Screen going black at random (Radeon)

Forum rules
Before you post read how to get help. Topics in this forum are automatically closed 6 months after creation.
Locked
Njan

Screen going black at random (Radeon)

Post by Njan »

The symptoms are very similar to those experienced by bobguy10 here.

A little more than a week ago, the screen started simply going black without it actually switching off or the power light blinking as it does when I am AFK for too long. Several people who have no access to the machine, use Nvidia rather than Radeon, and don't run any version of Linux at all on their computers have suggested some quite outlandish things.
More often than not the problem is ‘solved’ by manually switching the monitor off and then on again, or, sometimes, by manually switching the monitor off, waiting for a random period of time, then switching it on again.
When this started I was a couple days away from my scheduled upgrade from LM 17 to 18 and I said ‘well, this must be a driver issue’, so I just waited some time and then upgraded the system. Several days passed after the upgrade without any trouble. (I had already tested 18 from a pendrive and this problem never happened)

Today it's happened again with the new LM 18 and (the horror!) with the USB version LM18.3 as well (as in, just now).

So... is there something wrong with the drivers? Is is a temperature/fan issue, as some have suggested?
Is the graphics card about to die on me?

Any help will be appreciated.

Oh, btw infodump from terminal:

Code: Select all

System:    Host: njan-desktop Kernel: 4.4.0-116-generic x86_64 (64 bit gcc: 5.4.0)
           Desktop: Cinnamon 3.0.7 (Gtk 3.18.9-1ubuntu3.3)
           Distro: Linux Mint 18 Sarah
Machine:   Mobo: Intel model: DP35DP v: AAD81073-209
           Bios: Intel v: DPP3510J.86A.0572.2009.0715.2346 date: 07/15/2009
CPU:       Dual core Intel Core2 Duo E7200 (-MCP-) cache: 3072 KB
           flags: (lm nx sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 ssse3) bmips: 10134
           clock speeds: max: 2527 MHz 1: 1596 MHz 2: 1596 MHz
Graphics:  Card: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD/ATI] Turks PRO [Radeon HD 6570/7570/8550]
           bus-ID: 01:00.0
           Display Server: X.Org 1.18.4 drivers: ati,radeon (unloaded: fbdev,vesa)
           Resolution: 1440x900@59.89hz
           GLX Renderer: AMD TURKS (DRM 2.43.0 / 4.4.0-116-generic, LLVM 5.0.0)
           GLX Version: 3.0 Mesa 17.2.8 Direct Rendering: Yes
Audio:     Card-1 Advanced Micro Devices [AMD/ATI] Turks/Whistler HDMI Audio [Radeon HD 6000 Series]
           driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 01:00.1
           Card-2 Intel 82801I (ICH9 Family) HD Audio Controller
           driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 00:1b.0
           Sound: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture v: k4.4.0-116-generic
Network:   Card-1: Intel 82566DC-2 Gigabit Network Connection
           driver: e1000e v: 3.2.6-k port: 30e0 bus-ID: 00:19.0
           IF: eth0 state: down mac: 00:1c:c0:60:f7:64
           Card-2: Ralink RT2870/RT3070 Wireless Adapter
           driver: rt2800usb v: 2.3.0 usb-ID: 001-004
           IF: wlan1 state: N/A mac: N/A
Drives:    HDD Total Size: 320.1GB (12.4% used)
           ID-1: /dev/sda model: WDC_WD3200AAKS size: 320.1GB
           Optical: /dev/sr0 model: Optiarc DVD RW AD-7280S
           rev: 1.01 dev-links: cdrom,cdrw,dvd,dvdrw
           Features: speed: 48x multisession: yes
           audio: yes dvd: yes rw: cd-r,cd-rw,dvd-r,dvd-ram state: running
Partition: ID-1: / size: 109G used: 36G (35%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda5
           ID-2: swap-1 size: 2.13GB used: 0.00GB (0%) fs: swap dev: /dev/sda6
RAID:      No RAID devices: /proc/mdstat, md_mod kernel module present
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 48.0C mobo: N/A gpu: 42.0
           Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: N/A
Info:      Processes: 170 Uptime: 2:06 Memory: 1024.7/1981.7MB
           Init: systemd runlevel: 5 Gcc sys: 5.4.0
           Client: Shell (bash 4.3.481) inxi: 2.2.35 
Last edited by LockBot on Wed Dec 28, 2022 7:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Topic automatically closed 6 months after creation. New replies are no longer allowed.
User avatar
Spearmint2
Level 16
Level 16
Posts: 6900
Joined: Sat May 04, 2013 1:41 pm
Location: Maryland, USA

Re: Screen going black at random (Radeon)

Post by Spearmint2 »

sounds more like a backlight problem with the monitor. Tried another monitor yet? If you do and it doesn't happen with that monitor, then you know the problem is probably the power section in the current monitor. There are videos on youtube on how to repair/replace those parts in a monitor/TV.
All things go better with Mint. Mint julep, mint jelly, mint gum, candy mints, pillow mints, peppermint, chocolate mints, spearmint,....
enterthevoid_79

Re: Screen going black at random (Radeon)

Post by enterthevoid_79 »

This is happening to me too on several computers, this is not just a Linux Mint problem, this is also happening to me on my Arch-derivative, Artix.

