First bootup with external VGA monitor plugged in doesn't display anything at login screen

[Manfred Steiner]

What is expected to happen is that with my computer turned off, when I plug in my external VGA monitor into my laptop for the first time, and boot up to the login screen, the display is in mirror mode and I can see the login screen on both the built-in screen, and external monitor.

What happens instead is that the login screen is only shown on the built-in screen.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 18.04
Package: xorg 1:7.7+19ubuntu7
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.15.0-22.24-generic 4.15.17
Uname: Linux 4.15.0-22-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.9-0ubuntu7
Architecture: amd64
BootLog: Error: [Errno 13] Keine Berechtigung: '/var/log/boot.log'
CompositorRunning: None
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
Date: Sat May 26 07:04:47 2018
DistUpgraded: Fresh install
DistroCodename: bionic
DistroVariant: ubuntu
EcryptfsInUse: Yes
ExtraDebuggingInterest: Yes
GraphicsCard:
 Intel Corporation Haswell-ULT Integrated Graphics Controller [8086:0a16] (rev 0b) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: Lenovo Haswell-ULT Integrated Graphics Controller [17aa:220c]
InstallationDate: Installed on 2018-04-30 (25 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 18.04 LTS "Bionic Beaver" - Release amd64 (20180426)
MachineType: LENOVO 20AQ007TGE
ProcEnviron:
 TERM=xterm-256color
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
 LANG=de_AT.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-4.15.0-22-generic root=UUID=28805c99-e27d-49f9-a2e5-17f85980a6d6 ro quiet splash vt.handoff=1
SourcePackage: xorg
Symptom: display
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 05/20/2014
dmi.bios.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.bios.version: GJET77WW (2.27 )
dmi.board.asset.tag: Not Available
dmi.board.name: 20AQ007TGE
dmi.board.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.board.version: SDK0E50510 PRO
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: No Asset Information
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.chassis.version: Not Available
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnLENOVO:bvrGJET77WW(2.27):bd05/20/2014:svnLENOVO:pn20AQ007TGE:pvrThinkPadT440s:rvnLENOVO:rn20AQ007TGE:rvrSDK0E50510PRO:cvnLENOVO:ct10:cvrNotAvailable:
dmi.product.family: ThinkPad T440s
dmi.product.name: 20AQ007TGE
dmi.product.version: ThinkPad T440s
dmi.sys.vendor: LENOVO
version.compiz: compiz N/A
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.91-2
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 18.0.0~rc5-1ubuntu1
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 18.0.0~rc5-1ubuntu1
version.xserver-xorg-core: xserver-xorg-core 2:1.19.6-1ubuntu4
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev N/A
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:18.0.1-1
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.99.917+git20171229-1
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:1.0.15-2

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Manfred Steiner, thank you for reporting this and helping make Ubuntu better.

1) Regarding the VGA monitor, as per the sticker of the monitor itself (not from the Bug Description, or the result of a terminal command), could you please provide the full manufacturer and model?

2) Regarding the i-tec USB 3.0 Display Adapter could you please advise to the full part number (ex. U3DUAL4KHDMI)?

3) Regarding the HDMI monitor, could you please provide the full manufacturer and model?

4) If you unplug the i-tec device, and only use the VGA monitor, is this detected in Settings > Devices > Displays? An alternative application to this is arandr to rule out some app specific issue.

[Manfred Steiner (manfred-steiner)]

Question 1) Monitor is plugged in on standard VGA connector (15 pin D-Sub). I guess it does not matter which monitor type. I have done it with a Ilyama ProLite G2773HS and a Samsung Syncmaster S24B350 monitor.

As soon as the monitors are configured, for example the external monitor as replacement for the built in LCD-display of a notebook, the system detects this configuration next time automatically and is switching to the proper monitor configuration, also for the login-screen. This behavior is fine, but does not help the first time, when no configuration was done (or it falls back to the starting situation).

Question 2) I am using the P/N: U3DUALADA (barcode D16-00352296).

Question 3) As HDMI monitor I am using the Samsung Syncmaster S24B35

Question 4) Using the i-tec adapter for the additional Samsung Syncmaster S24B350 monitor was working without any problems on Ubuntu 16.04. On Ubuntu 18.04 monitor configuration is not automatically detected. As work-arround I open the configuration->devices->displays dialog. If this dialog is open and I reconnect the i-tec adapter, the system offers now configuration possibilities. This must be done every time the adpater is connected to the system. A second minor problem when using this adapter is a mouse flickering effect. When mouse icon changes, it mouse icon disappears completely for a short time. When disconnecting the adapter system finds back to the default monitor situation without problems.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Manfred Steiner:

To advise, this report will only be scoped to one issue. With this in mind, in this report you have noted the following disparate problems:
1) As per your Bug Description, going from 16.04 to 18.04, where the monitor the login screen and system bar shows up on changed from where the cursor the monitor is on while booting up to the main monitor.
2) As per comment #3: "but does not help the first time, when no configuration was done".
3) As per comment #3: (or it falls back to the starting situation).
4) As per comment #3, going from 16.04 to 18.04, the monitor connected through the i-tec adapter is not automatically detected, requiring you to have the connect the i-tec adapter while the displays dialog is open.
5) As per comment #3: "A second minor problem when using this adapter is a mouse flickering effect."

Of the 5 disparate issues above, which one issue did you want this report to focus on?

