Lenovo T61 [drm:i965_irq_handler] *ERROR* pipe A underrun Blank Screen

archbanger · 2014-07-27 23:25:00

Hello!

I did a fresh install of Arch Linux - I did notice following error message at boot up from DVD before I started to install:

[drm:i965_irq_handler] *ERROR* pipe A underrun

After I was done with the installation I used pacman -Syu to update the system - the error message still showed up.

Then I installed following packages: zsh, grml-zsh-config, xorg-server, xorg-xinit, xterm, gnome, gnome-extra, xf86-input-synaptics, xf86-video-intel.

Kernel right now is:

3.15.5-2-ARCH

Now in about 5 out of 10 times the screen turns blank when I start up the Thinkpad and after it shows all the boot up messages; if that happens I have to switch to tty2 (with Alt+ Ctrl+ F2) to reboot or power off.

When the screen does not stay blank it loads into gnome just fine. I am not sure if the the blank screen issue is related to the error shown above.

I use following Hardware: Lenovo T61 Thinkpad Laptop with an integrated intel X3100 GPU.

Does anybody have an idea what could cause the issue and/or the error(s) above and/or knows how to fix them?

If any other information is needed, let me know and I will provide them.

Sorry, for any grammatically mistakes - English is not my main language.

Thanks in Advance for any help or advice.

Here is also a part of dmesg that shows the error:

[    5.786817] systemd-udevd[153]: renamed network interface wlan0 to wlp3s0
[    5.864165] [drm] initialized overlay support
[    5.880107] fbcon: inteldrmfb (fb0) is primary device
[    5.880930] [drm:i965_irq_handler] *ERROR* pipe A underrun
[    5.999539] sound hdaudioC0D0: autoconfig: line_outs=1 (0x12/0x0/0x0/0x0/0x0)

Last edited by archbanger (2014-07-28 20:42:45)

archbanger · 2014-08-07 18:13:37

It seems like the problem with the Blank Screen only happens when the Laptop is on Battery Power. The error message at boot up remains all the time.

Is there any other information I can provide that would help to figure out the issue?

Kernel is the latest

3.15.8-1-ARCH

mar04 · 2014-08-07 21:00:15

So your screen goes blank only in xserver and not in ttys?

archbanger · 2014-08-07 22:21:51

Yes, exactly. Arch either boots up right into gnome or the screen goes blank (if that happens I have to switch tty to reboot via console). Sorry if that wasn't clear.

mar04 · 2014-08-08 15:27:34

Check if it also happens when using other DEs. Make sure it's not fault of some power saving tools or scripts. Downgrade xf86-video-intel and see if that helps.
If nothing helps, report it upstream, here is how: https://01.org/linuxgraphics/documentat … eport-bugs

bgc1954 · 2014-08-08 16:58:09

I can tell you that the "[drm:i965_irq_handler] *ERROR* pipe A underrun" is likely not your problem as I have the same T61 and that error always shows when starting up and I never have a blank screen. I use xdm and openbox though so it might just be a gnome issue. I'm wondering if it might be something to do with the new xorg-server warning on the Arch home page?

clfarron4 · 2014-08-08 19:53:23

I have this as well, but only with 3.16.0 on a Toshiba Satellite (something), except that I have a working screen:

archtesting ~ % dmesg | grep drm
[   13.173536] [drm] Initialized drm 1.1.0 20060810
[   13.757851] [drm] Memory usable by graphics device = 2048M
[   13.757855] [drm] Replacing VGA console driver
[   13.757860] fb: switching to inteldrmfb from VESA VGA
[   13.777947] [drm] Supports vblank timestamp caching Rev 2 (21.10.2013).
[   13.777948] [drm] Driver supports precise vblank timestamp query.
[   13.796673] [drm] Wrong MCH_SSKPD value: 0x16040307
[   13.796677] [drm] This can cause pipe underruns and display issues.
[   13.796679] [drm] Please upgrade your BIOS to fix this.
[   13.809484] fbcon: inteldrmfb (fb0) is primary device
[   14.119255] [drm:ilk_display_irq_handler] *ERROR* Pipe A FIFO underrun
[   14.120929] [drm:cpt_set_fifo_underrun_reporting] *ERROR* uncleared pch fifo underrun on pch transcoder A
[   14.120931] [drm:cpt_serr_int_handler] *ERROR* PCH transcoder A FIFO underrun
[   14.605499] i915 0000:00:02.0: fb0: inteldrmfb frame buffer device
[   14.670491] [drm] Initialized i915 1.6.0 20080730 for 0000:00:02.0 on minor 0
[   15.346402] [drm] Enabling RC6 states: RC6 on, RC6p off, RC6pp off
archtesting ~ %

