[Solved] Flickering screen with i915

enyaw_ecurb · 2011-01-06 23:51:29

Hi,

there is one particular problem that has been driving me crazy. It (probably) first occured after the last xorg-update and I'm at my wits end.

The screen just randomly turns black, for about a second, and switches back on.

I'm using the integrated graphics of my processor (intel i650) with the driver i915. I'm using KMS in the early stage (not that it matters, I tried) and the problem does not have anything to do with X11, because the flickering occurs even before X is loaded - even before I unlock my root-partition.
The flickering does not cause any entrys in dmesg. /var/log/Xorg.0.log just lists the available modelines, exactly the same message I get, when I switch from VT to X.
The problem is not monitor-related. It occurs with different monitors.
The motherboard is a Intel DH55TC.

I don't have the slightest clue what may cause it. The hope remains that it will be fixed with 2.6.37 (not tried it yet).

Any ideas, help, suggestions are appreciated.

Last edited by enyaw_ecurb (2011-01-23 13:51:21)

pogeymanz · 2011-01-07 00:10:59

I have the exact same thing.

It's also very hard to google for it because some people have intel and ati cards that cause the screen to actually flicker (as in rapidly turning on and off) whereas this problem is more like "blinking."

I haven't found any solution. I'm also hoping that 2.6.37 will magically fix it. I've already tried using the [testing] versions of xorg-server and xf86-video-intel to no avail.

grassmonk · 2011-01-07 00:53:02

This happens to me on my laptop, but only when I have an external monitor connected. I made it better by adding

drm_kms_helper.poll=0

to my grub boot entry. I can't remember where I stumbled across that, though.

enyaw_ecurb · 2011-01-10 17:27:25

After I could not use the computer in question for a while due to unforeseen circumstances, I just tried the kernel-parameter.

It did not affect the problem at all.

The "blinking" interestingly seems to be connected to certain (opengl?) apps. starting snes9x-gtk for example always triggers a "blinking".

Still not giving up ;-)

Last edited by enyaw_ecurb (2011-01-10 17:27:54)

pogeymanz · 2011-01-10 19:43:21

Yeah, the boot parameter didn't work for me either.

And kernel 2.6.37 didn't miraculously cure it either.

EDIT: I'm also getting this error on boot that I didn't notice before. Can anyone enlighten me?

[drm:intel_dsm_platform_mux_info] *ERROR* MUX INFO call failed

Last edited by pogeymanz (2011-01-11 00:57:08)

combuster · 2011-01-11 12:26:23

At first I thought my monitor is failing on me, blaming the caps on the invertor or something else, but now, I'm giving a chance that the flickering is caused by the intel kernel driver and then the feedback circuitry kickes in and killes my backlight. Then I have to power off my monitor and on for several times untill backlight turns on again. I have a laptop with dead LVDS and a Samsung 931BF connected via D-SUB.

They have been tampering with SSC clocks and PLL during 2.6.37 developement and this could lead to picking up more EMI than it should - thus triggering flickering and in my cases shutting the backlight down.

It seems a lot better with 2.6.37 than in the rc stages but I got a twitch with the backlight (backlight turned off and on for less than a second) and that only happened once. With 2.6.36.3 I don't have any problems.

enyaw_ecurb · 2011-01-12 00:25:51

I was just about to file a bug-report to the xf86-video-intel developers, when I tried the testing repository.

The problem apparently does not occur with 2.6.37, intel-dri 7.1, etc. It's fixed.

It's always like this: Just when I'm frustrated enough to go through the trouble of filing a proper bug-report, the problem gets fixed. Not that I complain...

@pogeymanz: Maybe you are not having the same issue that I had. The only resource I found was the following: https://bugs.freedesktop.org/show_bug.cgi?id=31331

pogeymanz · 2011-01-12 12:39:33

Well, actually, I didn't install intel-dri from testing. Just xorg-server, xorg-common and xf86-video-intel. So maybe, that will fix it.

pogeymanz · 2011-01-16 13:18:32

So, intel-dri 7.10 didn't fix it.

I just installed the latest xf86-intel-video from testing, which is a slight package bump from the last one I had installed (2.13.901->2.14.0), so maybe that's something.

That dsm error is still appearing at boot, so I'm not hopeful. I have a feeling they are connected.

alphazo · 2011-01-22 21:48:30

I have a Lenovo X201 (I guess it is GM45 based) and the flickering started about a week ago. Before when connecting a VGA monitor it would flicker twice in 10s but then stay stable for all day. Now it starts the same ways and then start flickering every 20s... very very annoying. I looked at my upgrade log and the only relevant (X related) entries are:
- core/kernel26 2.6.36.2-1 -> 2.6.36.3-1
- extra/xf86driproto 2.1.0-1 -> 2.1.1-1
- extra/xf86vidmodeproto 2.3-1 -> 2.3.1-1

I downgraded both xf86 packages but that didn't help. I might try to go [Testing] as this is very annoying.

alphazo · 2011-01-22 22:50:01

Switched to [Testing] on Jan 22 and my flickering issue has disappeared, even the initial one (2 within 10s) that I have been experimenting for many months (but not so annoying) is gone. Display wise, everything is now very smooth and I can connect and switch displays very easily. Although I don't know if the solution comes from 2.6.37, intel-dri or xf86-video-intel or a combination of the three.

