External Monitor Causes Ubuntu to Hard Freeze

[Andy Choens]

Similar to 979004, but I have different hardware and more severe symptoms.

I'm using a Lenovo X220 with an i5 processor and Intel GPU. I have tested this problem against three monitors which worked well with the laptop under 11.10. Booting the system with an external monitor attached seems to work well. LightDM comes up and while the external monitor has an odd resolution, everything works as expected. However, logging in to Unity, Unity 2D, Gnome-Shell and Classic Gnome ALL result in a hard system freeze. I can't even access the system remotely via ssh.

If I have already logged in to the system and then plug in the external monitor the screen goes black, the hard drive starts paging like mad and I get a hard system freeze.

Either way, my external monitors are not very useful right now.

The auto-collected information submitted with this bug is useless, other than the obvious hardware specs. I haven't been able to gather any debugging info since the system becomes completely unresponsive.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
Package: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.17.0-1ubuntu4
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-23.36-generic 3.2.14
Uname: Linux 3.2.0-23-generic x86_64
.tmp.unity.support.test.0:

ApportVersion: 2.0.1-0ubuntu3
Architecture: amd64
CompizPlugins: [core,composite,opengl,compiztoolbox,decor,vpswitch,snap,mousepoll,resize,place,move,wall,grid,regex,imgpng,session,gnomecompat,animation,fade,unitymtgrabhandles,workarounds,scale,expo,ezoom,unityshell]
CompositorRunning: compiz
Date: Mon Apr 16 09:12:19 2012
DistUpgraded: 2012-03-25 01:29:05,765 DEBUG enabling apt cron job
DistroCodename: precise
DistroVariant: ubuntu
ExtraDebuggingInterest: Yes, whatever it takes to get this fixed in Ubuntu
GraphicsCard:
 Intel Corporation 2nd Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics Controller [8086:0126] (rev 09) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: Lenovo Device [17aa:21da]
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.10 "Oneiric Ocelot" - Release amd64 (20111012)
MachineType: LENOVO 4286CTO
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-23-generic root=UUID=16349118-6988-480b-a70b-4bb30b3a2d91 ro quiet splash pcie_aspm=force i915.i915_enable_rc6=1 vt.handoff=7
SourcePackage: xserver-xorg-video-intel
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to precise on 2012-03-25 (22 days ago)
dmi.bios.date: 05/13/2011
dmi.bios.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.bios.version: 8DET45WW (1.15 )
dmi.board.asset.tag: Not Available
dmi.board.name: 4286CTO
dmi.board.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.board.version: Not Available
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: No Asset Information
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.chassis.version: Not Available
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnLENOVO:bvr8DET45WW(1.15):bd05/13/2011:svnLENOVO:pn4286CTO:pvrThinkPadX220:rvnLENOVO:rn4286CTO:rvrNotAvailable:cvnLENOVO:ct10:cvrNotAvailable:
dmi.product.name: 4286CTO
dmi.product.version: ThinkPad X220
dmi.sys.vendor: LENOVO
version.compiz: compiz 1:0.9.7.6-0ubuntu1
version.ia32-libs: ia32-libs N/A
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.32-1ubuntu1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 8.0.2-0ubuntu3
version.libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental: libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental N/A
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 8.0.2-0ubuntu3
version.xserver-xorg-core: xserver-xorg-core 2:1.11.4-0ubuntu10
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev 1:2.7.0-0ubuntu1
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:6.14.99~git20111219.aacbd629-0ubuntu2
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.17.0-1ubuntu4
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:0.0.16+git20111201+b5534a1-1build2

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

Hrm, the lack of ssh access suggests a kernel panic or oops. Usually with a "normal" gpu lockup ssh is still possible.

Are you connecting via ethernet or via wireless? If it's wireless, see https://wiki.ubuntu.com/X/Debugging/WirelessWithoutX.

If that's not the problem, then netconsole would be the logical next thing to try. See https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Kernel/Netconsole

Alternatively, you could try sshing in when the system is functioning, running a command like 'watch -n0.1 "dmesg | tail -n 24"', then attach the vga connection, and see if anything shows up there before the system locks. Might need to try a few times or adjust the cycle time down below 0.1. (I have to admit I've never had luck with this technique, but YMMV.)

[Andy Choens (andy-choens)]

I admit I haven't had time to track this bug down further but I have discovered that XFCE4 does not experience this problem. I can successfully use both monitors using xfwm4 and arandr to adjust the screens. If I can get some breathing room from work this weekend, I will try to track this down further so I can use Unity again.

[Alexander Makarov (alexander-makarov)]

Almost same with my Dell latitude E4300.
When I boot with an external monitor attached, system locks right after login, I see just a wallpaper and frozen mouse cursor. Caps lock led does not react and nothing is written to syslog after login.
But when I plug external monitor after a successfull login, everything is ok.

[Cristian Aravena Romero (caravena)]

Duplicated Bug #102502

[Cristian Aravena Romero (caravena)]

?

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for xserver-xorg-video-intel (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]