Debian 9 stretch & MATE desktop - flickering screen

[hubert27]

Hi

I use Debian 9 Stretch with MATE desktop on Dell Latitude, and I have very weird problem. Sometimes, when I open terminal (no matters which terminal, both on MATE terminal or Xterm) and start to enter data or hit shortcut, screen flickrs for a moment. It is very random behavior. Sometimes, it flickers infinitely, so I must to reboot. I checked and replace HDMI cable to my monitor, tried to work only on laptop, without additional monitor, and many others hardware solutions, but it haven't helped. I have also Windows installed on my machine, and on that system such problems doesn't occur. I have got newest xserver-xorg-video-intel installed.

EDIT: such thing happens also when I use Pluma editor.

Does anyone know what it is?

[Capitain_Jack]

Look, I don't use mate, but can you shed more light on what hardware is that latitude? Is it using any video card or OnBoard? If on board, witch chipset you motherboard uses (or the latitude model number)?

[None1975]

Does anyone know what it is?

Hello. If you have on board Intel video card, maybe you are afected by this bug.

[hubert27]

Ok, problem solved. Some updates for Debian have broken rendering configuration. To fix it a special config file is needed. I found solution here: https://askubuntu.com/questions/895558/screen-flickering-when-i-run-commands-in-gnome-terminal.

[Capitain_Jack]

Ok, problem solved. Some updates for Debian have broken rendering configuration. To fix it a special config file is needed. I found solution here: https://askubuntu.com/questions/895558/screen-flickering-when-i-run-commands-in-gnome-terminal.

Great! Can you please edit the first message title and add [SOLVED] to the beginning, so others can benefit from your solution? Thanks and congratulations!

[Wheelerof4te]

Ok, problem solved. Some updates for Debian have broken rendering configuration. To fix it a special config file is needed.

That is not a solution, but a workaround. It seems that hack would decrease performance, too. Until Debian updates the kernel, best "fix" will be to install some other kernel, either from backports or from an older Stretch point release.

[Head_on_a_Stick]

Ok, problem solved. Some updates for Debian have broken rendering configuration. To fix it a special config file is needed. I found solution here: https://askubuntu.com/questions/895558/screen-flickering-when-i-run-commands-in-gnome-terminal.

The Debian package page for the Intel DDX driver actually advises completely removing that package in Debian 9:

The use of this driver is discouraged if your hw is new enough (ca. 2007 and newer). You can try uninstalling this driver and let the server use it's builtin modesetting driver instead.

Source: https://packages.debian.org/stretch/xse ... ideo-intel

So rather than force the antediluvian UXA acceleration method with that Xorg configuration file you should instead try removing it and running this command:

Code: Select all

# aptitude purge xserver-xorg-video-intel

[Wheelerof4te]

Using the modesetting driver won't help for sure:

I tried using the Intel driver instead of modesetting, as it helped
for some people, but it didn't help in my case.

Which implies problem is still present on modesetting. There are a couple workarounds mentioned on that bug report.
EDIT: It's fixed now. You can upgrade.
EDIT2: Nope, it still is there. Don't upgrade.