Xrandr twitches when using DVI-VGA adapter via triple AMD card setup

[Röbke Geenen]

What I expected to happen is a normal picture on all four of my monitors.

What happened instead xrandr will twitch when using a DVI-VGA adapter via ubuntu 12.04-14.04:
lspci | grep VGA
01:05.0 VGA compatible controller: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] nee ATI RS880 [Radeon HD 4250]
02:00.0 VGA compatible controller: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] nee ATI RV610 [Radeon HD 2400 PRO]
06:06.0 VGA compatible controller: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] nee ATI RV250/M9 GL [Mobility FireGL 9000/Radeon 9000] (rev 02)

fglrx-* in Precise did not recognize all my cards so I was unable to test it. The IGP is connected via DVI to a 24" monitor and via VGA to a 17" monitor, all good so far. Then I have three monitors left, two 15" VGA and one 17" vga, so to use all monitors, I have to use one DVI-VGA adapter. No matter in what order/combination I connect the monitors to the video cards, the monitor that is connected via the adapter always flickers along with the other monitor on that same card (does not matter which card). It seems like the two monitors have two sperate framebuffers, but by default they both show the framebuffer for the monitor with adapter, but when I move the mouse they switch rapidly from that framebuffer to the other and back.
Here are three video's showing the problem:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQiJADHGuZg (Top-Right monitor connected via adapter, in the same card as Bottom-Right)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lk9muK8f06c (Top-Left monitor connected via adapter, in the same card as Bottom-Right)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ses1jUcu2k (Top-Left monitor connected via adapter, in the same card as Top-Right)

I think it's a xrandr problem because using the same setup with zaphodhead mode and xinerama, it works but its EXTREMELY slow.

I have already tried another DVI-VGA adapter, but with the same results. Another strange thing is that xrandr seems to think that two monitors are clones, but one of which is not connected. xrandr --verbose log:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/xorg/+bug/1199409/+attachment/3944844/+files/xrandr%20--verbose

I have cut out the various supported modes, the full xrandr --verbose output is attached.
As you see, VGA-2 and DVI-1 apparently are clones, but in this case only VGA-2 is connected, I don't know if that is normal. I now have connected two monitors (both 15") to VGA-2 and DVI-1, and the xrandr output has not changed, it still shows VGA-2 and DVI-1 as cloned, but the two displays still twitch as in the video's...

---
.tmp.unity.support.test.0:

ApportVersion: 2.12.7-0ubuntu3
Architecture: amd64
CasperVersion: 1.336ubuntu1
CompizPlugins: No value set for `/apps/compiz-1/general/screen0/options/active_plugins'
CompositorRunning: compiz
CompositorUnredirectDriverBlacklist: '(nouveau|Intel).*Mesa 8.0'
CompositorUnredirectFSW: true
CurrentDesktop: Unity
DistUpgraded: Fresh install
DistroCodename: trusty
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.04
DistroVariant: ubuntu
ExtraDebuggingInterest: No
LiveMediaBuild: Ubuntu 14.04 LTS "Trusty Tahr" - Alpha amd64 (20140105)
MachineType: To Be Filled By O.E.M. To Be Filled By O.E.M.
MarkForUpload: True
Package: xorg 1:7.7+1ubuntu7
PackageArchitecture: amd64
ProcKernelCmdLine: file=/cdrom/preseed/username.seed boot=casper initrd=/casper/initrd.lz quiet splash -- maybe-ubiquity
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.12.0-7.15-generic 3.12.4
Tags: third-party-packages trusty ubuntu reproducible compiz-0.9
Uname: Linux 3.12.0-7-generic x86_64
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
UserGroups: adm cdrom dip lpadmin plugdev sambashare sudo
dmi.bios.date: 12/06/2010
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: P1.50
dmi.board.name: 880GMH/USB3.
dmi.board.vendor: ASRock
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.chassis.type: 3
dmi.chassis.vendor: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.chassis.version: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvrP1.50:bd12/06/2010:svnToBeFilledByO.E.M.:pnToBeFilledByO.E.M.:pvrToBeFilledByO.E.M.:rvnASRock:rn880GMH/USB3.:rvr:cvnToBeFilledByO.E.M.:ct3:cvrToBeFilledByO.E.M.:
dmi.product.name: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.product.version: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.sys.vendor: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
version.compiz: compiz 1:0.9.10+13.10.20131011-0ubuntu1
version.ia32-libs: ia32-libs N/A
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.50-1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 10.0.1-1ubuntu2
version.libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental: libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental N/A
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 10.0.1-1ubuntu2
version.xserver-xorg-core: xserver-xorg-core 2:1.14.5-1ubuntu2
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev 1:2.8.2-1ubuntu1
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:7.2.0-0ubuntu10
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.99.904-0ubuntu2
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:1.0.10-1ubuntu1
xserver.bootTime: Thu Jan 9 22:35:33 2014
xserver.configfile: default
xserver.devices:
 input Power Button KEYBOARD, id 6
 input Power Button KEYBOARD, id 7
 input GASIA PS2toUSB Adapter KEYBOARD, id 8
 input GASIA PS2toUSB Adapter KEYBOARD, id 9
 input AT Translated Set 2 keyboard KEYBOARD, id 10
xserver.errors:
 RADEON(G0): [XvMC] Failed to initialize extension.
 RADEON(G1): [XvMC] Failed to initialize extension.
 RADEON(G1): failed to set mode: No space left on devicehave a master to look out for
xserver.logfile: /var/log/Xorg.0.log
xserver.version: 2:1.14.5-1ubuntu2
xserver.video_driver: radeon

