Dell XPS 13 (7390) Display Flickering - 19.10

Bug #1849947 reported by Jamie Bradley
12
This bug affects 2 people
Affects Status Importance Assigned to Milestone
OEM Priority Project
Fix Released
Undecided
Unassigned
linux (Ubuntu)
Fix Released
Undecided
Unassigned
Disco
Won't Fix
Undecided
Unassigned
Eoan
Fix Released
Undecided
Unassigned
Focal
Fix Released
Undecided
Unassigned

Bug Description

Hi there,
I recently purchased a Dell XPS 13 7390 (Developer Edition). I decided to replace 18.4 LTS with 19.10 and so far it has been pretty smooth. However, there is one issue which occurs frequently whereby the display flickers and becomes unusable. The best way to describe the appearance is that the image becomes heavily distorted.

Sometimes it only happens for a split second, other times it is permanently distorted. When this happens, simply closing the laptop lip and re-opening seems to put the display back into it's correct state.

I didn't experience this issue on 18.04 LTS which is why I believe it's a Software Bug within 19.10.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 19.10
Package: xorg 1:7.7+19ubuntu12
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.3.0-19.20-generic 5.3.1
Uname: Linux 5.3.0-19-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu8
Architecture: amd64
BootLog: Error: [Errno 13] Permission denied: '/var/log/boot.log'
CompositorRunning: None
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
Date: Sat Oct 26 11:11:43 2019
DistUpgraded: Fresh install
DistroCodename: eoan
DistroVariant: ubuntu
ExtraDebuggingInterest: Yes, if not too technical
GraphicsCard:
 Intel Corporation Device [8086:9b41] (rev 02) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: Dell Device [1028:0962]
InstallationDate: Installed on 2019-10-25 (0 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 19.10 "Eoan Ermine" - Release amd64 (20191017)
MachineType: Dell Inc. XPS 13 7390
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/vmlinuz-5.3.0-19-generic root=/dev/mapper/vgubuntu-root ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
SourcePackage: xorg
Symptom: display
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 08/23/2019
dmi.bios.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.bios.version: 1.1.3
dmi.board.name: 0G2D0W
dmi.board.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.board.version: A00
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnDellInc.:bvr1.1.3:bd08/23/2019:svnDellInc.:pnXPS137390:pvr:rvnDellInc.:rn0G2D0W:rvrA00:cvnDellInc.:ct10:cvr:
dmi.product.family: XPS
dmi.product.name: XPS 13 7390
dmi.product.sku: 0962
dmi.sys.vendor: Dell Inc.
version.compiz: compiz N/A
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.99-1ubuntu1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 19.2.1-1ubuntu1
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx N/A
version.xserver-xorg-core: xserver-xorg-core 2:1.20.5+git20191008-0ubuntu1
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev N/A
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:19.0.1-1ubuntu1
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.99.917+git20190815-1
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:1.0.16-1

CVE References

Revision history for this message
Jamie Bradley (jamie-endeavour) wrote :
Revision history for this message
Timo Aaltonen (tjaalton) wrote :

please test with latest drm-tip kernel from

https://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/

affects: xorg (Ubuntu) → linux (Ubuntu)
Changed in linux (Ubuntu):
status: New → Incomplete
Revision history for this message
Jamie Bradley (jamie-endeavour) wrote :

Hi Timo, thanks for the response.
I'm sorry but I'm not sure how to change the kernel - quite new to Ubuntu etc. Do you have a guide I could maybe take a look at to reference?

Thanks!

Revision history for this message
Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt) wrote :

The kernel log suggests bug 1550779.

Revision history for this message
Launchpad Janitor (janitor) wrote :

[Expired for linux (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]

Changed in linux (Ubuntu):
status: Incomplete → Expired
Revision history for this message
Loik Le Devehat (loikledevehat) wrote :

Hellon,
I have the same configuration (dell xps13 7390 and ubuntu 19.10) and I installed the kernel from drm-tip current and the issue seems to be resolved. The screen glitches don't appear anymore.

```
uname -r
5.5.0-994-generic
```
Thanks for the help.

@Jamie to install it you can go to https://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/drm-tip/current/

then click on these links to download and install the debian packages in this order:
* linux-header-...-amd64.deb
* linux-modules...-generic-....-amd64.deb
* linux-image-...-generic-...-amd64.deb

Then reboot so that this new kernel is loaded.

Revision history for this message
Jamie Bradley (jamie-endeavour) wrote :

Hey @Loik thanks for the heads up.

I've been able to install modules and image but for some reason the headers file won't install. When running via the OS Installer it never gives me the option to remove the file which suggests it hasn't installed.

