[nvidia] Screen displays dynamic corruptions

[Dan Kortschak]

Regularly the screen displays corruptions that change depending on disk i/o, keyboard/mouse and other system activity. The screen corruptions do not appear on each session and can be removed by selecting an alternative resolution and then changing back (or reverting without accepting the change).

The location of the corruptions is stereotypical and always has the same shape characteristics.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 18.04
Package: xorg 1:7.7+19ubuntu7.1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.18.0-24.25~18.04.1-generic 4.18.20
Uname: Linux 4.18.0-24-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
.proc.driver.nvidia.gpus.0000.02.00.0: Error: [Errno 21] Is a directory: '/proc/driver/nvidia/gpus/0000:02:00.0'
.proc.driver.nvidia.registry: Binary: ""
.proc.driver.nvidia.version:
 NVRM version: NVIDIA UNIX x86_64 Kernel Module 340.107 Thu May 24 21:54:01 PDT 2018
 GCC version: gcc version 7.4.0 (Ubuntu 7.4.0-1ubuntu1~18.04.1)
.proc.driver.nvidia.warnings.fbdev:
 Your system is not currently configured to drive a VGA console
 on the primary VGA device. The NVIDIA Linux graphics driver
 requires the use of a text-mode VGA console. Use of other console
 drivers including, but not limited to, vesafb, may result in
 corruption and stability problems, and is not supported.
ApportVersion: 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.6
Architecture: amd64
CompizPlugins: No value set for `/apps/compiz-1/general/screen0/options/active_plugins'
Date: Fri Jun 28 12:14:17 2019
DistUpgraded: Fresh install
DistroCodename: bionic
DistroVariant: ubuntu
DkmsStatus:
 nvidia-340, 340.107, 4.18.0-15-generic, x86_64: installed
 nvidia-340, 340.107, 4.18.0-24-generic, x86_64: installed
ExtraDebuggingInterest: Yes
GraphicsCard:
 NVIDIA Corporation GT200b [GeForce GTX 275] [10de:05e6] (rev a1) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: CardExpert Technology GT200b [GeForce GTX 275] [10b0:0801]
 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] Ellesmere [Radeon RX 470/480/570/570X/580/580X] [1002:67df] (rev e7) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd Ellesmere [Radeon RX 470/480/570/580] [1458:22fc]
InstallationDate: Installed on 2019-06-25 (2 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 18.04.2 LTS "Bionic Beaver" - Release amd64 (20190210)
MachineType: System manufacturer System Product Name
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=en_AU:en
 TERM=xterm-256color
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 LANG=en_AU.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/vmlinuz-4.18.0-24-generic root=UUID=b92b7098-365d-445a-b980-7fe3bc3b73da ro quiet splash vt.handoff=1
Renderer: Software
SourcePackage: xorg
Symptom: display
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 05/19/2009
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: 0504
dmi.board.asset.tag: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.board.name: P6T DELUXE V2
dmi.board.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer INC.
dmi.board.version: Rev 1.xx
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: Asset-1234567890
dmi.chassis.type: 3
dmi.chassis.vendor: Chassis Manufacture
dmi.chassis.version: Chassis Version
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvr0504:bd05/19/2009:svnSystemmanufacturer:pnSystemProductName:pvrSystemVersion:rvnASUSTeKComputerINC.:rnP6TDELUXEV2:rvrRev1.xx:cvnChassisManufacture:ct3:cvrChassisVersion:
dmi.product.family: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.product.name: System Product Name
dmi.product.sku: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.product.version: System Version
dmi.sys.vendor: System manufacturer
version.compiz: compiz N/A
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.95-1~18.04.1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 18.2.8-0ubuntu0~18.04.2
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 18.2.8-0ubuntu0~18.04.2
version.nvidia-graphics-drivers: nvidia-graphics-drivers-* N/A
version.xserver-xorg-core: xserver-xorg-core N/A
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev N/A
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati N/A
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel N/A
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau N/A

[Dan Kortschak (dan-kortschak)]

Screen shots of the corruption do not work as the screen shot tool appears to overwrite the corruption. Video capture does work.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

If the location and shape of the problem never changes then one possible explanation would be small areas of failing RAM on the graphics card.

It might also be a software bug of course.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

I mean if it is a hardware problem then it might come and go depending on the resolution or which area of graphics memory the driver is using.

But when the problem does appear, if it keeps appearing around the same area then that would suggest a hardware fault.

[Dan Kortschak (dan-kortschak)]

Yeah, I considered that and I guess it's a possibility, but if it's the case it's only exercised by the 18.04 X code, this has never appeared prior to the installation of 18.04 a couple of days ago (was previously running 16.04). I don't recall seeing it while running the live usb either, but I can check that when I'm back at the machine.

The other things that makes me feel like it's a software issue is the interdependence of the effect and other activity on the system as mentioned: typing changes the cadence of the updates as does disk i/o; I would not expect that behaviour if it were graphics card RAM failure. It almost feels like someone is writing a buffer in an incorrect location, but the allocation of the screen memory changes with resolution change and this can randomly choose somewhere that's not being abused like that (random stab in the dark).