# [SOLVED] Radeon 1200/1250/1270 and Kernel 4.2.3 Artifacts

## dsreyes1014

I'm having a problem with artifacts on the GDM login screen and desktop session screen and restarting X doesn't help.  Wayland session does the same exact thing.  I've searched and tried different configs for my Toshiba laptop with a Radeon Xpress 1200/1250/1270 graphics card.  This laptop used to work fine with a previously installed Arch system about a year or two ago with no visual problems.  Not sure if I'm missing something or not but the setup is:

- testing repo up to date

- open source radeon driver ( xf86-video-ati )

- gnome desktop and gdm w/systemd

- linux kernel 4.2.3

- manually built kernel with ati driver builtin ( no fb or vesa drivers built )  

Not sure where I should go next in diagnosing this problem.  Any guidance/help would be appreciated.

Update:  

I just installed kernel 3.18.22 and it still gives me artifacts on screen.

Update:

SOLVEDLast edited by dsreyes1014 on Mon Nov 02, 2015 9:39 am; edited 2 times in total

----------

## Roman_Gruber

Just my thoughts:

My personal opinioin is, that your mobo is dying. I think your hardware is around 8 years old. It could be that the bga of the gpu went loose / displaycable is not working to the specs ... Basically a hardware issue.

To rule out hardware issues. Downlaod sysrescue-cd, burn it, boot it up in graphical mode and see if it happens there. even teh ubuntu installer cd, which i downlaoded 3 weeks ago, comes wiht a livecd use.

For my asusg70sg notebook, i had to replace 4 times i 6 years that display cable. Very often referred as LVDS cable. As those cables go through the hinge, and you open close the notebook quite often, they just break over the time.

some mainboards, the bga went loose / desoldered over the time.

you may also check if your gpu overheats because of lack of maintanence. you should replace every year the thermal paste on the gpu / cpu / clean the hole box of the dust inside. check if the fans are working properly. this is my expierence. and also use the best thermal paste which you can find, for austria it is e.g. noctua nt-h1 thermal paste.

--

In short rule out that your hardware is not broken or dying as of now. Livecds are the way to go ni this regard.

----------

## dsreyes1014

 *tw04l124 wrote:*   

> Just my thoughts:
> 
> My personal opinioin is, that your mobo is dying. I think your hardware is around 8 years old. It could be that the bga of the gpu went loose / displaycable is not working to the specs ... Basically a hardware issue.
> 
> To rule out hardware issues. Downlaod sysrescue-cd, burn it, boot it up in graphical mode and see if it happens there. even teh ubuntu installer cd, which i downlaoded 3 weeks ago, comes wiht a livecd use.
> ...

 

I did replace this motherboard because the power died on the last one.  Not sure if the motherboard is dying here because console output is clear with no artifacts.  Wouldn't it show if LVDS cable or graphics chip was going bad on the motherboard on the console screen?    

Update:  When I opened gnome-control-center and moved the mouse around a bit the screen cleared up when I logged in.  What would cause this behavior?  Also how do I get a clear screen with no artifacts from the start on gdm?

----------

## Roman_Gruber

did you used a livecd yet as i suggested?

I want to rule out a hardware issue first. Those livecds usually use vesa or an older driver for your gpu and those work usually.

artifacts can come from hardware or software. 

you may try using the vesa driver for the x-server and report back.

up to you what you do. 

software usually from overclocking the gpu / overheating the gpu.

did you apply new thermal paste on cpu / gpu, did you clean the fans? and such?

did you took antistatic counter measures when you assembled that hardware?

----------

## dsreyes1014

 *tw04l124 wrote:*   

> did you used a livecd yet as i suggested?
> 
> I want to rule out a hardware issue first. Those livecds usually use vesa or an older driver for your gpu and those work usually.
> 
> artifacts can come from hardware or software. 
> ...

 

Not a hardware issue.  Using Fedora LiveUSB and it shows up just fine.

These laptops do run hot so I naturally checked periodically, before changing out the motherboard, the thermal paste and reapplied it when I had it opened and dusted out fans as well.  After changing out the motherboard I've probably done it maybe twice and that's with not turning it on for about year so no real thermal wear on the new board/cpu/gpu/ram.

----------

## Roman_Gruber

Okay. Than it is a software issue.

Well than you just have to clone the settings / kernel modules to get rid of those artifacts.

----------

## dsreyes1014

 *tw04l124 wrote:*   

> Okay. Than it is a software issue.
> 
> Well than you just have to clone the settings / kernel modules to get rid of those artifacts.

 

Not sure which settings/modules to copy/clone?  I've checked xorg.conf.d directory and there is nothing pertaining to radeon.

----------

## Roman_Gruber

check which version they use for all the modules

lsmod / /proc/config.gz (+ kernel version string the distro uses)

mesa / xorg-server

just guesses, i gave up on ati / amd hardware, only troubles with windi operating system and gentoo linux (i had a x700 gpu in the past). never ever amd here again. (personal expierence) hd5xxxx also has issues on windi os.

----------

## dsreyes1014

 *tw04l124 wrote:*   

> check which version they use for all the modules
> 
> lsmod / /proc/config.gz (+ kernel version string the distro uses)
> 
> mesa / xorg-server
> ...

 

I completely understand the feeling here.  I'm in the same boat which is why this laptop isn't mine anymore but given to a relative which at the time wasn't showing these problems.  Thanks for your help.  I'll post updates with a hopeful solution.

----------

## chithanh

Check if you have any other framebuffer drivers enabled in your kernel that might interfere with the initialization of the graphics (especially vesafb). Disable them all.

Also, try if enabling or disabling "bindist" or "llvm" USE flags for mesa makes a difference.

----------

## dsreyes1014

Update:

I masked xorg-server-1.17.2, which pulled in xorg-server-1.16, and installed xf86-video-modesetting and all seems to be working.  So I guess I can mark this SOLVED.

----------

## dsreyes1014

 *chithanh wrote:*   

> Check if you have any other framebuffer drivers enabled in your kernel that might interfere with the initialization of the graphics (especially vesafb). Disable them all.
> 
> Also, try if enabling or disabling "bindist" or "llvm" USE flags for mesa makes a difference.

 

Thanks for the heads up.  I did disable all fb drivers in kernel right before masking xorg-server-1.17 and it still showed artifacts.  One quick question, why would GDM work after masking xorg-server-1.17 if it uses Wayland?

----------

