Score:1

Ubuntu

Graphics Issue Since Update, Kubuntu Plasma, Seems Worse With Greater System Resource Use

Ryan

6/12/23, 7:51 AM

I recently had a big update to my system. Ever since, I've been having issues with my graphics, especially when the machine is under a heavier workload. I have a fast processor and lots of RAM and had no performance issues before the update. I can still work on huge music files, so the issue seems confined to graphics... although once when it got really bad my whole system froze up and I had to force shutdown with the power button.

The Problem

The issue is icons, menu items, tops of windows, and a few other things scrambling, usually when I move the cursor over them or the object itself is moving, as well as text while typing (in both Libre Office and the terminal). It's especially bad when Jack audio server is running and when opening/closing programs. When I let the system sit idle for a bit, the problem mostly goes away until I fire it up again.

Booting from earlier kernels, I get the same problem. Windows works fine, so I don't think it's a hardware issue. Video works fine, whether streaming or playing from a hard drive (i.e. via SMPlayer).

I'm too new to the site to upload photos to my post, but here are some links to pics of examples. Speaking of which, one odd thing is that the problem goes away the instant I press the screenshot button. I had to take these with my phone.

1 Pic of scrambled window

2 Pic of scrambled text

My Setup

Operating System: Kubuntu 20.04 (with current Ubuntu Studio 20.04 LTS installed overtop of it)

KDE Plasma Version: 5.18.8

KDE Frameworks Version: 5.68.0

Qt Version: 5.12.8

Kernel Version: 5.4.0-99-lowlatency (the low-latency kernel was added by Ubuntu Studio when I installed it over the original Kubuntu with generic kernel. I have access to both and they get updated at the same time.)

OS Type: 64-bit

Processors: 8 × Intel® Core™ i5-1035G1 CPU @ 1.00GHz

Memory: 19.3 GiB of RAM

QjackCtl version 0.5.0

Graphics info: 

VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Device 8a56 (rev 07) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])

Subsystem: Acer Incorporated [ALI] Device 1429

Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx+

Status: Cap+ 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=fast >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR- INTx-

Latency: 0, Cache Line Size: 64 bytes

Interrupt: pin A routed to IRQ 129

Region 0: Memory at 6000000000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16M]

Region 2: Memory at 4000000000 (64-bit, prefetchable) [size=256M]

Region 4: I/O ports at 4000 [size=64]

Expansion ROM at 000c0000 [virtual] [disabled] [size=128K]

Capabilities: <access denied>

Kernel driver in use: i915

Kernel modules: i915

Fernando posted a workaround below that worked for him (which I might try), but I was hoping to get to the root of the problem. Could one of these updates have messed with my graphics? If so, can it be fixed, and how? (I would need specific instructions - I'm a lot better at driving Linux than understanding what goes on under the hood.)

Thanks in advance.

105

0 + 0

updates

kernel

graphics

jack

drivers

Ryan

6/12/23, 7:53 AM

This post replaces a previous one I put up when I thought the problem was isolated to Jack. Thanks to Guiverc for editing the formatting in my original post.

zwets

6/12/23, 8:09 AM

Did you try switching between Wayland and Xorg sessions? Not sure if this is the cause, and how to do this in Kubuntu (I'm on plain Ubuntu), but might be worth the try.

Score:1

Ubuntu

Fernando Mengel

6/12/23, 6:01 PM

I think I'm having the same problem, with an old software that must be run under wine there are scramblings/blur like effects.. The coincidence I have with you is that the i915 is the loaded video module. To stop this strange effect from ocurring I had to edit as sudo /etc/default/grub and change GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="" to GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="i915.modeset=0" after quitting and saving you must run sudo update-grub and reboot. No more strange effects, resolutions are limited and this is like a VESA mode, but as it works I think that means the probable culprit is i915

0 + 0

Ryan

6/12/23, 10:50 PM

Thanks, Fernando. I might give this a try but I'll wait to see what other fixes might come down the pipe, or maybe an update that corrects it. The issue is a bit annoying but doesn't prevent me from doing what I need to do at this point.

