Subject: New Dell Inspiron: Screen flicker

From: Harris <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 17 Sep 2016 08:57:47 +0000 (UTC)

Hi all,

I just got a new Dell laptop to replace my former one that I ran Debian on with no issues -- unfortunately with this one, the screen flickers when I have it at essentially the next-to-highest brightness setting. I say "essentially" because it happens in GNOME at the second-highest brightness level (using the keyboard up/down buttons) although in other desktops (e.g., Xfce) I cannot reproduce the problem using these keys, because Xfce does not have such fine increments when I use the keys -- the increments are larger. However, I CAN reproduce the problem in Xfce (as well as in LXDE and MATE) if I (a) reproduce the problem in GNOME using the keys, then (b) log out and log into one of these other DE's without touching the brightness keys.

It appears that this is not a problem with the hardware, as I did a test of reinstalling Windows 10 (which is what shipped with this laptop) and the problem did not appear. However, now that I've learned that the brightness keys produce different brightness percentages depending on the specific desktop environment, I can't be sure that this does not happen in Windows.

Anyway, does anyone have any knowledge of this type of problem, and advice on some potential solutions?

Here are my system specs:
Dell Inspiron 15 3000 Series
Intel Core i3-5005U Processor (3M Cache, 2.00 GHz)
4GB, 1600MHz, DDR3L memory
Intel HD Graphics 5500
15.6-inch HD (1366 x 768) Truelife LED-Backlit Display
- In GNOME Settings, the graphics is indicated as Gallium 0.4 on llvmpipe (LLVM 3.5, 256 bits)

I'm running Jessie 8.5.

Thanks very much in advance!

Harris

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From: Felix Miata <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 17 Sep 2016 08:01:59 -0400

> Thanks very much in advance!

Give a driver switch a try:

# apt-get purge xserver-xorg-video-intel
# apt-get install xserver-xorg-video-modesetting

restart Xserver.

Next time, include output from 'lspci -v'.

Forgot to mention originally why:
http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=Ubuntu-Debian-Abandon-Intel-DDX
-- 
"The wise are known for their understanding, and pleasant
words are persuasive." Proverbs 16:21 (New Living Translation)

  Team OS/2 ** Reg. Linux User #211409 ** a11y rocks!

Felix Miata  ***  http://fm.no-ip.com/

---

From: Harris <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 17 Sep 2016 09:38:59 -0400

> http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=Ubuntu-Debian-Abandon-Intel-DDX

Thanks Felix, but the problem is still there. I ran the purge and 
install as you mentioned, but during the install it said that nothing 
was installed as the package was already there. Here's how I restarted 
Xserver:

invoke-rc.d gdm restart

I also restarted the system after that.

Here's the output from lspci -v :

00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Broadwell-U Host Bridge -OPI (rev 09)
     Subsystem: Dell Device 06b0
     Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0
     Capabilities: [e0] Vendor Specific Information: Len=0c <?>

00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Broadwell-U 
Integrated Graphics (rev 09) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
     Subsystem: Dell Device 06b0
     Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 64
     Memory at a8000000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16M]
     Memory at b0000000 (64-bit, prefetchable) [size=256M]
     I/O ports at 4000 [size=64]
     Expansion ROM at <unassigned> [disabled]
     Capabilities: [90] MSI: Enable+ Count=1/1 Maskable- 64bit-
     Capabilities: [d0] Power Management version 2
     Capabilities: [a4] PCI Advanced Features
     Kernel driver in use: i915

00:03.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation Broadwell-U Audio Controller 
(rev 09)
     Subsystem: Dell Device 06b0
     Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 65
     Memory at a9214000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16K]
     Capabilities: [50] Power Management version 2
     Capabilities: [60] MSI: Enable+ Count=1/1 Maskable- 64bit-
     Capabilities: [70] Express Root Complex Integrated Endpoint, MSI 00
     Kernel driver in use: snd_hda_intel

00:14.0 USB controller: Intel Corporation Wildcat Point-LP USB xHCI 
Controller (rev 03) (prog-if 30 [XHCI])
     Subsystem: Dell Device 06b0
     Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 0, IRQ 59
     Memory at a9200000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=64K]
     Capabilities: [70] Power Management version 2
     Capabilities: [80] MSI: Enable+ Count=1/8 Maskable- 64bit+
     Kernel driver in use: xhci_hcd

