Intermittent problems with second monitor after xorg security updates

[Nathan Wallach]

I am running Ubuntu 22.04.2 LTS on a Dell 5410 laptop. Typically it is connected to a Dell WD19 docking station with an attached monitor.

I have been having issues with using two monitors at once since a recent security update to several xorg packages.

Since the update of:

Upgrade: xserver-xorg-core:amd64 (2:21.1.3-2ubuntu2, 2:21.1.3-2ubuntu2.9), xserver-xorg-legacy:amd64 (2:21.1.3-2ubuntu2, 2:21.1.3-2ubuntu2.9), xserver-common:amd64 (2:21.1.3-2ubuntu2, 2:21.1.3-2ubuntu2.9), xwayland:amd64 (2:22.1.1-1, 2:22.1.1-1ubuntu0.6), xserver-xephyr:amd64 (2:21.1.3-2ubuntu2, 2:21.1.3-2ubuntu2.9)

sometimes only one monitor works at a time: the external one when the docking station is attached and the internal screen when not. Several times, after a reboot - only one monitor was available. When only one is working the display settings show there only being one monitor.

Sometimes both work for a while, and then the problem starts. It is not clear to me what triggers the problem. Once the bug triggers, disconnecting the laptop from the docking station and reconnecting does not seem to get the system back to using both monitors at once. Detaching and the reattaching the monitor from the Docking station helped once.

After a downgrade back to the versions - things seemed to work fine again. I downgraded to the following package versions to avoid the issue

Downgrade: xserver-xorg-core:amd64 (2:21.1.3-2ubuntu2.9, 2:21.1.3-2ubuntu2), xserver-xorg-legacy:amd64 (2:21.1.3-2ubuntu2.9, 2:21.1.3-2ubuntu2), xserver-common:amd64 (2:21.1.3-2ubuntu2.9, 2:21.1.3-2ubuntu2), xwayland:amd64 (2:22.1.1-1ubuntu0.6, 2:22.1.1-1), xserver-xephyr:amd64 (2:21.1.3-2ubuntu2.9, 2:21.1.3-2ubuntu2)

and after reinstalling the updates again experienced problems.

It seemed that things were fine when
xserver-xorg-core:amd64, xserver-common:amd64, xserver-xorg-legacy:amd64, server-xephyr:amd64 were all on version 2:21.1.3-2ubuntu2.7
and xwayland:amd64 was on version 2:22.1.1-1ubuntu0.5 but I am not sure about with 2:21.1.3-2ubuntu2.8 as I do not think the system was restarted after the update from 2:21.1.3-2ubuntu2.7 to 2:21.1.3-2ubuntu2.8.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 22.04
Package: xorg 1:7.7+23ubuntu2
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.19.0-38.39~22.04.1-generic 5.19.17
Uname: Linux 5.19.0-38-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu82.3
Architecture: amd64
BootLog: Error: [Errno 13] Permission denied: '/var/log/boot.log'
CasperMD5CheckResult: unknown
CompositorRunning: None
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
Date: Wed Apr 5 11:22:07 2023
DistUpgraded: 2023-03-09 23:44:15,474 DEBUG Running PostInstallScript: '/usr/lib/ubuntu-advantage/upgrade_lts_contract.py'
DistroCodename: jammy
DistroVariant: ubuntu
DpkgLog:

ExtraDebuggingInterest: Yes
GraphicsCard:
 Intel Corporation CometLake-U GT2 [UHD Graphics] [8086:9b41] (rev 02) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: Dell CometLake-U GT2 [UHD Graphics] [1028:09a0]
InstallationDate: Installed on 2020-12-02 (853 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 20.04.1 LTS "Focal Fossa" - Release amd64 (20200731)
MachineType: Dell Inc. Latitude 5410
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-5.19.0-38-generic root=UUID=9835c982-ea8c-412d-bd72-92c8986e762a ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
SourcePackage: xorg
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to jammy on 2023-03-09 (26 days ago)
dmi.bios.date: 09/15/2022
dmi.bios.release: 1.17
dmi.bios.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.bios.version: 1.17.0
dmi.board.name: 06KF2W
dmi.board.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.board.version: A00
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnDellInc.:bvr1.17.0:bd09/15/2022:br1.17:svnDellInc.:pnLatitude5410:pvr:rvnDellInc.:rn06KF2W:rvrA00:cvnDellInc.:ct10:cvr:sku09A0:
dmi.product.family: Latitude
dmi.product.name: Latitude 5410
dmi.product.sku: 09A0
dmi.sys.vendor: Dell Inc.
version.compiz: compiz N/A
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.113-2~ubuntu0.22.04.1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 22.2.5-0ubuntu0.1~22.04.1
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 22.2.5-0ubuntu0.1~22.04.1
version.xserver-xorg-core: xserver-xorg-core 2:21.1.3-2ubuntu2.9
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev N/A
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:19.1.0-2ubuntu1
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.99.917+git20210115-1
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:1.0.17-2build1

[Nathan Wallach (taniwallach)]

When problems start to occur, sometimes the "working" screen goes blank and forces me to log back in, as if the screen was locked.

After disabling wayland in /etc/gdm3/custom.conf and rebooting, xrandr shows the "missing" screen, and I can manually force the system to use both screens using
xrandr --output eDP-1 --auto --left-of DP-1-1
and at present that seems to be the only reliable manner of getting both monitors to work again.

Even after that, the settings app does not show there being multiple monitors in use.

I tried the 6.2.10 mainline kernel using "ubuntu-mainline-kernel.sh -i v6.2.10" after installing ubuntu-mainline-kernel.sh from https://raw.githubusercontent.com/pimlie/ubuntu-mainline-kernel.sh/master/ubuntu-mainline-kernel.sh
There was no improvement with the newer kernel.

=======
Before manual command:

xrandr
Screen 0: minimum 320 x 200, current 1920 x 1080, maximum 16384 x 16384
eDP-1 connected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
   1920x1080 60.05 + 60.05
   1680x1050 60.05
   1400x1050 60.05
   1600x900 60.05
   1280x1024 60.05
   1400x900 60.05
   1280x960 60.05
   1440x810 60.05
   1368x768 60.05
   1280x800 60.05
   1280x720 60.05
   1024x768 60.05
   960x720 60.05
   928x696 60.05
   896x672 60.05
   1024x576 60.05
   960x600 60.05
   960x540 60.05
   800x600 60.05
   840x525 60.05
   864x486 60.05
   700x525 60.05
   800x450 60.05
   640x512 60.05
   700x450 60.05
   640x480 60.05
   720x405 60.05
   684x384 60.05
   640x360 60.05
   512x384 60.05
   512x288 60.05
   480x270 60.05
   400x300 60.05
   432x243 60.05
   320x240 60.05
   360x202 60.05
   320x180 60.05
HDMI-1 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
DP-1 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
HDMI-2 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
DP-1-1 connected primary 1920x1080+0+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 600mm x 340mm
   1920x1080 60.00*+ 50.00 59.94
   1680x1050 59.95
   1400x1050 59.98
   1600x900 60.00
   1280x1024 60.02
   1440x900 59.89
   1280x800 59.81
   1280x720 60.00 50.00 59.94
   1024x768 60.00
   800x600 60.32
   720x576 50.00
   720x480 60.00 59.94
   640x480 60.00 59.94
DP-1-2 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
DP-1-3 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)

==============
After manual command:

xrandr
Screen 0: minimum 320 x 200, current 3840 x 1080, maximum 16384 x 16384
eDP-1 connected 1920x1080+0+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 309mm x 174mm
   1920x1080 60.05*+ 60.05
   1680x1050 60.05
   1400x1050 60.05
   1600x900 60.05
   1280x1024 60.05
   1400x900 60.05
   1280x960 60.05
   1440x810 60.05
   1368x768 60.05
   1280x800 60.05
   1280x720 60.05
   1024x768 ...