Linux 19.1 - Screen Blinks...

[Yfrwlf]

Thanks Yfrwif, over at the Linux Mint Blog, where you also posted a comment, a possible solution was mentioned further down:

Everything works fine by removing the (useless option ?) “CLUTTER_PAINT=disable-clipped-redraws:disable-culling” in the /etc/environment file and after the upgrade.

I've tried that but haven't rebooted yet.

//I'm not sure what ALT-F2 then r does, reset the window manager?//

Yes, it reboots/resets the window manager. It's a Cinnamon specific command that simply requires typing "r" into the Alt-F2 window. The fact that this works makes me think it's user independent. I'm tempted to think that there's something in the initial boot routine (a holdover) that is being improperly invoked. Resetting the window manager, I assume, bypasses this initial boot sequence, so the correct settings are invoked. But this is all above my pay grade. And I still haven't tested with the CLUTTER_PAINT variable commented out.

That entry isn't in /etc/environment on a different Mint 19.0 computer I have. Trying to upgrade to 19.1 on it now to see if that setting gets added during the upgrade process.

[Yfrwlf]

Nope, that config wasn't added into /etc/environment. Maybe you added it and forgot? I'm not convinced that's the problem but you can always reboot and find out!

[VtPoet]

No, I didn't add it. The last time a twiddled with settings like these was to tweak XFCE4's compositor issues. I eventually quit using XFCE4 because of tearing---lost patience. It's possible that Mint's setting is hardware dependent...

[Yfrwlf]

No, I didn't add it. The last time a twiddled with settings like these was to tweak XFCE4's compositor issues. I eventually quit using XFCE4 because of tearing---lost patience. It's possible that Mint's setting is hardware dependent...

Could be. All I know is out of two computers that both are running NVIDIA graphics, it only happened on one of them, and reinstalling from a 19.1 ISO fixed it. I tried different driver versions and a few other things before giving up and just reinstalling. Would be nice to know what setting is causing this problem but at least it is only a one-time issue.

[VtPoet]

Could be. All I know is out of two computers that both are running NVIDIA graphics, it only happened on one of them, and reinstalling from a 19.1 ISO fixed it. I tried different driver versions and a few other things before giving up and just reinstalling. Would be nice to know what setting is causing this problem but at least it is only a one-time issue.

If it weren't hardware dependent, then everyone would be having this issue. So, it doesn't surprise me that you can't reproduce it. I'm not using NVIDIA graphics, by the way, just straight Intel.