Bug#1079536: linux-image-6.9.7+bpo-amd64: debian linux-image-amd64 / 6.9.7+bpo video problems on multiheaded Intel ARC 380
Package: linux-image-6.9.7+bpo-amd64
Version: 6.9.7-1~bpo12+1
Severity: important
X-Debbugs-Cc: wyang-debian@wdyllc.com
Dear Maintainer,
I am a moderately new Debian user with some UNIX and Linux experience.
Several months ago, I replaced my video card with a multihead card based on an
ARC A380 chipset, which I use do drive dual 4KUHD monitors. In order to get
this to functionality working, I needed to move to a backported kernel to get
proper driver support. I used the command:
sudo apt-get install -t bookworm-backports --install-recommends linux-image-
amd64
I recognize that this set me up to receive future kernel updates as well. A
number of kernels, over several months worked correctly when added with "apt-
get dist-upgrade":
* linux-image-6.5.0-0.deb12.1-amd64:amd64 (6.5.3-1~bpo12+1)
* linux-image-6.5.0-0.deb12.4-amd64:amd64 (6.5.10-1~bpo12+1)
* linux-image-6.6.13+bpo-amd64:amd64 (6.6.13-1~bpo12+1)
* linux-image-6.7.12+bpo-amd64:amd64 (6.7.12-1~bpo12+1)
However, the most recent image (linux-image-6.9.7+bpo-amd64:amd64
(6.9.7-1~bpo12+1)) introduced a problem for my A380 card.
Once I rebooted using the new kernel, all video is dim, with missing letters in
window bars, menus, and in text windows. In addition, large visual artifacts
would (without obvious pattern to me) appear on my screens, making the system
nearly unusable in the GUI. Several times, I noticed that the screen seemed
frozen for periods of time (I noticed my updating-every-second gnome clock
applet did not update for periods of up to 12 seconds). This affects only GUI
behavior -- at the text console and via SSH from another system, things
appeared normal.
Reverting from 6.9.7 back to 6.7.12 immediately eliminated this symptom,
leading me to believe the problem lies with 6.9.7.
My short term fix was to remove linux-image-amd64's backport package (which
removed the 6.9.7 kernel from my box, but left 6.7.12) and install the non-
backported linux-image-amd64 (6.1.x kernel). This stabilized my system's
behavior after reboots.
However, a problem with the kernel video drivers for ARC A380 cards seems very
likely to become a problem for others, and does put me on a kernel on the fast
path to EOL.
I am unclear what additional information to provide you, though I'll happily do
what can be done to capture more information.
-- System Information:
Debian Release: 12.6
APT prefers stable-updates
APT policy: (500, 'stable-updates'), (500, 'stable-security'), (500, 'stable'), (500, 'oldstable')
Architecture: amd64 (x86_64)
Foreign Architectures: i386
Kernel: Linux 6.7.12+bpo-amd64 (SMP w/16 CPU threads; PREEMPT)
Locale: LANG=en_US.UTF-8, LC_CTYPE=en_US.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8), LANGUAGE not set
Shell: /bin/sh linked to /usr/bin/dash
Init: systemd (via /run/systemd/system)
LSM: AppArmor: enabled
Versions of packages linux-image-6.9.7+bpo-amd64 depends on:
ii initramfs-tools [linux-initramfs-tool] 0.142
ii kmod 30+20221128-1
ii linux-base 4.9
Versions of packages linux-image-6.9.7+bpo-amd64 recommends:
ii apparmor 3.0.8-3
Versions of packages linux-image-6.9.7+bpo-amd64 suggests:
pn debian-kernel-handbook <none>
ii firmware-linux-free 20200122-1
ii grub-pc 2.06-13+deb12u1
pn linux-doc-6.9 <none>
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