Bionic ⋅ SuperTuxKart ⋅ Flickering shadows ⋅ Haswell i915

[Coeur Noir]

Hi,

for few weeks now, I've noticed a big change in graphic performance while playing famous SuperTuxKart on ubuntu bionic :

shadows are flickering, all over the screen, it's a big pain for eyes ( and wonder what would happen for epileptic people ).

My computer is :
Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-4770K CPU @ 3.50GHz with 16Go ram and Haswell integrated graphics.
coeur-noir@asgard:~$ lspci -k | grep -A 2 -i "VGA"
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Xeon E3-1200 v3/4th Gen Core Processor Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 06)
 Subsystem: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. Xeon E3-1200 v3/4th Gen Core Processor Integrated Graphics Controller
 Kernel driver in use: i915
coeur-noir@asgard:~$ sudo lshw -c video
  *-display
       description: VGA compatible controller
       produit: Xeon E3-1200 v3/4th Gen Core Processor Integrated Graphics Controller
       fabriquant: Intel Corporation
       identifiant matériel: 2
       information bus: pci@0000:00:02.0
       version: 06
       bits: 64 bits
       horloge: 33MHz
       fonctionnalités: msi pm vga_controller bus_master cap_list rom
       configuration: driver=i915 latency=0
       ressources: irq:26 mémoire:f7800000-f7bfffff mémoire:e0000000-efffffff portE/S:f000(taille=64) mémoire:c0000-dffff
coeur-noir@asgard:~$

My Ubuntu Budgie 18.04 is :
coeur-noir@asgard:~$ lsb_release -rd
Description: Ubuntu 18.04.3 LTS
Release: 18.04
coeur-noir@asgard:~$ uname -a
Linux asgard 5.0.0-23-generic #24~18.04.1-Ubuntu SMP Mon Jul 29 16:12:28 UTC 2019 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux
coeur-noir@asgard:~$

mesa packages are :
coeur-noir@asgard:~$ dpkg -l | grep mesa
ii libegl-mesa0:amd64 19.0.8-0ubuntu0~18.04.1 amd64 free implementation of the EGL API -- Mesa vendor library
ii libegl1-mesa:amd64 19.0.8-0ubuntu0~18.04.1 amd64 transitional dummy package
ii libgl1-mesa-dri:amd64 19.0.8-0ubuntu0~18.04.1 amd64 free implementation of the OpenGL API -- DRI modules
ii libgl1-mesa-dri:i386 19.0.8-0ubuntu0~18.04.1 i386 free implementation of the OpenGL API -- DRI modules
ii libgl1-mesa-glx:amd64 19.0.8-0ubuntu0~18.04.1 amd64 transitional dummy package
ii libgl1-mesa-glx:i386 19.0.8-0ubuntu0~18.04.1 i386 transitional dummy package
ii libglapi-mesa:amd64 19.0.8-0ubuntu0~18.04.1 amd64 free implementation of the GL API -- shared library
ii libglapi-mesa:i386 19.0.8-0ubuntu0~18.04.1 i386 free implementation of the GL API -- shared library
ii libgles2-mesa:amd64 19.0.8-0ubuntu0~18.04.1 amd64 transitional dummy package
ii libglu1-mesa:amd64 9.0.0-2.1build1 amd64 Mesa OpenGL utility library (GLU)
ii libglu1-mesa:i386 9.0.0-2.1build1 i386 Mesa OpenGL utility library (GLU)
ii libglx-mesa0:amd64 19.0.8-0ubuntu0~18.04.1 amd64 free implementation of the OpenGL API -- GLX vendor library
ii libglx-mesa0:i386 19.0.8-0ubuntu0~18.04.1 i386 free implementation of the OpenGL API -- GLX vendor library
ii libosmesa6:amd64 19.0.8-0ubuntu0~18.04.1 amd64 Mesa Off-screen rendering extension
ii libosmesa6:i386 19.0.8-0ubuntu0~18.04.1 i386 Mesa Off-screen rendering extension
ii libwayland-egl1-mesa:amd64 19.0.8-0ubuntu0~18.04.1 amd64 transitional dummy package
ii mesa-utils 8.4.0-1 amd64 Miscellaneous Mesa GL utilities
ii mesa-utils-extra 8.4.0-1 amd64 Miscellaneous Mesa utilies (opengles, egl)
ii mesa-va-drivers:amd64 19.0.8-0ubuntu0~18.04.1 amd64 Mesa VA-API video acceleration drivers
ii mesa-vdpau-drivers:amd64 19.0.8-0ubuntu0~18.04.1 amd64 Mesa VDPAU video acceleration drivers
coeur-noir@asgard:~$

