[Asus ZenBook Prime UX31A] Black screen on primary display on linux 3.11.x

[Even Onsager]

Duplicate of this bug: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1195483

I`ve tried every version of Saucy and daily builds of Fedora, and all newer Linux kernels seem to cause this problem on the Asus UX31a laptop.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 13.10
Package: linux-image-3.11.0-8-generic 3.11.0-8.15
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.11.0-8.15-generic 3.11.1
Uname: Linux 3.11.0-8-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.12.4-0ubuntu1
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: ubuntu-gnome 2730 F.... pulseaudio
CasperVersion: 1.336ubuntu1
Date: Thu Oct 10 10:40:59 2013
LiveMediaBuild: Ubuntu-GNOME 13.10 "Saucy Salamander" - Beta amd64 (20130926)
MachineType: ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. UX31A
MarkForUpload: True
ProcEnviron:
 TERM=xterm
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcFB: 0 inteldrmfb
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/casper/vmlinuz.efi file=/cdrom/preseed/username.seed boot=casper quiet splash --
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-restricted-modules-3.11.0-8-generic N/A
 linux-backports-modules-3.11.0-8-generic N/A
 linux-firmware 1.114
SourcePackage: linux
StagingDrivers: rts5139
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 06/14/2013
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: UX31A.219
dmi.board.asset.tag: ATN12345678901234567
dmi.board.name: UX31A
dmi.board.vendor: ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC.
dmi.board.version: 1.0
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: No Asset Tag
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC.
dmi.chassis.version: 1.0
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvrUX31A.219:bd06/14/2013:svnASUSTeKCOMPUTERINC.:pnUX31A:pvr1.0:rvnASUSTeKCOMPUTERINC.:rnUX31A:rvr1.0:cvnASUSTeKCOMPUTERINC.:ct10:cvr1.0:
dmi.product.name: UX31A
dmi.product.version: 1.0
dmi.sys.vendor: ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC.

[Brad Figg (brad-figg)]

This change was made by a bot.

[Joseph Salisbury (jsalisbury)]

Would it be possible for you to test the latest upstream kernel? Refer to https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelMainlineBuilds . Please test the latest v3.12 kernel[0].

If this bug is fixed in the mainline kernel, please add the following tag 'kernel-fixed-upstream'.

If the mainline kernel does not fix this bug, please add the tag: 'kernel-bug-exists-upstream'.

If you are unable to test the mainline kernel, for example it will not boot, please add the tag: 'kernel-unable-to-test-upstream'.
Once testing of the upstream kernel is complete, please mark this bug as "Confirmed".

Thanks in advance.

[0] http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v3.12-rc4-saucy/

[Joseph Salisbury (jsalisbury)]

Also, was there a prior kernel version that did not exhibit this bug?

[Even Onsager (even-onsager)]

Thanks for your response. I haven't tried every kernel, but it was definitely fine on Ubuntu-Gnome 13.04, and in the report linked above another user says this: "I booted with kernel 3.11.0 which is the earliest I found that exhibits this problem." A Fedora user - https://ask.fedoraproject.org/question/29186/black-screen-after-upgrade-to-kernel-310/ - seems to suggest that it happened earlier, though, but obviously after the 3.8 kernel I was using with Raring.

I'm a n00b, relatively speaking, and I have neither time nor inclination to test all of them just to find out, but I'll test the newest one tomorrow per your instructions. I need access to an external monitor to be able to boot at all, and I don't have one at home.

Also, strangely, the internal monitor started working again after disabling and re-enabling it in Gnome's system settings. It did not survive reboot or even suspend (which froze the session), however, so it's not the quick workaround I was hoping for.

[Frederik Elwert (frederik-elwert)]

I experienced the same bug after an upgrade from raring to saucy with the same model. I just tested the upstream kernel, but the same bug seems to exist there. I added the corresponding tag.

I can work around the issue by booting into the raring kernel (3.8.0-31), which was still installed after the upgrade.

[Joseph Salisbury (jsalisbury)]

Can folks affected by this bug test the kernel available at:
http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~jsalisbury/lp1195483/

[Frederik Elwert (frederik-elwert)]

Tested, but unfortunately does not solve the issue.

[Joseph Salisbury (jsalisbury)]

I built a second version of this kernel, which can be downloaded from the same link. The kernel .deb file names are:
linux-image-3.11.0-12-generic_3.11.0-12.19~lp1195483v2_amd64.deb
and
linux-image-extra-3.11.0-12-generic_3.11.0-12.19~lp1195483v2_amd64.deb

[Frederik Elwert (frederik-elwert)]

Great, that one works just fine! Thanks!

[Tim (swearingen-tim)]

I was able to duplicate this bug on my ux31a.

[Tim (swearingen-tim)]

I did not experience this on 13.04 or prior to the restart of a soft upgrade to 13.10 rather than a clean install (which also occurs after loading but prior to installation).

[Alexey Larikov (a-larikov)]

Strangely, it works fine if you enable "Launch CSM" option in UX31A BIOS.