[Manfred Steiner (manfred-steiner)]

The issue of the Bug description is the most important, because it will affect most of users. This issue has no link to the i-tec adapter issue, it is also visible when the adapter is not connected.
I remember that the situation now (on Ubuntu 18.04) is compareable with the situation on Ubuntu 12.04 (maybe also 14.04). In 16.04 this issue was solved in a perfect way (system menues and login dialog follows the mouse pointer to the desired display).

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Manfred Steiner, with only the VGA monitor connected, and the output sent to both the laptop internal monitor, and external monitor, could you please provide a screenshot of the Settings > Devices > Display GUI menu?

[Manfred Steiner (manfred-steiner)]

Screenshot of internal LCD and external VGA in mirror configuration in attachment.

[Manfred Steiner (manfred-steiner)]

I hope this table is correct. I will verify it as soon as possible (when I have a beamer).
Reconfiguration is done with GUI Display dialog (to LCD off and VGA as active display).
L+S ... Login/System bar
E ... Empty screen
Off ... Screen off
S ... Normal working screen with system bar ...

                         Connected Internal LCD VGA
--------------------------------------------------------------
First time Monitor on VGA L+S E
After Login Monitor on VGA S E
After reconfiguration Monitor on VGA Off S
After Restart Monitor on VGA Off L+S
After Login Monitor on VGA Off S
Restart with Beamer Beamer on VGA L+S E
Restart with Monitor Monitor on VGA L+S E
After Login Monitor on VGA Off S

[Manfred Steiner (manfred-steiner)]

Formatted table again, is there any way to edit a posted entry or to format (markdown, ..)?

.............................. Connected ....... Internal LCD ... VGA
----------------------------------------------------------------------
First time ................... Monitor on VGA .. L+S ............ E
After Login .................. Monitor on VGA .. S .............. E
After reconfiguration ........ Monitor on VGA .. Off ............ S
After Restart ................ Monitor on VGA .. Off ............ L+S
After Login .................. Monitor on VGA .. Off ............ S
Restart with Beamer .......... Beamer on VGA .. L+S ............ E
Restart with Monitor ......... Monitor on VGA .. L+S ............ E
After Login .................. Monitor on VGA .. Off ............ S

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Manfred Steiner:

1) What is "Beamer"? Is this a program available from the Ubuntu repositories, a piece of hardware, etc.?

2) To clarify the table in #10, it appears the only part that isn't as expected is how after configuring the Internal LCD to be off and VGA to be active, you restart, and at the login screen the Internal LCD is turned on, while the external VGA is not displaying. However, you are expecting that the external VGA is on, while Internal LCD is off. Correct?

To use your table to further clarify:

.............................. Connected ....... Internal LCD ... VGA...GOOD?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
First time ................... Monitor on VGA .. L+S ............ E ... Yes
After Login .................. Monitor on VGA .. S .............. E ... Yes
After reconfiguration ........ Monitor on VGA .. Off ............ S ... Yes
After Restart ................ Monitor on VGA .. Off ............ L+S . Yes
After Login .................. Monitor on VGA .. Off ............ S ... Yes
Restart with Beamer .......... Beamer on VGA ... L+S ............ E ... No
Restart with Monitor ......... Monitor on VGA .. L+S ............ E ... No
After Login .................. Monitor on VGA .. Off ............ S ... Yes

[Manfred Steiner (manfred-steiner)]

"Beamer" is another display device connected to VGA connector.

The behavior on Ubuntu 16.04 was perfect.
a) the system menu was visible on each screen
b) the login dialog follows the mouse
c) configurations were automatically detected (i guess depending on device ids). and former configurations restored.
d) if no configuration available screens were automatically mirrored (not sure if I remember correct)

That behavior is also desired for Ubuntu 18.04

The current behavior:

.............................. Connected ....... Internal LCD ... VGA...GOOD?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
First time ................... Monitor on VGA .. L+S ............ E ... No -> 1)
After Login .................. Monitor on VGA .. S .............. E ... No -> 2)
After reconfiguration ........ Monitor on VGA .. Off ............ S ... Yes
After Restart ................ Monitor on VGA .. L+S ............ E ... No -> 1)
After Login .................. Monitor on VGA .. Off ............ S ... Yes -> 3)

-> 1) Login Dialog not following mouse. Without internal LCD no login possible.
-> 2) Screen on VGA monitor is empty
-> 3) After Login former monitor configuration automatically detected and restored.

As soon as I can connect another VGA monitor I will describe the behavior again (at the moment not available).

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Manfred Steiner, in order to finely scope this report on "one issue", this report will only focus on the first time one boots up with the external VGA monitor connected (no Beamer), and is at the login screen (not after login).

Regarding the behavior above, what is reasonable is either, it does what it did before in 16.04, or the monitor is properly detected and is in mirror mode. Either way, one may login.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Sending to gnome-shell for review, given monitor does display output immediately after first configuration via Settings > Devices > Display (i.e. appears not driver/kernel issue).

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. This particular bug has already been reported and is a duplicate of bug 1760849, so it is being marked as such. Please look at the other bug report to see if there is any missing information that you can provide, or to see if there is a workaround for the bug. Additionally, any further discussion regarding the bug should occur in the other report. Feel free to continue to report any other bugs you may find.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Jameson (kneakaobc)]

I still have a Problem, At Start up ONLY If the VGA cable is Plugged in I Get a flashing laptop screen and A Powered yet No signal intermittently Acer Monitor. I'm certain its not the cable , for this is a Dual boot, Machine, with Ubuntu Kx Studio, And Win 10 both installed. Further More, This Problem is consisted with other Screens & Revolutions. This Only Happens In Ubuntu 18.04