I then tried to install via terminal...

```
sudo dpkg -i linux-headers-5.5.0-994-generic_5.5.0-994.201912282104_amd64.deb
Selecting previously unselected package linux-headers-5.5.0-994-generic.
(Reading database ... 191281 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack linux-headers-5.5.0-994-generic_5.5.0-994.201912282104_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking linux-headers-5.5.0-994-generic (5.5.0-994.201912282104) ...
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of linux-headers-5.5.0-994-generic:
 linux-headers-5.5.0-994-generic depends on linux-headers-5.5.0-994; however:
  Package linux-headers-5.5.0-994 is not installed.

dpkg: error processing package linux-headers-5.5.0-994-generic (--install):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
Errors were encountered while processing:
 linux-headers-5.5.0-994-generic
```

Did you have this problem as well?

Revision history for this message
Jamie Bradley (jamie-endeavour) wrote :

Okay I've been silly. Just realised I hadn't installed the _all.deb first!

I did notice during reboot that I got this error Couldn’t get size: 0x800000000000000e, however it disappears and I can carry on as normal.

Not sure if you saw this too @Loik?

Revision history for this message
Sultan Alsawaf (kerneltoast) wrote :

Try running the following command and reboot after:

sudo bash -c "echo 'options i915 enable_psr=0' > /etc/modprobe.d/i915.conf"

Changed in linux (Ubuntu Focal):
status: Expired → In Progress
Changed in linux (Ubuntu Eoan):
status: New → Fix Committed
Changed in linux (Ubuntu Disco):
status: New → Fix Committed
Revision history for this message
Ubuntu Kernel Bot (ubuntu-kernel-bot) wrote :

This bug is awaiting verification that the kernel in -proposed solves the problem. Please test the kernel and update this bug with the results. If the problem is solved, change the tag 'verification-needed-eoan' to 'verification-done-eoan'. If the problem still exists, change the tag 'verification-needed-eoan' to 'verification-failed-eoan'.

If verification is not done by 5 working days from today, this fix will be dropped from the source code, and this bug will be closed.

See https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Testing/EnableProposed for documentation how to enable and use -proposed. Thank you!

tags: added: verification-needed-eoan
Revision history for this message
Sultan Alsawaf (kerneltoast) wrote :

The patch to disable PSR fixes these glitches on my XPS laptops. Marking the bug as verified.

tags: added: verification-done-eoan
removed: verification-needed-eoan
Revision history for this message
Ubuntu SRU Bot (ubuntu-sru-bot) wrote : Autopkgtest regression report (linux-bluefield/5.0.0-1010.20)

All autopkgtests for the newly accepted linux-bluefield (5.0.0-1010.20) for bionic have finished running.
The following regressions have been reported in tests triggered by the package:

fsprotect/unknown (armhf)

Please visit the excuses page listed below and investigate the failures, proceeding afterwards as per the StableReleaseUpdates policy regarding autopkgtest regressions [1].

https://people.canonical.com/~ubuntu-archive/proposed-migration/bionic/update_excuses.html#linux-bluefield

[1] https://wiki.ubuntu.com/StableReleaseUpdates#Autopkgtest_Regressions

Thank you!

Revision history for this message
Ubuntu Kernel Bot (ubuntu-kernel-bot) wrote :

This bug is awaiting verification that the kernel in -proposed solves the problem. Please test the kernel and update this bug with the results. If the problem is solved, change the tag 'verification-needed-focal' to 'verification-done-focal'. If the problem still exists, change the tag 'verification-needed-focal' to 'verification-failed-focal'.

If verification is not done by 5 working days from today, this fix will be dropped from the source code, and this bug will be closed.

See https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Testing/EnableProposed for documentation how to enable and use -proposed. Thank you!

tags: added: verification-needed-focal
Revision history for this message
Launchpad Janitor (janitor) wrote :
Download full text (48.0 KiB)

This bug was fixed in the package linux - 5.3.0-42.34

---------------
linux (5.3.0-42.34) eoan; urgency=medium

  * eoan/linux: 5.3.0-42.34 -proposed tracker (LP: #1865111)

  * CVE-2020-2732
    - KVM: nVMX: Don't emulate instructions in guest mode
    - KVM: nVMX: Refactor IO bitmap checks into helper function
    - KVM: nVMX: Check IO instruction VM-exit conditions

linux (5.3.0-41.33) eoan; urgency=medium

  * eoan/linux: 5.3.0-41.33 -proposed tracker (LP: #1863294)

  * CVE-2019-3016
    - x86/kvm: Be careful not to clear KVM_VCPU_FLUSH_TLB bit
    - x86/kvm: Introduce kvm_(un)map_gfn()
    - x86/kvm: Cache gfn to pfn translation
    - x86/KVM: Make sure KVM_VCPU_FLUSH_TLB flag is not missed
    - x86/KVM: Clean up host's steal time structure

