Garbled display: kernel 3.8.0-19-generic, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4530/4570/545v

[hs]

Since upgrading to Ubuntu raring 13.04 with kernel 3.8.0-19-generic, when X starts up, the display is garbled. First the display comes up with a fixed, static pattern, it switches to black, then back to a garbled screen, where a regular pattern of pixels keeps flickering. It doesn’t react to input any longer, and I can’t switch to a virtual console, either.

Package versions:
linux-image-3.8.0-19-generic: 3.8.0-19.29
xserver-xorg: 1:7.7+1ubuntu4
xserver-xorg-core: 2:1.13.3-0ubuntu6
xserver-xorg-video-radeon: 1:7.1.0-0ubuntu2
xserver-xorg-video-ati: 1:7.1.0-0ubuntu2

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 13.04
Package: xorg 1:7.7+1ubuntu4
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.8.0-19.29-generic 3.8.8
Uname: Linux 3.8.0-19-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.9.2-0ubuntu8
Architecture: amd64
CompizPlugins: No value set for `/apps/compiz-1/general/screen0/options/active_plugins'
Date: Fri Apr 26 23:21:20 2013
DistUpgraded: 2013-04-26 16:24:44,586 DEBUG enabling apt cron job
DistroCodename: raring
DistroVariant: ubuntu
DkmsStatus:
 virtualbox, 4.2.10, 3.5.0-27-generic, x86_64: installed
 virtualbox, 4.2.10, 3.8.0-19-generic, x86_64: installed
ExtraDebuggingInterest: Yes
GraphicsCard:
 Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] nee ATI RV710/M92 [Mobility Radeon HD 4530/4570/545v] [1002:9553] (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: Dell Device [1028:02be]
InstallationDate: Installed on 2012-06-23 (306 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 12.04 LTS "Precise Pangolin" - Release amd64 (20120425)
MachineType: Dell Inc. Studio 1555
MarkForUpload: True
ProcEnviron:
 TERM=linux
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 LANG=de_DE.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/vmlinuz-3.8.0-19-generic root=UUID=d2aa34d4-11da-400d-b1bf-1dff68969d30 ro recovery nomodeset persistent
SourcePackage: xorg
Symptom: display
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to raring on 2013-04-26 (0 days ago)
dmi.bios.date: 04/23/2009
dmi.bios.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.bios.version: A06
dmi.board.name: 0C234M
dmi.board.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.board.version: A06
dmi.chassis.type: 8
dmi.chassis.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.chassis.version: A06
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnDellInc.:bvrA06:bd04/23/2009:svnDellInc.:pnStudio1555:pvrA06:rvnDellInc.:rn0C234M:rvrA06:cvnDellInc.:ct8:cvrA06:
dmi.product.name: Studio 1555
dmi.product.version: A06
dmi.sys.vendor: Dell Inc.
version.compiz: compiz 1:0.9.9~daily13.04.18.1~13.04-0ubuntu1
version.ia32-libs: ia32-libs 20090808ubuntu36
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.43-0ubuntu1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 9.1.1-0ubuntu3
version.libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental: libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental N/A
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 9.1.1-0ubuntu3
version.xserver-xorg-core: xserver-xorg-core 2:1.13.3-0ubuntu6
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev 1:2.7.3-0ubuntu2b2
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:7.1.0-0ubuntu2
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel N/A
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau N/A

[hs (h.s.)]

Tested successfully with linux-image-3.9.0-030900rc8-generic_3.9.0-030900rc8.201304211835_amd64.deb: At least X starts and displays the desktop background image and icons, although unity and/or compiz don’t come up.

[hs (h.s.)]

Tested successfully with linux-image-3.8.9-030809-generic_3.8.9-030809.201304260102_amd64.deb, too.

Unity was brought back by »unity-tweak-tool --reset-unity«, probably unrelated to this issue.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Johannes Hell (johanneshell)]

Is there any solution to this bug? I just upgraded to 13.04 and I can't use my laptop anymore (Dell Studio 1555). This should have been on the known issues wiki page!

[Johannes Hell (johanneshell)]

I really don't understand why there is no progress at all with this bug. It's critical. My brother just told me that he stopped using Ubuntu after years and installed Windows instead because after upgrading he wasn't able to use his machine (he's got a Dell Studio 1555, too). He isn't that much of an expert so he tried to do a fresh install which didn't work either. He couldn't reach anybody that could help him and he just uses his laptop for surfing the web and listening to music. He just wants it "to work", so - since Ubuntu didn't work anymore - he installed Windows and as he says "Now everything works just fine. I am not going back." I am sure he is not the only one. That could have been prevented if there had been a warning like "Don't upgrade right now. This version of Ubuntu doesn't work with your machine at this time."

[Vishnu V (vvishnu-e)]

@ Johannes Hell (johanneshell)
Try this
Download kernel and headers fromhttp://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v3.8-raring/ and install it using ubuntu recovery mode. This fix works for me. I am also using dell studio 1555.

[Ted (tedks)]

I'm also affected by this bug, and am trying Vishnu's solution.

In the meantime, you can use 13.04 by selecting the 3.5 kernel from Grub at boot.