SuperTuxKart version is :
coeur-noir@asgard:~$ dpkg -l | grep supertu
ii supertuxkart 1.0~ubuntu18.04.1 amd64 3D kart racing game
ii supertuxkart-data 1.0~ubuntu18.04.1 all 3D kart racing game (data)
coeur-noir@asgard:~$

IMPORTANT NOTE #1 : I don't have this « flickering problem » on the same computer when booting ubuntu unity 16.04 !!!
There, is the same SuperTuxKart version but mesa packages are :
coeurnoir@Asgard:~$ dpkg -l | grep mesa
ii libegl1-mesa:amd64 18.0.5-0ubuntu0~16.04.1 amd64 free implementation of the EGL API -- runtime
ii libegl1-mesa:i386 18.0.5-0ubuntu0~16.04.1 i386 free implementation of the EGL API -- runtime
ii libegl1-mesa-drivers:amd64 12.0.6-0ubuntu0.16.04.1 amd64 transitional dummy package
ii libgl1-mesa-dri:amd64 18.0.5-0ubuntu0~16.04.1 amd64 free implementation of the OpenGL API -- DRI modules
ii libgl1-mesa-dri:i386 18.0.5-0ubuntu0~16.04.1 i386 free implementation of the OpenGL API -- DRI modules
ii libgl1-mesa-glx:amd64 18.0.5-0ubuntu0~16.04.1 amd64 free implementation of the OpenGL API -- GLX runtime
ii libgl1-mesa-glx:i386 18.0.5-0ubuntu0~16.04.1 i386 free implementation of the OpenGL API -- GLX runtime
ii libglapi-mesa:amd64 18.0.5-0ubuntu0~16.04.1 amd64 free implementation of the GL API -- shared library
ii libglapi-mesa:i386 18.0.5-0ubuntu0~16.04.1 i386 free implementation of the GL API -- shared library
ii libgles1-mesa 18.0.5-0ubuntu0~16.04.1 all transitional dummy package
ii libgles2-mesa:amd64 18.0.5-0ubuntu0~16.04.1 amd64 free implementation of the OpenGL|ES 2.x API -- runtime
ii libglu1-mesa:amd64 9.0.0-2.1 amd64 Mesa OpenGL utility library (GLU)
ii libglu1-mesa:i386 9.0.0-2.1 i386 Mesa OpenGL utility library (GLU)
ii libosmesa6:amd64 18.0.5-0ubuntu0~16.04.1 amd64 Mesa Off-screen rendering extension
ii libosmesa6:i386 18.0.5-0ubuntu0~16.04.1 i386 Mesa Off-screen rendering extension
ii libwayland-egl1-mesa:amd64 18.0.5-0ubuntu0~16.04.1 amd64 implementation of the Wayland EGL platform -- runtime
ii libwayland-egl1-mesa:i386 18.0.5-0ubuntu0~16.04.1 i386 implementation of the Wayland EGL platform -- runtime
ii mesa-utils 8.3.0-1 amd64 Miscellaneous Mesa GL utilities
ii mesa-va-drivers:amd64 18.0.5-0ubuntu0~16.04.1 amd64 Mesa VA-API video acceleration drivers
ii mesa-vdpau-drivers:amd64 18.0.5-0ubuntu0~16.04.1 amd64 Mesa VDPAU video acceleration drivers
coeurnoir@Asgard:~$

IMPORTANT NOTE #2 :
I have also tried newer version of mesa through padoka's ppa ( https://launchpad.net/~paulo-miguel-dias/+archive/ubuntu/pkppa?field.series_filter=bionic ) on 18.04 but it did not change anything.

For reference, links to forums where I've asked for help :
⋅ https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/supertuxkart-in-18-04-flickering-shadows-with-intel-i915/
⋅ https://github.com/supertuxkart/stk-code/issues/4022
⋅ ( french ) https://forum.ubuntu-fr.org/viewtopic.php?pid=22142775#p22142775

[Coeur Noir (coeur-noir)]

Problem seems to get fixed from regular update ( see attachment ).

Wait and see…

[Coeur Noir (coeur-noir)]

…few hours later, disappointment…

Flickering shadows are coming back every now and then.