  * Reduce s2idle power consumption when ethernet cable is connected on e1000e
    (LP: #1859126)
    - e1000e: Add support for S0ix

  * alsa/sof: let legacy hda driver and sof driver co-exist (LP: #1837828)
    - ASoC: Intel: Skylake: move NHLT header to common directory
    - ALSA: hda: move parts of NHLT code to new module
    - ALSA: hda: intel-nhlt: handle NHLT VENDOR_DEFINED DMIC geometry
    - ASoC: Intel: Skylake: use common NHLT module
    - ALSA: hda/intel: stop probe if DMICS are detected on Skylake+ platforms
    - [Config] Enable SND_HDA_INTEL_DETECT_DMIC

  * USB key cannot be detected by hotplug on Sunix USB Type-A 3.1 Gen 2 card
    [1b21:2142] (LP: #1858988)
    - SAUCE: PCI: Avoid ASMedia XHCI USB PME# from D0 defect

  * ipsec interfaces: fix sending with bpf_redirect() / AF_PACKET sockets
    (LP: #1860969)
    - vti[6]: fix packet tx through bpf_redirect()
    - xfrm interface: fix packet tx through bpf_redirect()

  * peripheral devices on Dell WD19TB cannot be detected after suspend resume
    (LP: #1859407)
    - PCI: irq: Introduce rearm_wake_irq()
    - ACPICA: Return u32 from acpi_dispatch_gpe()
    - ACPI: EC: Return bool from acpi_ec_dispatch_gpe()
    - ACPI: PM: Set s2idle_wakeup earlier and clear it later
    - PM: sleep: Simplify suspend-to-idle control flow
    - ACPI: EC: Rework flushing of pending work

  * Dell XPS 13 (7390) Display Flickering - 19.10 (LP: #1849947)
    - SAUCE: drm/i915: Disable PSR by default on all platforms

  * Root can lift kernel lockdown via USB/IP (LP: #1861238)
    - Revert "UBUNTU: SAUCE: (efi-lockdown) Add a SysRq option to lift kernel
      lockdown"

  * [CML-H] Add intel_thermal_pch driver support Comet Lake -H (LP: #1853219)
    - thermal: intel: intel_pch_thermal: Add Comet Lake (CML) platform support

  * Eoan update: upstream stable patchset 2020-02-07 (LP: #1862429)
    - ARM: dts: meson8: fix the size of the PMU registers
    - clk: qcom: gcc-sdm845: Add missing flag to votable GDSCs
    - dt-bindings: reset: meson8b: fix duplicate reset IDs
    - ARM: dts: imx6q-dhcom: fix rtc compatible
    - clk: Don't try to enable critical clocks if prepare failed
    - ASoC: msm8916-wcd-digital: Reset RX interpolation path after use
    - iio: buffer: align the size of scan bytes to size of the largest element
    - USB: serial: simple: Add Motorola Solutions TETRA MTP3xxx and MTP85xx
    - USB: serial: option: Add support for Quec...

Changed in linux (Ubuntu Eoan):
status: Fix Committed → Fix Released
Revision history for this message
Launchpad Janitor (janitor) wrote :
Download full text (81.5 KiB)

This bug was fixed in the package linux - 5.4.0-18.22

---------------
linux (5.4.0-18.22) focal; urgency=medium

  * focal/linux: 5.4.0-18.22 -proposed tracker (LP: #1866488)

  * Packaging resync (LP: #1786013)
    - [Packaging] resync getabis
    - [Packaging] update helper scripts

  * Add sysfs attribute to show remapped NVMe (LP: #1863621)
    - SAUCE: ata: ahci: Add sysfs attribute to show remapped NVMe device count

  * [20.04 FEAT] Compression improvements in Linux kernel (LP: #1830208)
    - lib/zlib: add s390 hardware support for kernel zlib_deflate
    - s390/boot: rename HEAP_SIZE due to name collision
    - lib/zlib: add s390 hardware support for kernel zlib_inflate
    - s390/boot: add dfltcc= kernel command line parameter
    - lib/zlib: add zlib_deflate_dfltcc_enabled() function
    - btrfs: use larger zlib buffer for s390 hardware compression
    - [Config] Introducing s390x specific kernel config option CONFIG_ZLIB_DFLTCC

  * [UBUNTU 20.04] s390x/pci: increase CONFIG_PCI_NR_FUNCTIONS to 512 in kernel
    config (LP: #1866056)
    - [Config] Increase CONFIG_PCI_NR_FUNCTIONS from 64 to 512 starting with focal
      on s390x

