[nvidia+modeset] ThinkPad P72 - Display freezes when moving mouse pointer

[Alex Zero]

I'm running Ubuntu 20.04 LTS on a ThinkPad P72 with a Quadro P5200.

Whenever I have Discrete graphics enabled in the BIOS, or set the prime-select profile to NVIDIA, the display will freeze and the mouse pointer will drift for a few seconds. This makes the system nearly unusable.

However, the issue can be fixed by simply attaching a new display and running xrandr --auto.

This video illustrates the issue: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOQxK_4xII0

I have tried with a newer kernel version and with older versions of the NVIDIA driver (390, 435). Nothing works. For this reason I believe the issue to probably reside in the kernel or X.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 20.04
Package: xorg 1:7.7+19ubuntu14
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.4.0-28.32-generic 5.4.30
Uname: Linux 5.4.0-28-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: zfs zunicode zavl icp zcommon znvpair nvidia_modeset nvidia
.proc.driver.nvidia.gpus.0000.01.00.0: Error: [Errno 21] Is a directory: '/proc/driver/nvidia/gpus/0000:01:00.0'
.proc.driver.nvidia.registry: Binary: ""
.proc.driver.nvidia.suspend: suspend hibernate resume
.proc.driver.nvidia.suspend_depth: default modeset uvm
.proc.driver.nvidia.version:
 NVRM version: NVIDIA UNIX x86_64 Kernel Module 440.64 Fri Feb 21 01:17:26 UTC 2020
 GCC version: gcc version 9.3.0 (Ubuntu 9.3.0-10ubuntu2)
ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu27
Architecture: amd64
CasperMD5CheckResult: skip
CompizPlugins: No value set for `/apps/compiz-1/general/screen0/options/active_plugins'
CompositorRunning: None
Date: Sun May 3 00:27:29 2020
DistUpgraded: 2020-03-04 19:48:20,592 DEBUG Running PostInstallScript: './xorg_fix_proprietary.py'
DistroCodename: focal
DistroVariant: ubuntu
DkmsStatus:
 acpi-call, 1.1.0, 5.4.0-28-generic, x86_64: installed
 nvidia, 440.64, 5.4.0-28-generic, x86_64: installed
 v4l2loopback, 0.12.3, 5.4.0-28-generic, x86_64: installed
 wireguard, 1.0.20200413, 5.4.0-28-generic, x86_64: installed (WARNING! Diff between built and installed module!)
ExtraDebuggingInterest: Yes, including running git bisection searches
GraphicsCard:
 Intel Corporation Device [8086:3e94] (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: Lenovo Device [17aa:2269]
 NVIDIA Corporation GP104GLM [Quadro P5200 Mobile] [10de:1bb5] (rev a1) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: Lenovo GP104GLM [Quadro P5200 Mobile] [17aa:2269]
InstallationDate: Installed on 2019-10-19 (196 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 19.10 "Eoan Ermine" - Release amd64 (20191017)
MachineType: LENOVO 20MCS08200
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=en_GB:en
 TERM=xterm-256color
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 LANG=en_GB.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/vmlinuz-5.4.0-28-generic root=/dev/mapper/vgubuntu-root ro quiet splash intel_iommu=on default_hugepagesz=1G hugepagesz=1G hugepages=32 transparent_hugepage=never vt.handoff=7
SourcePackage: xorg
Symptom: display
Title: Xorg freeze
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to focal on 2020-03-04 (59 days ago)
dmi.bios.date: 01/15/2020
dmi.bios.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.bios.version: N2CET50W (1.33 )
dmi.board.asset.tag: Not Available
dmi.board.name: 20MCS08200
dmi.board.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.board.version: SDK0Q40104 WIN
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: 00040
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.chassis.version: None
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnLENOVO:bvrN2CET50W(1.33):bd01/15/2020:svnLENOVO:pn20MCS08200:pvrThinkPadP72:rvnLENOVO:rn20MCS08200:rvrSDK0Q40104WIN:cvnLENOVO:ct10:cvrNone:
dmi.product.family: ThinkPad P72
dmi.product.name: 20MCS08200
dmi.product.sku: LENOVO_MT_20MC_BU_Think_FM_ThinkPad P72
dmi.product.version: ThinkPad P72
dmi.sys.vendor: LENOVO
nvidia-settings:
 ERROR: Unable to load info from any available system

 ERROR: Unable to load info from any available system
version.compiz: compiz N/A
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.101-2
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 20.0.4-2ubuntu1
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 20.0.4-2ubuntu1
version.nvidia-graphics-drivers: nvidia-graphics-drivers-* N/A
version.xserver-xorg-core: xserver-xorg-core 2:1.20.8-2ubuntu2
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev N/A
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:19.1.0-1
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.99.917+git20200226-1
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:1.0.16-1

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

It looks like your system is using the nvidia kernel driver with the modeset Xorg driver. I'm unsure it's installed properly...

Please try uninstalling the Nvidia driver and then reinstall it via the 'Additional Drivers' application. Now reboot and if the problem persists then run:

  journalctl -b0 > journal.txt

and attach the resulting text file here.

[Alex Zero (citadelcore)]

Hi - thanks, it was the result of improper configuration on my part. X was running under the modesetting driver rather than the proprietary NVIDIA one. Once fixing the X config I no longer have cursor issues.