00:16.0 Communication controller: Intel Corporation Wildcat Point-LP MEI 
Controller #1 (rev 03)
     Subsystem: Dell Device 06b0
     Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 61
     Memory at a921c000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=32]
     Capabilities: [50] Power Management version 3
     Capabilities: [8c] MSI: Enable+ Count=1/1 Maskable- 64bit+
     Kernel driver in use: mei_me

00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation Wildcat Point-LP High Definition 
Audio Controller (rev 03)
     Subsystem: Dell Device 06b0
     Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 32, IRQ 63
     Memory at a9210000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16K]
     Capabilities: [50] Power Management version 3
     Capabilities: [60] MSI: Enable+ Count=1/1 Maskable- 64bit+
     Kernel driver in use: snd_hda_intel

00:1c.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation Wildcat Point-LP PCI Express Root 
Port #1 (rev e3) (prog-if 00 [Normal decode])
     Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0
     Bus: primary=00, secondary=04, subordinate=04, sec-latency=0
     I/O behind bridge: 00002000-00002fff
     Memory behind bridge: a7900000-a7afffff
     Prefetchable memory behind bridge: 00000000a7b00000-00000000a7cfffff
     Capabilities: [40] Express Root Port (Slot+), MSI 00
     Capabilities: [80] MSI: Enable- Count=1/1 Maskable- 64bit-
     Capabilities: [90] Subsystem: Dell Device 06b0
     Capabilities: [a0] Power Management version 3
     Kernel driver in use: pcieport

00:1c.2 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation Wildcat Point-LP PCI Express Root 
Port #3 (rev e3) (prog-if 00 [Normal decode])
     Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0
     Bus: primary=00, secondary=06, subordinate=06, sec-latency=0
     Memory behind bridge: a9100000-a91fffff
     Capabilities: [40] Express Root Port (Slot+), MSI 00
     Capabilities: [80] MSI: Enable- Count=1/1 Maskable- 64bit-
     Capabilities: [90] Subsystem: Dell Device 06b0
     Capabilities: [a0] Power Management version 3
     Capabilities: [100] #00
     Capabilities: [200] L1 PM Substates
     Kernel driver in use: pcieport

00:1c.3 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation Wildcat Point-LP PCI Express Root 
Port #4 (rev e3) (prog-if 00 [Normal decode])
     Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0
     Bus: primary=00, secondary=07, subordinate=07, sec-latency=0
     I/O behind bridge: 00003000-00003fff
     Memory behind bridge: a9000000-a90fffff
     Prefetchable memory behind bridge: 00000000c0000000-00000000c00fffff
     Capabilities: [40] Express Root Port (Slot+), MSI 00
     Capabilities: [80] MSI: Enable- Count=1/1 Maskable- 64bit-
     Capabilities: [90] Subsystem: Dell Device 06b0
     Capabilities: [a0] Power Management version 3
     Capabilities: [100] #00
     Capabilities: [200] L1 PM Substates
     Kernel driver in use: pcieport

00:1c.4 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation Wildcat Point-LP PCI Express Root 
Port #5 (rev e3) (prog-if 00 [Normal decode])
     Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0
     Bus: primary=00, secondary=08, subordinate=08, sec-latency=0
     Capabilities: [40] Express Root Port (Slot+), MSI 00
     Capabilities: [80] MSI: Enable- Count=1/1 Maskable- 64bit-
     Capabilities: [90] Subsystem: Dell Device 06b0
     Capabilities: [a0] Power Management version 3
     Capabilities: [100] #00
     Capabilities: [200] L1 PM Substates
     Kernel driver in use: pcieport

00:1d.0 USB controller: Intel Corporation Wildcat Point-LP USB EHCI 
Controller (rev 03) (prog-if 20 [EHCI])
     Subsystem: Dell Device 06b0
     Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 0, IRQ 21
     Memory at a921a000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=1K]
     Capabilities: [50] Power Management version 3
     Capabilities: [58] Debug port: BAR=1 offset=00a0
     Capabilities: [98] PCI Advanced Features
     Kernel driver in use: ehci-pci

