Lubuntu 20.04 qa-test install; flashing at sddm greeter when mouse at top panel (pre-login)

Bug #1865837 reported by Chris Guiver
34
This bug affects 5 people
Affects Status Importance Assigned to Milestone
sddm (Ubuntu)
Confirmed
Undecided
Unassigned

Bug Description

First boot after new install; Lubuntu 20.04 QA-test install
dell [optiplex] 755 (c2d-e6850, 5gb, amd/ati radeon rv516/x1300/x1550)

NOTE: I re-used partitions, /dev/sda8 (/) was empty, but /dev/sda9 (/home) contained data. sddm wasn't used as DM before Lubuntu 20.04 installs, so I doubt it's related to a conf/config issue relating to sddm.

Description:

At first boot, I expect the cursor to move around the display without bright flahes of WHITE covering parts of the screen; that are very bright/distracting (somewhat strobe like).

It only has this effect when the cursor/pointer is moved at the top of the display in what I'd describe as a panel. If the cursor is over the 'top' bar I get a strobbing effect as the cursor/pointer moves. Stop moving the mouse and the effect stops, move it off the top 'panel' and it's gone too.

The 'flash' or 'strobe' like effects covers the whole screen, and occurs when the mouse is over
- Session drop down box (not word itself, the Lubuntu drop-down bit)
- Layout - US flag drop down
- Pause/Reboot/Off icons top right.
Elsewhere on the top 'panel' and there is no effect.

It also occurs at the left arrow near the "Chris Guiver" password area, no issue if I move over white-grey-person-password area, just over the "<" to the left of that box. This could be a real possibly should a person react to 'flashes' (I'm thinking epilepsy but just a thought).

The screen appears to flash all WHITE with a triangle pushing out from the left (reminds me of screen tearing). I haven't noticed this before on other boxes.

On logging out, I get a brief strobe too before or as `ssdm` is drawn.

This could be filed again wrong package, I suspect it relates to xserver-xorg-video-radeon or something GPU related.

`sudo lshw -C video` reports

guiverc@d755-5-2004:~ $ sudo lshw -C video
[sudo] password for guiverc:
  *-display:0
       description: VGA compatible controller
       product: RV516 [Radeon X1300/X1550 Series]
       vendor: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI]
       physical id: 0
       bus info: pci@0000:01:00.0
       version: 00
       width: 64 bits
       clock: 33MHz
       capabilities: pm pciexpress msi vga_controller bus_master cap_list rom
       configuration: driver=radeon latency=0
       resources: irq:16 memory:d0000000-dfffffff memory:fe9e0000-fe9effff ioport:dc00(size=256) memory:c0000-dffff
  *-display:1 UNCLAIMED
       description: Display controller
       product: RV516 [Radeon X1300/X1550 Series] (Secondary)
       vendor: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI]
       physical id: 0.1
       bus info: pci@0000:01:00.1
       version: 00
       width: 64 bits
       clock: 33MHz
       capabilities: pm pciexpress bus_master cap_list
       configuration: latency=0
       resources: memory:fe9f0000-fe9fffff

I did NOT expect two cards to be recognized?

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 20.04
Package: sddm 0.18.1-1ubuntu2
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.4.0-14.17-generic 5.4.18
Uname: Linux 5.4.0-14-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu18
Architecture: amd64
CurrentDesktop: LXQt
Date: Tue Mar 3 18:48:23 2020
InstallationDate: Installed on 2020-03-03 (0 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Lubuntu 20.04 LTS "Focal Fossa" - Alpha amd64 (20200302)
SourcePackage: sddm
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

Revision history for this message
Chris Guiver (guiverc) wrote :
Revision history for this message
Ubuntu QA Website (ubuntuqa) wrote :

This bug has been reported on the Ubuntu ISO testing tracker.

A list of all reports related to this bug can be found here:
http://iso.qa.ubuntu.com/qatracker/reports/bugs/1865837

tags: added: iso-testing
Chris Guiver (guiverc)
description: updated
Chris Guiver (guiverc)
description: updated
Chris Guiver (guiverc)
description: updated
Revision history for this message
Chris Guiver (guiverc) wrote :

I noticed this again after last install again on
dell [optiplex] 755 (c2d-e6850, 5gb, amd/ati radeon rv516/x1300/x1550)
but not until after I'd already closed & passed the qa-test install.

Installed again using Lubuntu 20.04 daily ISO (20200407) and again this issue, which was noticed as I moved cursor near the top panel..

The annoying strobe-effect is only noticed at initial `sddm` greeter, and only when the pointer is over anything actionable on top panel (session, reboot, power off etc)

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

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

Changed in sddm (Ubuntu):
status: New → Confirmed
Revision history for this message
Tos (soto-patrick) wrote :

Hello,

I have the same issue on a fresh install of Lubuntu 20.04 on sddm login screen.

GPU = Intel 82945G

Revision history for this message
Jason (dynostatic) wrote :

I can confirm this bug on a Core2Quad Q6600 with integrated graphics. Interacting with any element on the sddm login screen causes white flickering and flashing as the screen repaints. It makes it almost unusable. This is a fresh Lubuntu 20.04 install.

I tried all of the sddm-theme-* packages in the official repo and they all do the same. Viewing those themes in sddm-greeter with --test-mode after logging in is totally fine with no glitches.

Revision history for this message
Piotr (peterq94) wrote :

This bug is still available on Lubuntu 20.04.2 on liveUSB (I used system for test). My VGA: [AMD/ATI] RV516/M64-S [Mobility Radeon X2300]

Revision history for this message
Piotr (peterq94) wrote :

I tried Lubuntu 21.04 (hirsute hippo) and I can see that is better because you removed themes in log in screen but bug is still exist on my Radeon card (Radeon X2300). You should consider fix it. I will try other distro to test this. Maybe this is problem only with Lubuntu.

Revision history for this message
Piotr (peterq94) wrote :

This same problem is on another distro with LXQt and SDDM package. I checked this with Fedora 34 LXQt Spin and I have identical issue. So this is not only problem with Lubuntu.

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