Screen flicker after fresh install of Ubuntu 22.04

Question

I am currently experiencing some random screen flickering after a fresh install. I have a Lenovo laptop with Mesa Intel® UHD Graphics 620 (KBL GT2). It was working fine on 21.10.

Answer 1

A bug has been reported at Launchpad. If you're experiencing this issue, you can report it too.

Until it's fixed, this workaround worked for me:

sudo nano /etc/default/grub

In the grub file, I added to parameter GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT the value "i915.enable_dc=0 intel_idle.max_cstate=2". Then saved the file and run:

sudo update-grub

... to update grub. I did a reboot. I'm now flicker-free for ten days.

Answer 2

Had the same issue and tried solutions in this thread. Updating the Grub file only reduce the frequency of flickering on my machine, but not stop the flickering.

As Esteban mentioned in the bug report. https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1958191

Updating Linux kernel to 5.17.7 or later seems solve this problem.

uname -mrs # Demonstrate your kernel version
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:cappelikan/ppa -y # Add mainline apt repo
sudo apt install mainline -y 

Open Ubuntu Mainline Kernel Installer from the applications, select a kernel after 5.17.7 and update the kernel.

Then, you only need

sudo reboot

And it fixed my flickering problem. (intel NUC i5)

!!![ Be aware ] Make sure you have your backup before updating the kernel.

Answer 3

Had the same issue right after installing Ubuntu 22.04 on ASUS Zenbook also running the Mesa Intel® UHD Graphics 620 (KBL GT2) integrated graphics.

After searching for a couple of hours, I came across a thread suggesting adding the intel_idle.max_cstate=4 kernel boot parameter in /etc/default/grub as a workaround.

So far it seems to have solved the flickering issue.

Answer 4

For me the fix was:

sudo nano /etc/default/grub

In the file set GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="i915.enable_psr=0".

sudo update-grub
reboot

Answer 5

Had the same issue with my dell inspiron-15-3567 got the fix by using acpi=off in /etc/default/grub but a new issue cropped up when shutting down system reaches shutdown target systemd-shutdown process-udevd is waiting so have to press down the power button . so have to choose between either screen flicker randomly or a shutdown issue

Answer 6

Buggy kernel in my case was 5.15.x Flicker-free image appears as crisp and good as ever. 5.19.x seems to be the last 5.x kernel, so am using this one before migrating to 6.1.x once that becomes mainline (I won't use 6.0.x), aka an actual mainline kernel. So I concur: Upgrading kernel (via mainline kernel app, as described above) worked nicely.

Another tip you might find useful:

if you can hardly do anything because of strong FLICKER ... ... do the kernel package management on a remote shell from another machine! Just via SSH ... if you have ssh installed on the target machine, package is openssh-server.

SSH -Y allows you to open gui apps from remote as well. -Y and -X are flags that specify carrying xwindow (linux graphics) capabilities over an ssh connection. If remote xwindow does not work, you can do almost everything from a commandline. After installing mainline (see other comment) you can run it from a commandline typing

mainline-gtk

... (for a gui app), or typing

mainline

• possibly as sudo - to work commandline-only (and have fewer issues with root privilege authorization, which you will need for kernel install). The command line version is pretty self-explanatory. Good luck

Answer 7

For Ubuntu setup here 22.04 LTS with all updates applied, which is in operation since release 16.04, or so - means Ubuntu machine of long history and multiple measures of problem hacking so far - desktop flickering problem interestingly started to occur not until one week ago. Workaround grub config file was not applied as numerous users report it to not really help. What was tried is 5.19.x kernel by installing linux-generic-hwe-22.04 package which also doesn't help.

What helps is Esc key strike while display flickers.

It operates on virtual machine powered by VirtualBox. Wayland in use.

Yet another issue graphical environment this Ubuntu machine suffers from for multiple years is screen resolution setting is not stored permanently. Every new boot results GNOME shell to use low resolution and user to need to switch to desired one manually. No idea if it has common points with flickering.

Among GNOME extensions following are installed: (user) V-Shell vertical spaces (system) Desktop Icons ING DING, Ubuntu AppIndicators, Ubuntu Dock. As next I will try with user extension disabled. In the past have had few times graphical environment stability problems due to installed extension.

UPDATE Ubuntu with GNOME extension V-Shell vertical spaces disabled under test since -up to- 5 reboots ago. So far graphical environment is back to its previous stability - flickering no more occurring. If it keeps to be this way problem is resolved this particular case. However I need V-Shell vertical spaces extensions back - without it low productivity.

Answer 8

This is caused by the buggy 5.15.* kernel.

Solution:

1. Download all the *.deb files for a newer kernel from https://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/. I am using 6.0.

2. Goto the folder containing the *.deb files. Run sudo dpkg -i *.deb

3. Run sudo reboot

4. If you fail to boot and see error "Bad shim signature". Disable the Secure Boot.

5. Boot. And use uname -mrs to check the kernel is updated.

The flickering should be gone by now.

Answer 9

My configuration is Ubuntu server 22.04 LTS, with a dedicated AMD Radeon graphics card. Some of the answers here helped me find the answer to my issue.

These are the steps I followed.

1. Upgraded Kernel from Linux 5.15 to Linux 5.19 (Downgrade kernel for ubuntu 22.04 LTS)
2. Reinstalled Login Manager (https://support.system76.com/articles/login-loop-ubuntu/)
3. Added GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="amdgpu.sg_display=0 i915.enable_psr=0" to /etc/default/grub (not sure if this is of benefit)
4. Blacklisted Radeon Driver and updated initramfs
5. Changed Internal Graphics Card setting from Auto to Disabled. So BIOS only uses the dedicated graphics card. (this is optional)

Answer 10

I have linux-generic-hwe-22.04 installed on my Ubuntu 22.04 (Unity), which installs kernel 6.2. Using i7-12800H in my Dell. Tried above mentioned workarounds, nothing worked. Secondary monitor was still flickring.

I came around this which fixed my problem (yes, explicitly enable PSR, not disable it!):

• https://community.frame.work/t/debian-graphics-glitches-when-psr-disabled-paradoxical/28522/2

So:

sudo nano /etc/default/grub

In the file set GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="i915.enable_psr=1".

sudo update-grub
reboot

Answer 11

Additional to Estaban's accepted answer - and on a Virtual Box running on windows - I did the following:

• Update the virtual box 7.0.12 + Extension pack + guest editions in the VM
  • No effect - but might help in later steps
• Update the grub file as per esteban answer (see below for ref) - and reboot
• Turn ON 3d acceleration in the Virtual Machine display settings, and then reboot.

Now my flickering stopped, and then I reverted the two changes above just to test:

• Shutdown VM, turn OFF 3d acceleration + reboot
• revert the grub settings and reboot

And my flickering issue was still gone. So I am not really sure why or how this was fixed, but perhaps by going through this process something was reset correctly.

Note: I do have various dmesg errors

Grub settings, but these are possibly more related to VBox/Kernal and not really anything to do with the flickering (but not 100% sure)

sudo vim /etc/default/grub
   set: GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="i915.enable_dc=0 intel_idle.max_cstate=2"
sudo update-grub