Linux

AMD/ATI graphic cards sometimes produces weird black squares in screen

Bug #979712 reported by Fran Diéguez on 2012-04-12

This bug affects 2 people

Affects		Status	Importance	Assigned to	Milestone
	Linux	Confirmed	Medium	linux-kernel-bugs #43112
	linux (Ubuntu)	Incomplete	Medium	Unassigned

Bug Description

Mostly in empathy and in the titlebar text AMD/ATI graphic cards both in GNOME and Unity produces weird black squares replacing the text. I attach an screenshot.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
Package: linux-image-3.2.0-23-generic 3.2.0-23.36
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-23.36-generic 3.2.14
Uname: Linux 3.2.0-23-generic x86_64
AlsaVersion: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.24.
ApportVersion: 2.0.1-0ubuntu2
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
/dev/snd/controlC1: fran 3495 F.... pulseaudio
/dev/snd/controlC0: fran 3495 F.... pulseaudio
CRDA:
country GB:
  (2402 - 2482 @ 40), (N/A, 20)
  (5170 - 5250 @ 40), (N/A, 20)
  (5250 - 5330 @ 40), (N/A, 20), DFS
  (5490 - 5710 @ 40), (N/A, 27), DFS
Card0.Amixer.info:
Card hw:0 'PCH'/'HDA Intel PCH at 0xb0900000 irq 48'
   Mixer name : 'Cirrus Logic CS4206'
   Components : 'HDA:10134206,106b1d00,00100301'
   Controls : 24
   Simple ctrls : 10
Card1.Amixer.info:
Card hw:1 'Generic'/'HD-Audio Generic at 0xb0840000 irq 49'
   Mixer name : 'ATI R6xx HDMI'
   Components : 'HDA:1002aa01,00aa0100,00100200'
   Controls : 6
   Simple ctrls : 1
Card1.Amixer.values:
Simple mixer control 'IEC958',0
   Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined penum
   Playback channels: Mono
   Mono: Playback [on]
Date: Thu Apr 12 11:19:13 2012
EcryptfsInUse: Yes
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 12.04 LTS "Precise Pangolin" - Beta amd64 (20120408)
MachineType: Apple Inc. MacBookPro8,2
ProcFB: 0 radeondrmfb
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-23-generic root=UUID=f755d13d-6540-4aff-bff6-78eb93b26ce0 ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
RelatedPackageVersions:
linux-restricted-modules-3.2.0-23-generic N/A
linux-backports-modules-3.2.0-23-generic N/A
linux-firmware 1.78
SourcePackage: linux
StagingDrivers: mei
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 01/24/12
dmi.bios.vendor: Apple Inc.
dmi.bios.version: MBP81.88Z.0047.B27.1201241646
dmi.board.asset.tag: Base Board Asset Tag#
dmi.board.name: Mac-94245A3940C91C80
dmi.board.vendor: Apple Inc.
dmi.board.version: MacBookPro8,2
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: Apple Inc.
dmi.chassis.version: Mac-94245A3940C91C80
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAppleInc.:bvrMBP81.88Z.0047.B27.1201241646:bd01/24/12:svnAppleInc.:pnMacBookPro8,2:pvr1.0:rvnAppleInc.:rnMac-94245A3940C91C80:rvrMacBookPro8,2:cvnAppleInc.:ct10:cvrMac-94245A3940C91C80:
dmi.product.name: MacBookPro8,2
dmi.product.version: 1.0
dmi.sys.vendor: Apple Inc.