Fernando Mengel

6/13/23, 8:28 PM

I've spent some time testing and now I have it working perfectly. CTRL+ALT+F1-F9 to get out of graphical environment. Log in as root, stop your display manager (systemctl stop lightdm) generate a new X config (X -configure), edit and add just below |Driver "Intel"| Option "DRI" "2" | save and move that (mv xorg.conf.new /etc/X11/xorg.conf). Last edit cmdline from /etc/default/grub to have GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="i915.modeset=1 i915.enable_psr=0 i915.enable_fbc=1 i915.enable_guc=2" . Run update-grub and reboot. If you want to tweak/test more you can get driver options with modinfo -p i915

Fernando Mengel

6/14/23, 3:26 AM

I know it was something update related because I have unattended updates installed and some of our point of sale computers had the same graphical glitches like that of the following video https://youtu.be/Kd1wqaOwHPE

Ryan

6/14/23, 6:16 AM

Yes! That's just what my issue looks like. The glitch, and the fact that it only occurs when something on the screen is moving. And you solved the problem with the fix you posted in the last comment?

Fernando Mengel

6/14/23, 11:03 AM

It is working for more than a day now without complains. I must say that it was nearly impossible to remotely troubleshoot because over every remote access protocol and all screenshots everything looks normal. You can test and tweak better in your machine if you have time, I believe it is something driver/screen related and it still happens over different cables (HDMI or VGA atleast)

Ryan

6/17/23, 12:55 AM

So I tried Fernando's suggestion which worked for his systems. It turns out I use sddm rather than lightdm. When I exit the graphical environment, log in, and stop sddm I just get a black screen with a cursor, but can't type anything, so can't create a xconfig file. Zwets, I looked more into your suggestion. On Kubuntu I can't switch between Wayland and Xorg the way you can on Ubuntu. I can install Wayland, but from what I've read it doesn't work well on Kubuntu. I appreciate you guys trying to help!

Score:1

Ubuntu

Ryan

6/17/23, 11:18 PM

Alright, I fixed my problem. This solution doesn't get to the underlying cause of the issue, but it does make it go away. If you're seeing screen glitches like the ones shown in my pics AND you're using KDE Plasma, this could solve your problem as well.

The latest changes to Plasma were released around the time I got this particular batch of updates. They included optimizations which appear to have come with a bug. Luckily, I stumbled upon a solution, and it didn't require me to install or uninstall anything or work with the terminal.

Solution

I have always left the compositor OFF because I don't really like desktop effects. However, I just discovered that when I turn the compositor ON, the graphical glitches go away. Then I just turned off all the desktop effects I don't want to see.

To turn on the compositor, go to System Settings - Display and Monitor - Compositor. Tick the "Enable compositor on startup" box. Press "Apply" at bottom right and now you can close the window. (You should be able to go to the next step without a reboot.)

Then, if you don't like any of the effects you just enabled by turning on the compositor (i.e. sweeps, shadows, etc.): search in the application launcher for "Desktop Effects," open it, and you will see a list of all the available effects, which you can easily enable or disable. Press "Apply" to see the outcome of any changes you make. Press "Okay" when you're done and you're good to go.

0 + 0

Elon Musk

I sit in a Tesla and translated this thread with Ai:

EN: Graphics Issue Since Update, Kubuntu Plasma, Seems Worse With Greater System Resource Use

TH: ปัญหากราฟิกตั้งแต่อัปเดต Kubuntu Plasma ดูแย่ลงเมื่อใช้ทรัพยากรระบบมากขึ้น

RO: Problema grafică de la actualizare, Plasma Kubuntu, pare mai gravă cu o utilizare mai mare a resurselor sistemului

RU: Проблема с графикой после обновления, Kubuntu Plasma, кажется хуже при большем использовании системных ресурсов

VI: Sự cố đồ họa kể từ khi cập nhật, Kubfox Plasma, có vẻ tệ hơn khi sử dụng nhiều tài nguyên hệ thống hơn

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