Flickers colour artefacts and screen corruption in X

English Hardware
#1

Hi.

Just installed SuSe 11.1 - WoW! - what a distro. Superb polished and responsive.

My first question to the forum if I may.

The [default] version of X server/client has been installed (whatever is in 11.1) and I observe that during X startup the screen display flickers on two occasions. Each time the screen flickers, a brief pattern of horizontal lines of varying colour are displayed across the centre of the screen (approx 1/3rd of the display centre). The screen then goes black. After the second flicker and black screen the desktop is displayed perfectly and operates normally.

I also observe that if I switch to an virtual console [CTRL-ALT-F1/F2 etc] then a small square (approx 1 inch by 1 inch) is displayed at the top left of the virtual console screen that looks amazingly like a very (VERY) small representaiton of the desktop. Wierd.

I have not posted my xorg.conf because I have copied over several xorg.conf files (themselves very lite - no special settings) from my Ununtu, Fedora, Arch and Vector distros that work without this corruption. I also tried booting to my SuSe desktop without any xorg.conf file whatsoever. In all cases, it made no difference whatsoever (i.e. same behaviour). So I draw the conclusion that the xorg.conf settings I currently have are irrelevant and that the issue is with SuSe X or I require an additional parameter/value ??

I am using the INTEL xorg video module for the 965GM chipset.

I should also add that Desktop Effects work fine and X behaviour is normal. Its just the two cycles of startup/flicker and corruption of the virtual consoles I wish to remedy.

Any ideas?

Thanks.

#2

This is mine:

Vendor: Tungsten Graphics, Inc
Model: Mesa DRI Intel(R) 965GM 20080716 x86/MMX/SSE2
Driver: 1.4 Mesa 7.2

This flickering during boot up is not uncommon, though I have to say mine is not too bad. No issue for me with virtual console either. You may also experience dejavu with the framebuffer - getting images from your last session showing during boot up.

#3

by bootup do you mean the process of X startup through to desktop display? I ask only because for me, this is where the issue lies. “Bootup” to single user mode is fine.

What is the framebuffer? Is this used in the display of a virtual console? If so then I would agree with your framebuffer comment.

Interestingly though, is my Arch, Ununtu and Fedora installs bootup fine and go through to desktop display with no similar issues. Same machine, same hardware. Only the S/W is different. I suppose I could go away and check the X server/client/module versions against my SuSe install but that wouldnt help me, it would only serve to confirm a difference. Ideally I need the fix.!

#4

Your issue may be related this:
Black and white squares during KDE login - Page 4 - openSUSE Forums

Maybe??

Linux framebuffer - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The issues seem varied and I just don’t get hung up over something like this as my laptop performs brilliantly.

#5

Anyway. Did you feel the earthquake today??
Scary here in Arnside