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Robke Geenen, this bug was reported a while ago and there hasn't been any activity in it recently. We were wondering if this is still an issue? If so, could you please test for this with the latest development release of Ubuntu? ISO images are available from http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/daily-live/current/ .

If it remains an issue, could you please run the following command in the development release from a Terminal (Applications->Accessories->Terminal), as it will automatically gather and attach updated debug information to this report:

apport-collect -p xorg REPLACE-WITH-BUG-NUMBER

Thank you for your understanding.

Helpful bug reporting tips:
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ReportingBugs

[Röbke Geenen (rgeenen-lp-oops)]

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[Röbke Geenen (rgeenen-lp-oops)]

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[Röbke Geenen (rgeenen-lp-oops)]

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[penalvch (penalvch)]

Robke Geenen, thank you for providing the requested information. As a potential WORKAROUND, if you are in Precise with the 3.2.x series kernel is this reproducible with fglrx-* as per https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BinaryDriverHowto/ATI (as later releases won't work for your cards as per https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/fglrx-installer/+bug/1058040 )?

[Röbke Geenen (rgeenen-lp-oops)]

Hello,

First of all, sorry for the time it took me to react, I'm currently in a situation that I don't have much time (for anything actually).
I'm sorry to say that the problem is not gone, but it has changed.
I've tested with the Ubuntu 14.04 (Daily Build) Live CD, and I ran the 'apport-collect -p xorg 1199409' command.
By the way, I noticed that this Live CD mentions itself as being 13.10, I assume this is because it is a Daily Build?
Now only one monitor is showing something, the other one is black, but which one depends on the situation.
When I try to rotate one monitor, Xorg crashes and I get the login screen of the Live CD, so that's also a problem.
When the login screen is shown, the monitor WITHOUT the DVI-VGA adapter is black, and when I just boot to the Live CD (so then no login screen is shown) the monitor WITH the adapter is black.
I have looked in the Xorg log, and it said it experienced a segfault, that probably has to do something with it.
I have uploaded that log file with this comment.
With regards to Mr. Penalver's last comment, yes, the last time I tried the fglrx driver, the PCI card could not be enabled, the AMD control panel did not show the card.
But when I have some time, I will try the workaround as suggested in bug #1058040, thanks for the suggestion.
Please say so when you need more information.

With kind regards,
Robke Geenen

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Cut from Bug Description.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Robke Geenen, thank you for providing the requested information. In order to test the latest xorg stack, could you please test the xorg-edgers PPA following https://launchpad.net/~xorg-edgers/+archive/ppa?field.series_filter=trusty (live environment would be fine)?

[Röbke Geenen (rgeenen-lp-oops)]

Hello,

I will try this during the next couple of days.
It's 1PM over here right now, so I'll not try it today.

With kind regards,
Robke Geenen

[Röbke Geenen (rgeenen-lp-oops)]

Hello,

Again, sorry for the late reaction.
I have tried the xorg-edgers PPA, and when I run the script ("See https://wiki.ubuntu.com/XorgOnTheEdge for a script that installs and runs the test packages in a live CD/media session, for quick and easy temporary testing.") I see some references, and errors, about gdm scrolling past.
I guess this is because gdm is not used anymore (it is lightdm now, right?).
And after the script finishes, all vtty's are acting weird, whenever I enter a command it outputs that it cannot find a command which consists of just a random bunch of letters.
I can then exit out of the shell (^D) and it goes back to normal, but when I manually restart Xorg (the script does not do that) I cannot open the system settings anymore.
All in all, I guess this only gives even more troubles than the stable Xorg.
The fglrx-legacy driver cannot be installed on 14.04, but the last time I did install it, it did not have support for the PCI graphics card (Mobility FireGL 9000), I highly doubt that AMD has put that in since, because the legacy driver would not get (feature) updates anymore.

With kind regards,
Robke Geenen

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Robke Geenen, the issue you are reporting is an upstream one. Could you please report this problem via https://bugs.freedesktop.org/enter_bug.cgi?product=xorg&component=Driver/Radeon :
Version: 7.7 (2011)

Please provide a direct URL to your bug report once you have made it so that it may be tracked.

Thank you for your understanding.