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Debian Gnome Flickers

Linux Kernel, Network, and Services configuration.
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GonzaloP
Posts: 37
Joined: 2015-10-23 17:13

Debian Gnome Flickers

#1 Post by GonzaloP »

Hi,

For the last couple of weeks I have been experiencing a flickering in the screen, I checked the logs and I am getting:

Code: Select all

[drm:gen8_irq_handler [i915]] *ERROR* CPU pipe A FIFO underrun
I am running Debian 9 and the VGA is VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation HD Graphics 5500 (rev 09)

Looking for a solution I found that it seems to be a common problem related to the "AccelMethod" parameter.

How can I change the "AccelMethod" I couldn't find the configuration file.

Thanks

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Head_on_a_Stick
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Re: Debian Gnome Flickers

#2 Post by Head_on_a_Stick »

GonzaloP wrote:

Code: Select all

[drm:gen8_irq_handler [i915]] *ERROR* CPU pipe A FIFO underrun
That's interesting, I'm seeing the same errors in my OpenBSD system since they upgraded to Xorg 1.19.5; no flickering though :)
GonzaloP wrote:I am running Debian 9 and the VGA is VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation HD Graphics 5500 (rev 09)
Have you tried removing xserver-xorg-video-intel?

Have you added firmware-misc-nonfree?

Use an Xorg configuration file to force the AccelMethod but I don't think that is the issue here — jessie defaulted to UXA so switching to SNA gave a significant boost, stretch defaults to SNA but the Intel DDX driver is now discouraged by Debian in favour of Xorg's builtin modesetting driver.
deadbang

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yeti
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Re: Debian Gnome Flickers

#3 Post by yeti »

I see a probably similar flickering with Stretch on a Thinkpad-510 (1600x900 display) and `dmesg` shows lots of the following lines:

Code: Select all

[336200.037408] [drm:ironlake_irq_handler [i915]] *ERROR* CPU pipe A FIFO underrun
[336200.037456] [drm:ironlake_irq_handler [i915]] *ERROR* PCH transcoder A FIFO underrun
Sometimes even the graphics collapses to a black screen, sometimes with some flickering pixels only at the "leftest" side. This may happen less than once a week and sometimes multiple times a day and so far I don't see a usage pattern triggering this.
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GonzaloP
Posts: 37
Joined: 2015-10-23 17:13

Re: Debian Gnome Flickers

#4 Post by GonzaloP »

Yeti, nice to share the pain with you. I am experiencing the same, the problem started for me around 1 week ago as well.
yeti wrote:I see a probably similar flickering with Stretch on a Thinkpad-510 (1600x900 display) and `dmesg` shows lots of the following lines:

Code: Select all

[336200.037408] [drm:ironlake_irq_handler [i915]] *ERROR* CPU pipe A FIFO underrun
[336200.037456] [drm:ironlake_irq_handler [i915]] *ERROR* PCH transcoder A FIFO underrun
Sometimes even the graphics collapses to a black screen, sometimes with some flickering pixels only at the "leftest" side. This may happen less than once a week and sometimes multiple times a day and so far I don't see a usage pattern triggering this.

Wheelerof4te
Posts: 1454
Joined: 2015-08-30 20:14

Re: Debian Gnome Flickers

#5 Post by Wheelerof4te »

http://forums.debian.net/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=135567

Note that in the light of the Meltdown and Spectre, running an unpatched, older kernel will pose a major security risk. Try to disable 3D animations in GNOME instead.

GonzaloP
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Re: Debian Gnome Flickers

#6 Post by GonzaloP »

Hi,

Thanks for the answer. I did installed firmware-misc-nonfree but I did not remove the xserver-xorg-video-intel. Don't I need that driver to run X?

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:
GonzaloP wrote:

Code: Select all

[drm:gen8_irq_handler [i915]] *ERROR* CPU pipe A FIFO underrun
That's interesting, I'm seeing the same errors in my OpenBSD system since they upgraded to Xorg 1.19.5; no flickering though :)
GonzaloP wrote:I am running Debian 9 and the VGA is VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation HD Graphics 5500 (rev 09)
Have you tried removing xserver-xorg-video-intel?

