ubuntu 12.04 weird pixelated screen after login

[stanleyhunk]

hi all,

After I do a re-installation due to i've mess up the system previously on some trial and error, i got a weird pixelated screen after my login but before the desktop appear. Other than that is no problem, i can do all my thing such as watching movie, playing steam games, etc.. I really hope to fix this so i can convince my friend to try switch to linux

I've upload the image of the screen as attachment.
- attachment 001, the boot screen, no problem.
- attachment 002, the login screen, no problem.
- attachment 003-01, after i've type in my password and log in, the pixelated screen problem appear every time if i shutdown my laptop on the previous session.
-attachment 003-02, this pixelated screen problem appear if i restart my laptop on the previous session.
-attachment 004, after the pixelated screen, the desktop appear, no problem.

I've search the fix on ubuntu forum, ask ubuntu and google as well, can't get any relevant problem as mine (maybe i've over looked them due to i'm not an expert user on linux). I only get those weird checker box, or when doing installation process, or deform text.

My laptop specification:
- Asus A45V Series, Intel Core i7
- Single OS, Ubuntu 12.04LTS only
- nvidia geforce GT 645M

My lspci result:

00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation 3rd Gen Core processor DRAM Controller (rev 09)
00:01.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation Xeon E3-1200 v2/3rd Gen Core processor PCI Express Root Port (rev 09)
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation 3rd Gen Core processor Graphics Controller (rev 09)
00:14.0 USB controller: Intel Corporation 7 Series/C210 Series Chipset Family USB xHCI Host Controller (rev 04)
00:16.0 Communication controller: Intel Corporation 7 Series/C210 Series Chipset Family MEI Controller #1 (rev 04)
00:1a.0 USB controller: Intel Corporation 7 Series/C210 Series Chipset Family USB Enhanced Host Controller #2 (rev 04)
00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 7 Series/C210 Series Chipset Family High Definition Audio Controller (rev 04)
00:1c.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 7 Series/C210 Series Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port 1 (rev c4)
00:1c.1 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 7 Series/C210 Series Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port 2 (rev c4)
00:1d.0 USB controller: Intel Corporation 7 Series/C210 Series Chipset Family USB Enhanced Host Controller #1 (rev 04)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation HM76 Express Chipset LPC Controller (rev 04)
00:1f.2 IDE interface: Intel Corporation 7 Series Chipset Family 4-port SATA Controller [IDE mode] (rev 04)
00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corporation 7 Series/C210 Series Chipset Family SMBus Controller (rev 04)
00:1f.5 IDE interface: Intel Corporation 7 Series Chipset Family 2-port SATA Controller [IDE mode] (rev 04)
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: NVIDIA Corporation GK107M [GeForce GT 645M] (rev a1)
02:00.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller (rev 07)
03:00.0 Network controller: Qualcomm Atheros AR9485 Wireless Network Adapter (rev 01)

any help about this? thanks in advance

[carl4926]

So it's hybrid graphics?

[stanleyhunk]

So it's hybrid graphics?

yes it is

[carl4926]

Is that using the nvidia prime then?

[stanleyhunk]

Is that using the nvidia prime then?

using nvidia_331 in additional drivers

[stanleyhunk]

hmm... no fix on this yet? lol

[carl4926]

hmm... no fix on this yet? lol

I can't really help you
I don't have hybrid graphics and personally wouldn't entertain them.

But if I understand it correctly, this is just an aesthetic issue during the boot/login process?
Otherwise your system is fine?

[MrMichaelHill]

Have you altered the login screen background at all?

[stanleyhunk]

hi all,

thanks to carl4926 and MrMichaelHill for the reply, i suspect this is something to do with nvidia and xorg server, so i do some searching and tried something describe here and here, the problem solve now.

The basic theory is to remove nvidia and xorg completely then install them back, here is what i've done:

01.) Reboot my laptop to recovery mode by keep the Shift key pressing down after the laptop manufacturer logo appear and release it after Grub menu fully loaded, then choose the 'Recovery Mode'.

02.) Choose 'Boot Normally' when a menu appear.

03.) Open up terminal by hitting Ctrl+Alt+T.

04.) Remove the xorg.conf by typing:

sudo rm /etc/X11/xorg.conf

05.) Remove all nvidia package by typing:

sudo apt-get remove --purge nvidia*

06.) Remove xorg by typing:

sudo apt-get remove --purge xserver-xorg

07.) Reinstall xorg by typing:

sudo apt-get install xserver-xorg

08.)Reboot the system by typing:

sudo reboot

09.) After successfully reboot, the pixelated screen is gone~ (yay~!!)

10.) I open up 'Additional Drivers', i got 2 nvidia driver, version 319 and 331 (to get to know the version of both by reading the extra information provided below them) which is not activated, so i activated version 319 and then reboot. (because i got problem with 331 previously)

11.) Then I run a program which need 3D support, in this case i run Steam game, but Steam detected there is a newer version of nvidia and ask me to update it, so i close Steam, go back to the 'Additional Drivers', choose the 331 version and activate it, then restart my laptop, and the pixelated screen is still gone~~ (double yay~!!)

In the process of trial and error, maybe i've miss out some step or done something wrong and i met some problem such as low graphic mode, looping in login screen, if you meet one of them, or maybe both...

To solve the low graphic mode:

01.) Reboot into Recovery mode again.

02.) Choose 'Boot Normally' when a menu appear.

03.) Open up terminal by hitting Ctrl+Alt+T.

04.) Remove all nvidia package by typing:

sudo apt-get remove --purge nvidia*

05.) Install the more stable/tested version:

sudo apt-get install nvidia-current

06.) Install the more up-to-date version:

sudo apt-get install nvidia-current-updates

07.) Reboot.

To solve the looping in Login screen:

01.) At the login screen, press Crtl+Alt+F1 to boot into shell environment.

02.) Type your username and password to login.

03.) Change the working directory to your home directory:

cd /home/user

or

cd ~

04.) Rename a hidden file:

sudo mv .Xauthority .XauthorityBak

05.) Reboot.

This should fix the problem, but if you started to get a 'System Problem Detected' when you would login from a locked desktop, try to change the .Xauthority ownership in your home directory by typing the following command in terminal:

sudo chown 777 .Xauthority

and that seemed to have cleared up the problem. I am not sure if this causes a security issue.

This is how i do to fix my problem, i'm actually not an I.T guy at all, and i don't have in-dept skills and knowledge and very fresh in Linux platform switched from Windows, i maybe uses a long and exhausted and time consuming way to do it, but i'm very interested to learn more about Linux and keep on learning as much as i can, if any pro out there have a better way to solve this, please share, thanks

[carl4926]

Sounds good
Well done