00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation Wildcat Point-LP LPC Controller 
(rev 03)
     Subsystem: Dell Device 06b0
     Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 0
     Capabilities: [e0] Vendor Specific Information: Len=0c <?>
     Kernel driver in use: lpc_ich

00:1f.2 SATA controller: Intel Corporation Wildcat Point-LP SATA 
Controller [AHCI Mode] (rev 03) (prog-if 01 [AHCI 1.0])
     Subsystem: Dell Device 06b0
     Flags: bus master, 66MHz, medium devsel, latency 0, IRQ 60
     I/O ports at 40b0 [size=8]
     I/O ports at 40a0 [size=4]
     I/O ports at 4090 [size=8]
     I/O ports at 4080 [size=4]
     I/O ports at 4060 [size=32]
     Memory at a9219000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=2K]
     Capabilities: [80] MSI: Enable+ Count=1/1 Maskable- 64bit-
     Capabilities: [70] Power Management version 3
     Capabilities: [a8] SATA HBA v1.0
     Kernel driver in use: ahci

00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corporation Wildcat Point-LP SMBus Controller (rev 03)
     Subsystem: Dell Device 06b0
     Flags: medium devsel, IRQ 18
     Memory at a9218000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=256]
     I/O ports at 4040 [size=32]

06:00.0 Network controller: Intel Corporation Wireless 3160 (rev 83)
     Subsystem: Intel Corporation Dual Band Wireless AC 3160
     Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 62
     Memory at a9100000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=8K]
     Capabilities: [c8] Power Management version 3
     Capabilities: [d0] MSI: Enable+ Count=1/1 Maskable- 64bit+
     Capabilities: [40] Express Endpoint, MSI 00
     Capabilities: [100] Advanced Error Reporting
     Capabilities: [140] Device Serial Number a0-d3-7a-ff-ff-87-ce-a9
     Capabilities: [14c] Latency Tolerance Reporting
     Capabilities: [154] Vendor Specific Information: ID=cafe Rev=1 
Len=014 <?>
     Kernel driver in use: iwlwifi

07:00.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. 
RTL8101E/RTL8102E PCI Express Fast Ethernet controller (rev 07)
     Subsystem: Dell Device 06b0
     Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 58
     I/O ports at 3000 [size=256]
     Memory at a9000000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=4K]
     Memory at c0000000 (64-bit, prefetchable) [size=16K]
     Capabilities: [40] Power Management version 3
     Capabilities: [50] MSI: Enable+ Count=1/1 Maskable- 64bit+
     Capabilities: [70] Express Endpoint, MSI 01
     Capabilities: [b0] MSI-X: Enable- Count=4 Masked-
     Capabilities: [d0] Vital Product Data
     Capabilities: [100] Advanced Error Reporting
     Capabilities: [140] Virtual Channel
     Capabilities: [160] Device Serial Number 01-00-00-00-36-4c-e0-00
     Capabilities: [170] Latency Tolerance Reporting
     Kernel driver in use: r8169

Thanks again.
Harris

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From: Felix Miata <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 17 Sep 2016 13:15:36 -0400

Harris composed on 2016-09-17 09:38 (UTC-0400):

> Felix Miata wrote:

>       Kernel driver in use: i915

Bummer. Maybe if Google can't find you anything useful about Broadwell on 
Linux, try asking on [email-masked] or one of the web 
forums, such as:
http://www.linuxquestions.org/
http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/laptop/
http://forums.debian.net/
http://www.techsupportforum.com/
https://www.phoronix.com/forums/

or a forum or mailing list that matches your preferred DEs, Gnome, XFCE LXDE, 
Mate. Possibly this is one of those things that results from escalating 
demands from the hardware. Maybe in TDE it wouldn't happen.

IIRC, flicker is a subject I've seen on the intel-gfx mailing list, so you 
might start with its archive.

Stretch is so far along in development that it might be a good place to 
start, especially if you have disk space available to add it rather than 
replacing Jessie.

Knoppix is the best of live media, Debian-based too. It's latest is newer 
than Jessie, so it's probably worth burning one to see what happens.
-- 
"The wise are known for their understanding, and pleasant
words are persuasive." Proverbs 16:21 (New Living Translation)

---

From: Felix Miata <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 17 Sep 2016 08:00:04 -0400

restart Xserver.