Have you added firmware-misc-nonfree?

Use an Xorg configuration file to force the AccelMethod but I don't think that is the issue here — jessie defaulted to UXA so switching to SNA gave a significant boost, stretch defaults to SNA but the Intel DDX driver is now discouraged by Debian in favour of Xorg's builtin modesetting driver.

Wheelerof4te
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Re: Debian Gnome Flickers

#7 Post by Wheelerof4te »

GonzaloP wrote: but I did not remove the xserver-xorg-video-intel. Don't I need that driver to run X?
No, you don't if you use Intel iGPU from 2008. onwards. Newer cards will use modesetting (i915 kernel driver). I don't think firmware package will help, honestly.

Bulkley
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Re: Debian Gnome Flickers

#8 Post by Bulkley »

Kernel 4.9.0-5 came down for Stable last night. Does that help?

Wheelerof4te
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Re: Debian Gnome Flickers

#9 Post by Wheelerof4te »

^
For the stable distribution (stretch), this problem has been fixed in version 4.9.65-3+deb9u2
No, since it is the same 4.9.65 version that contains the bug. Only later upstream version will fix it.

GonzaloP
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Re: Debian Gnome Flickers

#10 Post by GonzaloP »

It doesn't, I just tried, and when I opened the console everything freezes.
Bulkley wrote:Kernel 4.9.0-5 came down for Stable last night. Does that help?

GonzaloP
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Joined: 2015-10-23 17:13

Re: Debian Gnome Flickers

#11 Post by GonzaloP »

Any other idea on how to solve this issue? I've tried all what was suggested and it didn't work out.

dcihon
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Re: Debian Gnome Flickers

#12 Post by dcihon »


GonzaloP
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Re: Debian Gnome Flickers

#13 Post by GonzaloP »

I to /etc/environment the line:

Code: Select all

CLUTTER_PAINT=disable-clipped-redraws:disable-culling
And it just makes it worst. Still I couldn't find a solution for this.

Wheelerof4te
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Re: Debian Gnome Flickers

#14 Post by Wheelerof4te »

There isn't a solution. Only option is to use another kernel that doesn't have that problem. Or wait with an outdated, insecure kernel for Debian 9.4.

GonzaloP
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Re: Debian Gnome Flickers

#15 Post by GonzaloP »

So, this problem has been reported already?

Thanks
Wheelerof4te wrote:There isn't a solution. Only option is to use another kernel that doesn't have that problem. Or wait with an outdated, insecure kernel for Debian 9.4.

Wheelerof4te
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Re: Debian Gnome Flickers

#16 Post by Wheelerof4te »

Yes, it has been reported on the Debian kernel maillists already, many times. I've posted a link to a thread about the bug, no?

zguindavo
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Re: Debian Gnome Flickers

#17 Post by zguindavo »

I am experiencing the same problem on a similar configuration (4.9.0-4-amd64 #1 SMP Debian 4.9.65-3+deb9u1 et Gnome 3.22 ).
Wheelerof4te wrote:There isn't a solution. Only option is to use another kernel that doesn't have that problem. Or wait with an outdated, insecure kernel for Debian 9.4.
Does anyone have the reference of kernel that I may install to solve the problem ?

Thanks

GonzaloP
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Joined: 2015-10-23 17:13

Re: Debian Gnome Flickers

#18 Post by GonzaloP »

I just installed the latest kernel 4.9.0-5, and to my surprise (or not) the problem was not fixed.

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Thorny
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Re: Debian Gnome Flickers

#19 Post by Thorny »

GonzaloP wrote:I just installed the latest kernel 4.9.0-5, and to my surprise (or not) the problem was not fixed.
I don't know if it would work for you or not, I don't have the issue, but you might try a kernel from backports.

Wheelerof4te
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Re: Debian Gnome Flickers

#20 Post by Wheelerof4te »

The bug is now fixed in the latest stable-proposed linux upgrade:
https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugrepo ... =884116#82
I will test it and report back.
EDIT: It is fixed :D

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