For information here are the packages I've upgraded:

testing/binutils 2.21-2 2 -> 3
testing/gcc 4.5.2-4 4 -> 5
testing/syslinux 4.03-1 1 -> 2

==> Mise à jour des logiciels (nouvelle version) :
testing/linux-api-headers 2.6.36.2-1 -> 2.6.37-1
testing/glibc 2.12.2-2 -> 2.13-1
testing/libdrm 2.4.22-3 -> 2.4.23-1
testing/libgl 7.9.0.git20101207-2 -> 7.10-1
testing/ati-dri 7.9.0.git20101207-2 -> 7.10-1
testing/consolekit 0.4.1-4 -> 0.4.2-1
testing/device-mapper 2.02.79-1 -> 2.02.81-1
testing/dhcpcd 5.2.9-1 -> 5.2.10-1
testing/elfutils 0.150-1 -> 0.151-1
testing/file 5.04-3 -> 5.05-1
testing/intel-dri 7.9.0.git20101207-2 -> 7.10-1
testing/iproute2 2.6.35-4 -> 2.6.37-1
testing/kernel26 2.6.36.3-1 -> 2.6.37-1
testing/kernel26-headers 2.6.36.3-1 -> 2.6.37-1
testing/libmysqlclient 5.1.54-1 -> 5.5.8-6
testing/libva 1.0.6-1 -> 1.0.7-1
testing/lvm2 2.02.79-1 -> 2.02.81-1
testing/mach64-dri 7.9.0.git20101207-2 -> 7.10-1
testing/make 3.81-5 -> 3.82-2
testing/mesa 7.9.0.git20101207-2 -> 7.10-1
testing/mga-dri 7.9.0.git20101207-2 -> 7.10-1
testing/mysql-clients 5.1.54-1 -> 5.5.8-6
testing/mysql 5.1.54-1 -> 5.5.8-6
testing/nouveau-dri 7.9.0.git20101207-2 -> 7.10-1
testing/r128-dri 7.9.0.git20101207-2 -> 7.10-1
testing/savage-dri 7.9.0.git20101207-2 -> 7.10-1
testing/sis-dri 7.9.0.git20101207-2 -> 7.10-1
testing/tdfx-dri 7.9.0.git20101207-2 -> 7.10-1
testing/unichrome-dri 7.9.0.git20101207-2 -> 7.10-1
testing/xf86-video-intel 2.13.0-4 -> 2.14.0-1
testing/xorg-server-common 1.9.2-2 -> 1.9.3.901-1
testing/xorg-server 1.9.2-2 -> 1.9.3.901-1
testing/xorg-server-devel 1.9.2-2 -> 1.9.3.901-1

Last edited by alphazo (2011-01-22 22:55:41)

pogeymanz · 2011-01-23 15:22:58

Who here is using an Intel Core iX processor?

Based on kernel development logs, I get the feeling that the Intel video driver had to undergo some heavy development in the last few kernel releases and I think our bug is related to the fact that we're also using the Core i processors.

alphazo · 2011-01-23 16:14:06

My laptop runs on i5.

Gusar · 2011-01-23 16:20:15

I have a Core i3, as well as a netbook with 950GMA graphics. Have never had problems as described in this thread with either of those machines.

alphazo · 2011-02-14 11:15:28

This is definitely linked to 2.6.36. I downgraded from 2.6.37 to 2.6.36 while keeping all the latest xf86 stuff installed and the flickering was back.

Arch Linux

#1 2011-01-06 23:51:29

[Solved] Flickering screen with i915

#2 2011-01-07 00:10:59

Re: [Solved] Flickering screen with i915

#3 2011-01-07 00:53:02

Re: [Solved] Flickering screen with i915

#4 2011-01-10 17:27:25

Re: [Solved] Flickering screen with i915

#5 2011-01-10 19:43:21

Re: [Solved] Flickering screen with i915

#6 2011-01-11 12:26:23

Re: [Solved] Flickering screen with i915

#7 2011-01-12 00:25:51

Re: [Solved] Flickering screen with i915

#8 2011-01-12 12:39:33

Re: [Solved] Flickering screen with i915

#9 2011-01-16 13:18:32

Re: [Solved] Flickering screen with i915

#10 2011-01-22 21:48:30

Re: [Solved] Flickering screen with i915

#11 2011-01-22 22:50:01

Re: [Solved] Flickering screen with i915

#12 2011-01-23 15:22:58

Re: [Solved] Flickering screen with i915

#13 2011-01-23 16:14:06

Re: [Solved] Flickering screen with i915

#14 2011-01-23 16:20:15

Re: [Solved] Flickering screen with i915

#15 2011-02-14 11:15:28

Re: [Solved] Flickering screen with i915

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