  * CONFIG_IP_MROUTE_MULTIPLE_TABLES is not set (LP: #1865332)
    - [Config] CONFIG_IP_MROUTE_MULTIPLE_TABLES=y

  * Dell XPS 13 9300 Intel 1650S wifi [34f0:1651] fails to load firmware
    (LP: #1865962)
    - iwlwifi: remove IWL_DEVICE_22560/IWL_DEVICE_FAMILY_22560
    - iwlwifi: 22000: fix some indentation
    - iwlwifi: pcie: rx: use rxq queue_size instead of constant
    - iwlwifi: allocate more receive buffers for HE devices
    - iwlwifi: remove some outdated iwl22000 configurations
    - iwlwifi: assume the driver_data is a trans_cfg, but allow full cfg

  * [FOCAL][REGRESSION] Intel Gen 9 brightness cannot be controlled
    (LP: #1861521)
    - Revert "USUNTU: SAUCE: drm/i915: Force DPCD backlight mode on Dell Precision
      4K sku"
    - Revert "UBUNTU: SAUCE: drm/i915: Force DPCD backlight mode on X1 Extreme 2nd
      Gen 4K AMOLED panel"
    - SAUCE: drm/dp: Introduce EDID-based quirks
    - SAUCE: drm/i915: Force DPCD backlight mode on X1 Extreme 2nd Gen 4K AMOLED
      panel
    - SAUCE: drm/i915: Force DPCD backlight mode for some Dell CML 2020 panels

  * [20.04 FEAT] Enable proper kprobes on ftrace support (LP: #1865858)
    - s390/ftrace: save traced function caller
    - s390: support KPROBES_ON_FTRACE

  * alsa/sof: load different firmware on different platforms (LP: #1857409)
    - ASoC: SOF: Intel: hda: use fallback for firmware name
    - ASoC: Intel: acpi-match: split CNL tables in three
    - ASoC: SOF: Intel: Fix CFL and CML FW nocodec binary names.

  * [UBUNTU 20.04] Enable CONFIG_NET_SWITCHDEV in kernel config for s390x
    starting with focal (LP: #1865452)
    - [Config] Enable CONFIG_NET_SWITCHDEV in kernel config for s390x starting
      with focal

  * Focal update: v5.4.24 upstream stable release (LP: #1866333)
    - io_uring: grab ->fs as part of async offload
    - EDAC: skx_common: downgrade message importance on missing PCI device
    - net: dsa: b53: Ensure the default VID is untagged
    - net: fib_rules: Correctly set table field when table number exceeds 8 bit...

Changed in linux (Ubuntu Focal):
status: In Progress → Fix Released
Revision history for this message
Ubuntu SRU Bot (ubuntu-sru-bot) wrote :

All autopkgtests for the newly accepted linux-bluefield (5.0.0-1010.20) for bionic have finished running.
The following regressions have been reported in tests triggered by the package:

fsprotect/unknown (armhf)

Please visit the excuses page listed below and investigate the failures, proceeding afterwards as per the StableReleaseUpdates policy regarding autopkgtest regressions [1].

https://people.canonical.com/~ubuntu-archive/proposed-migration/bionic/update_excuses.html#linux-bluefield

[1] https://wiki.ubuntu.com/StableReleaseUpdates#Autopkgtest_Regressions

Thank you!

Revision history for this message
Eduardo Rodriguez (sinapsis490) wrote :

I am in kernel 5.4.0-24-generic from ubuntu 20, and I am still seeing this issue, btw I am will dell xps 15 9570 is a 4k display model, this issue is with me since ubuntu 18 / 19 and now 20.

Steve Langasek (vorlon)
Changed in linux (Ubuntu Disco):
status: Fix Committed → Won't Fix
Revision history for this message
R.Sato (bujin2006) wrote :

Not fixed with Ubuntu 20.04 and Linux 5.4.0-42-generic

Revision history for this message
You-Sheng Yang (vicamo) wrote :

Disabling PSR breaks some other OEM platforms. Investigating.

Revision history for this message
You-Sheng Yang (vicamo) wrote :

Filed bug 1897501 to address this.

Rex Tsai (chihchun)
tags: added: oem-priority
Revision history for this message
Franck971 (franck-lefebure) wrote :

I had this bug last year with my Mint 19, Bionic based.
To get rid of it I had to update the Kernel from 5.4.0 to 5.6.4 and was happy with it
Yesterday I did the updgrade to the Mint 20/Focal based, that brought me the Kernel 5.8.0-29
This Kernel is very unstable with the XPS13 and brings back the screen flickering problem.
Downgrade to 5.6.4 fixes this unstability

Changed in oem-priority:
status: New → Fix Released
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