corporation 82830 CGC [Chipset Graphics Controller] [8086:3577] (rev 03)
     Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device [103c:0021]

[Jukka Alasalmi (jualasal)]

I attached the GPU dumps of the error situation taken by the intel_gpu_dump from intel-gpu-tools 1.0.2. There are two dumps: the dump_flicker.txt which is taken when the display is flickering and dump_no_flicker.txt, which is taken when the display is flickering.

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

Hi Jukka, can you check if booting the kernel with the option i915.modeset=0 makes it work properly?
If so, then we can probably consider this bug report a dupe of #542208

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

We're closing this bug since it is has been some time with no response from the original reporter. However, if the issue still exists please feel free to reopen with the requested information. Also, if you could, please test against the latest development version of Ubuntu, since this confirms the bug is one we may be able to pass upstream for help.

[Jukka Alasalmi (jualasal)]

Hi, and sorry for the very, very delayed reply. I've been using a new laptop, and only now tried out the solution in comment #3. And it fixed the problem for me. Thanks for the help!