Tags:

Revision history for this message

Fran Diéguez (frandieguez) wrote on 2012-04-12:

Screenshot of empathy with black squares Edit (7.2 KiB, image/png)
AcpiTables.txt Edit (183.3 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
AlsaDevices.txt Edit (656 bytes, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
AplayDevices.txt Edit (386 bytes, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
ArecordDevices.txt Edit (276 bytes, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
BootDmesg.txt Edit (67.5 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
Card0.Amixer.values.txt Edit (2.3 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
Card0.Codecs.codec.0.txt Edit (9.2 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
Card1.Codecs.codec.0.txt Edit (1.1 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
CurrentDmesg.txt Edit (56.9 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
Dependencies.txt Edit (2.0 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
IwConfig.txt Edit (509 bytes, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
Lspci.txt Edit (13.6 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
Lsusb.txt Edit (965 bytes, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
PciMultimedia.txt Edit (1.2 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
ProcCpuinfo.txt Edit (7.1 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
ProcEnviron.txt Edit (300 bytes, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
ProcInterrupts.txt Edit (4.3 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
ProcModules.txt Edit (5.4 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
PulseList.txt Edit (26.5 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
RfKill.txt Edit (113 bytes, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
UdevDb.txt Edit (148.8 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
UdevLog.txt Edit (321.6 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
WifiSyslog.txt Edit (1.6 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")

Revision history for this message

Fran Diéguez (frandieguez) wrote on 2012-04-12:

I have tested in different computers with AMD/ATI graphic cards and all has this bug.

Macbook Pro 8,2:
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] nee ATI Seymour [Radeon HD 6400M Series]

iMac:
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] nee ATI M56P [Radeon Mobility X1600]

Brad Figg (brad-figg) on 2012-04-12

Changed in linux (Ubuntu):
status:	New → Confirmed

Revision history for this message

Fran Diéguez (frandieguez) wrote on 2012-04-12:

Another screenshot of Ubuntu Software Center Edit (47.8 KiB, image/png)

Another screenshot of Ubuntu Software Center

Revision history for this message

Joseph Salisbury (jsalisbury) wrote on 2012-04-12:

Would it be possible for you to test the latest upstream kernel? Refer to https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelMainlineBuilds . Please test the latest v3.4kernel[1] (Not a kernel in the daily directory). Once you've tested the upstream kernel, please remove the 'needs-upstream-testing' tag(Only that one tag, please leave the other tags). This can be done by clicking on the yellow pencil icon next to the tag located at the bottom of the bug description and deleting the 'needs-upstream-testing' text.

If this bug is fixed in the mainline kernel, please add the following tag 'kernel-fixed-upstream'.

If the mainline kernel does not fix this bug, please add the tag: 'kernel-bug-exists-upstream'.

If you are unable to test the mainline kernel, for example it will not boot, please add the tag: 'kernel-unable-to-test-upstream'.
Once testing of the upstream kernel is complete, please mark this bug as "Confirmed".

Thanks in advance.

http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v3.4-rc2-precise/

Changed in linux (Ubuntu):
importance:	Undecided → Medium
tags:	added: needs-upstream-testing
Changed in linux (Ubuntu):
status:	Confirmed → Incomplete

Revision history for this message

Fran Diéguez (frandieguez) wrote on 2012-04-12:

Screenshot of Ubuntu Software Center Edit (239.9 KiB, image/png)

I have tested the mainline kernel:

$ uname -a
Linux fry 3.4.0-030400rc2-generic #201204072235 SMP Sun Apr 8 02:36:11 UTC 2012 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

The bug is still there as you can see in the attached screenshot

tags:

added: kernel-bug-exists-upstream
removed: needs-upstream-testing

Revision history for this message

Fran Diéguez (frandieguez) wrote on 2012-04-13:

A friend of mine has a computer with a different AMD graphic card:

01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] nee ATI M56P [Radeon Mobility X1600]

and has the same rendering errors.
For him upstream kernel don't solves the problem, just like me.

Revision history for this message

Joseph Salisbury (jsalisbury) wrote on 2012-04-16:

This issue appears to be an upstream bug, since you tested the latest upstream kernel. Would it be possible for you to open an upstream bug report at bugzilla.kernel.org [1]? That will allow the upstream Developers to examine the issue, and may provide a quicker resolution to the bug.

If you are comfortable with opening a bug upstream, It would be great if you can report back the upstream bug number in this bug report. That will allow us to link this bug to the upstream report.

[1] https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bugs/Upstream/kernel