I've had this happen on at least THREE of my Radeon PC's, one of them being my neighbour's, Radeon HD 6520G, Mobility Radeon HD 4225/4250, and a 7000ish one. I have a 4th radeon but the hardware on it doesn't work well with Linux, keyboard/mouse don't work sometimes.
User avatar
shawnhcorey
Level 4
Level 4
Posts: 217
Joined: Thu Jun 17, 2010 11:23 am
Location: The Great White North
Contact:

Re: Screen going black at random (Radeon)

Post by shawnhcorey »

Does the screen turn off after a fixed period? If so, it may be X Window hidden screensaver. The following commands will turn it off.

Code: Select all

$ cat X-screensave-off.sh 
#!/bin/bash

xset -dpms
xset s off
Don't stop where the ink does.
enterthevoid_79

Re: Screen going black at random (Radeon)

Post by enterthevoid_79 »

Nope the screen does not turn off, I can still see the mouse - but the entire screen is black. I have made it so the screen should not turn off at all in the power settings, because the computer in question is actually used to run the ProjectM visualizer, along with my stereo, FTP in-house file-server, music via clementine w clementine android app, torrent downloader w qbittorrent+qbittorrent android app...

Maybe it has something to do with a screensaver, IDK. I would be very interested in fixing it, but not sure how.... it usually only happens on boot-up from what I can see, if I restart the display manager then it'll start to work.

Just so you all know I do not run Linux Mint, I run Artix Linux, this bug just so happens to be happening to me too. It started a week or two ago.
enterthevoid_79

Re: Screen going black at random (Radeon)

Post by enterthevoid_79 »

shawnhcorey wrote: Thu May 24, 2018 7:45 am Does the screen turn off after a fixed period? If so, it may be X Window hidden screensaver. The following commands will turn it off.

Code: Select all

$ cat X-screensave-off.sh 
#!/bin/bash

xset -dpms
xset s off
cat X-screensave-off.sh ???? In what directory? Where is this supposed to be? This is like telling you you need to edit a config file that you have no idea where it is.....
How am I supposed to do anything with that?
User avatar
shawnhcorey
Level 4
Level 4
Posts: 217
Joined: Thu Jun 17, 2010 11:23 am
Location: The Great White North
Contact:

Re: Screen going black at random (Radeon)

Post by shawnhcorey »

enterthevoid_79 wrote: Thu May 24, 2018 8:16 am
shawnhcorey wrote: Thu May 24, 2018 7:45 am Does the screen turn off after a fixed period? If so, it may be X Window hidden screensaver. The following commands will turn it off.

Code: Select all

$ cat X-screensave-off.sh 
#!/bin/bash

xset -dpms
xset s off
cat X-screensave-off.sh ???? In what directory? Where is this supposed to be? This is like telling you you need to edit a config file that you have no idea where it is.....
How am I supposed to do anything with that?
Try these commands, one at a time, in a terminal.

Code: Select all

man man

Code: Select all

man cat

Code: Select all

man xset
Don't stop where the ink does.
enterthevoid_79

Re: Screen going black at random (Radeon)

Post by enterthevoid_79 »

I know what man, cat & xset do -.-
tell me where the file is that you want me to inspect, don't tell me to just edit a file when you don't even point out the directory its in, that's lazyness on your behalf.

I really don't think you are understanding the problem to even begin with, this seems to be a Radeon-only issue, based on the this post & others that I have seen, that's what it appears to be.
User avatar
shawnhcorey
Level 4
Level 4
Posts: 217
Joined: Thu Jun 17, 2010 11:23 am
Location: The Great White North
Contact:

Re: Screen going black at random (Radeon)

Post by shawnhcorey »

enterthevoid_79 wrote: Thu May 24, 2018 1:51 pm I know what man, cat & xset do -.-
tell me where the file is that you want me to inspect, don't tell me to just edit a file when you don't even point out the directory its in, that's lazyness on your behalf.

I really don't think you are understanding the problem to even begin with, this seems to be a Radeon-only issue, based on the this post & others that I have seen, that's what it appears to be.
You have to create the file. Put it wherever it's handy. And I did say, "may".
Don't stop where the ink does.
Locked

Return to “Graphics Cards & Monitors”