Are there humans here ?

[Coeur Noir (coeur-noir)]

Anyway remember I have no flickering shadows problem when booting the same computer on 16.04.

So it's a regression but how narrow down any culprit ?

[Timo Aaltonen (tjaalton)]

try newer mesa on ppa:ubuntu-x-swat/updates

[Coeur Noir (coeur-noir)]

I'll try that and report, thanks.

Meanwhile I have tried with Ubuntu ( default ) 19.10 and same problem…

[Coeur Noir (coeur-noir)]

As I feared from trying with Ubuntu 19.10, using ppa:ubuntu-x-swat/updates on 18.04 did not fix the flickering-shadows problem.

[Timo Aaltonen (tjaalton)]

ok, thanks

then this needs to be filed upstream at gitlab.freedesktop.org/mesa

[Coeur Noir (coeur-noir)]

Ok.

I almost copied/pasted : https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/mesa/mesa/issues/2011

[Coeur Noir (coeur-noir)]

Oooh sadness ! My flickering problem is back since those recent updates from official regular repositories :

coeur-noir@asgard:~$ dpkg -l | grep mesa
ii libegl-mesa0:amd64 19.2.1-1ubuntu1~18.04.1 amd64 free implementation of the EGL API -- Mesa vendor library
ii libegl1-mesa:amd64 19.2.1-1ubuntu1~18.04.1 amd64 transitional dummy package
ii libgl1-mesa-dri:amd64 19.2.1-1ubuntu1~18.04.1 amd64 free implementation of the OpenGL API -- DRI modules
ii libgl1-mesa-dri:i386 19.2.1-1ubuntu1~18.04.1 i386 free implementation of the OpenGL API -- DRI modules
ii libgl1-mesa-glx:amd64 19.2.1-1ubuntu1~18.04.1 amd64 transitional dummy package
ii libgl1-mesa-glx:i386 19.2.1-1ubuntu1~18.04.1 i386 transitional dummy package
ii libglapi-mesa:amd64 19.2.1-1ubuntu1~18.04.1 amd64 free implementation of the GL API -- shared library
ii libglapi-mesa:i386 19.2.1-1ubuntu1~18.04.1 i386 free implementation of the GL API -- shared library
ii libgles2-mesa:amd64 19.2.1-1ubuntu1~18.04.1 amd64 transitional dummy package
ii libglu1-mesa:amd64 9.0.0-2.1build1 amd64 Mesa OpenGL utility library (GLU)
ii libglu1-mesa:i386 9.0.0-2.1build1 i386 Mesa OpenGL utility library (GLU)
ii libglx-mesa0:amd64 19.2.1-1ubuntu1~18.04.1 amd64 free implementation of the OpenGL API -- GLX vendor library
ii libglx-mesa0:i386 19.2.1-1ubuntu1~18.04.1 i386 free implementation of the OpenGL API -- GLX vendor library
ii libosmesa6:amd64 19.2.1-1ubuntu1~18.04.1 amd64 Mesa Off-screen rendering extension
ii libosmesa6:i386 19.2.1-1ubuntu1~18.04.1 i386 Mesa Off-screen rendering extension
ii libwayland-egl1-mesa:amd64 19.2.1-1ubuntu1~18.04.1 amd64 transitional dummy package
ii mesa-utils 8.4.0-1 amd64 Miscellaneous Mesa GL utilities
ii mesa-utils-extra 8.4.0-1 amd64 Miscellaneous Mesa utilies (opengles, egl)
ii mesa-va-drivers:amd64 19.2.1-1ubuntu1~18.04.1 amd64 Mesa VA-API video acceleration drivers
ii mesa-vdpau-drivers:amd64 19.2.1-1ubuntu1~18.04.1 amd64 Mesa VDPAU video acceleration drivers
ii mesa-vulkan-drivers:amd64 19.2.1-1ubuntu1~18.04.1 amd64 Mesa Vulkan graphics drivers
...

[Oibaf (oibaf)]

This issue should be fixed by this mesa commit https://cgit.freedesktop.org/mesa/mesa/commit/?id=3199172eaa703ac4c1fc3830c8e49c367725c3b8 which should be included since Ubuntu 20.04/focal.
Please reopen this issue if you still have this problem.

[Oibaf (oibaf)]

Resolving supertuxkart issue, actually it was a mesa issue now fixed.