Video freezes using HDMI monitor

English Hardware
1

Starting about a week ago, the video display freezes / locks when using a HDMI monitor. It worked fine before that. It locks within a few minutes of starting a streaming video in Firefox, a bit longer in a Zoom session, and even longer if not streaming. Using the VGA monitor by itself, everything works correctly. After the freeze, the mouse pointer still moves, but nothing responds to clicks. If both monitors are enabled, they both freeze. When streaming, with frozen video, audio continues normally.

The best way I found to recover is pressing Ctrl+Alt+Backspace two quick times. That brings up a login screen for a new session - no apps running.

With the system booted into Windows 10, there is no problem with the HDMI monitor.

Some information is:

howard@HP-oS15KDE:~> inxi -GS
System:    Host: HP-oS15KDE Kernel: 5.3.18-lp152.36-default x86_64 bits: 64 Desktop: KDE Plasma 5.18.5 
           Distro: openSUSE Leap 15.2 
Graphics:  Device-1: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD/ATI] Cedar [Radeon HD 5000/6000/7350/8350 Series] driver: radeon v: kernel 
           Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.3 driver: ati,radeon unloaded: fbdev,modesetting,vesa resolution: 1: 1920x1080 
           2: 1280x1024~60Hz 
           OpenGL: renderer: AMD CEDAR (DRM 2.50.0 / 5.3.18-lp152.36-default LLVM 9.0.1) v: 3.3 Mesa 19.3.4 
howard@HP-oS15KDE:~>

What might be happening here?
Thanks,

2

The workaround seems to be to disconnect the VGA monitor and boot openSUSE with only the HDMI monitor connected and on. I did that and finished a three hour Firefox stream correctly. It was nice two have both monitors enabled, and I still cannot determine why it isn’t working now, but I can settle for one at a time, as long as it behaves.
Best regards,

3

Hi
I would suggest removing the ati driver (f86-video-ati) and lock so it’s not installed and you should just see radeon in use in the inxi output. You might also want to have a read here: https://forums.opensuse.org/showthread.php/541438-AMD-Intel-amp-NVidia-X-graphics-driver-primer

4

I made that change and with only the VGA monitor attached I now see:

howard@HP-oS15KDE:~> inxi -GS
System:    Host: HP-oS15KDE Kernel: 5.3.18-lp152.41-default x86_64 bits: 64 Desktop: KDE Plasma 5.18.5 
           Distro: openSUSE Leap 15.2 
Graphics:  Device-1: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD/ATI] Cedar [Radeon HD 5000/6000/7350/8350 Series] driver: radeon v: kernel 
           Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.3 driver: modesetting unloaded: fbdev,vesa resolution: 1280x1024~60Hz 
           OpenGL: renderer: AMD CEDAR (DRM 2.50.0 / 5.3.18-lp152.41-default LLVM 9.0.1) v: 3.3 Mesa 19.3.4 
howard@HP-oS15KDE:~>

using modesetting for display. I’ll test dual monitors and report.
I’m still digesting the cited primer.
Thanks,

5

I do believe this fixed it. With both monitors attached and on and enabled:

howard@HP-oS15KDE:~> inxi -GS
System:    Host: HP-oS15KDE Kernel: 5.3.18-lp152.41-default x86_64 bits: 64 Desktop: KDE Plasma 5.18.5 
           Distro: openSUSE Leap 15.2 
Graphics:  Device-1: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD/ATI] Cedar [Radeon HD 5000/6000/7350/8350 Series] driver: radeon v: kernel 
           Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.3 driver: modesetting unloaded: fbdev,vesa resolution: 1: 1920x1080 
           2: 1280x1024~60Hz 
           OpenGL: renderer: AMD CEDAR (DRM 2.50.0 / 5.3.18-lp152.41-default LLVM 9.0.1) v: 3.3 Mesa 19.3.4 
howard@HP-oS15KDE:~>

A Firefox stream ran fine on the HDMI monitor for over two hours before I stopped it. I did other things on the VGA monitor at the same time. Nifty.

I noticed that f86-video-ati was updated on this machine 31 August 2020, which is about when this freezing problem appeared. f86-video-ati is taboo now.

Thanks for the good advice.

6

But


Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.3 driver: **modesetting**

Is it good or bad?

7

Definitely good. I’m completely satisfied with performance. As mrmazda states in the primer cited above by malcolmlewis,

a newer technology generic driver exists, now more than six years old, that functions as if it was device dependent, but which is in fact created for supporting AMD, Intel, NVidia (and others), not surprisingly, called modesetting.
and
In summary, “drivers” required for competent X operation are:

  • radeon
    (kernel) plus modesetting (DDX) or radeon (DDX) for old AMD/ATI GPUs/IGPs >

which is what inxi reports is used. I’ve been running like this for several days now with a fair amount of switching back and forth between single and dual monitors, and all is well.
Regards,