This looks relevant: https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=79261

Last edited by clfarron4 (2014-08-08 20:29:55)

JoseCardozo · 2014-08-08 20:09:16

I'm having exactly the same problem. For a few months actually.

What I did to solve (it's ugly.. but...) was put 'nomodeset' as parameter on my kernel boot line on grub.

It breaks the loading of the opengl stuff, but at least loads the X and my GDM. After that is Enlightenment 0.18.
My notebook is a Lenovo R61i and my arch is all updated.

[ricky@kaleidoskope ~]$ dmesg | grep intel
[    0.073333] perf_event_intel: PEBS disabled due to CPU errata
[    0.435663] intel_idle: does not run on family 6 model 15
[    0.765701] agpgart-intel 0000:00:00.0: Intel 965GM Chipset
[    0.765728] agpgart-intel 0000:00:00.0: detected gtt size: 524288K total, 262144K mappable
[    0.766264] agpgart-intel 0000:00:00.0: detected 8192K stolen memory
[    0.766422] agpgart-intel 0000:00:00.0: AGP aperture is 256M @ 0xe0000000
[    6.616131] snd_hda_intel 0000:00:1b.0: probe_mask set to 0x1 for device 17aa:20ac
[    6.616182] snd_hda_intel 0000:00:1b.0: irq 43 for MSI/MSI-X

Update:

Another workaround for this problem, is to install the LTS kernel.

# pacman -S linux-lts

For me, the grub post install instructions are:

# grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg; grub-install /dev/sda

After that, all you have to do is to boot with the LTS kernel.
This is a temporary solution, since it's a matter of time to a newer version of kernel turns to LTS and the problem will return.

Last edited by JoseCardozo (2014-08-18 14:00:26)

clfarron4 · 2014-08-13 11:08:05

I think the only way we're going to have this sorted out is to go to the kernel bugzilla on this, reporting when we got the error along with what hardware we're getting it on.

levir3 · 2015-02-07 08:14:56

FYI.
I run Debian testing (kernel 3.16.7) on one of my machines with XFCE and have the same problem. Not only error A:pipe underrun but also error B: pipe underrun.
But the Sony Vaio runs fine even though. So the issue is definitely not Arch or Gnome related.

kaptoxic · 2015-09-29 19:57:55

I get these errors as well, with t450s and kernel 4.1.6, namely:

[drm:intel_cpu_fifo_underrun_irq_handler [i915]] *ERROR* CPU pipe A FIFO underrun
[drm:intel_cpu_fifo_underrun_irq_handler [i915]] *ERROR* CPU pipe B FIFO underrun

TheDemz · 2016-02-07 20:31:29

Got the:

[drm:intel_cpu_fifo_underrun_irq_handler [i915]] *ERROR* CPU pipe A FIFO underrun

on my thinkpad T430s.

The system stops/freezes at the beginning of GNOME startup. Before loginscreen is loaded.

linux-4.4.1-2
gnome 3.18.3

Can boot into gnome again afer:

install lates micro code

$ sudo pacman -S intel-ucode

install linux-lts kernel

$ sudo pacman -S linux-lts

update grub config

$ sudo grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg

the kernel is

Linux 4.1.17-1-lts

Arch Linux

#1 2014-07-27 23:25:00