Color banding problem - Lenovo - Mint 19

[icavot]

Hi. After installing Linux mint 19 Cinnamon (64bit) I've observed a "color banding" / "gradient banding" problem. I didn't have that problem with Linux Mint 17 KDE (32bit) on the same Lenovo laptop.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colour_banding

What's the problem? OpenGL? How can I fix it?


Linux Mint 19 Cinnamon (64bit): Color banding.

inxi -Fxz

Code: Select all

System:    Host: user-Lenovo-B50-70 Kernel: 4.15.0-20-generic x86_64
           bits: 64 gcc: 7.3.0
           Desktop: Cinnamon 3.8.8 (Gtk 3.22.30-1ubuntu1)
           Distro: Linux Mint 19 Tara
Machine:   Device: laptop System: LENOVO product: 80EU v: Lenovo B50-70 serial: N/A
           Mobo: LENOVO model: Lenovo B50-70 v: 00000000NO DPK serial: N/A
           UEFI [Legacy]: LENOVO v: 9DCN29WW(V2.09) date: 11/21/2014
Battery    BAT1: charge: 17.4 Wh 99.7% condition: 17.4/28.5 Wh (61%)
           model: LENOVO PABAS0241231 status: Full
CPU:       Dual core Intel Core i5-4210U (-MT-MCP-) 
           arch: Haswell rev.1 cache: 3072 KB
           flags: (lm nx sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx) bmips: 9577
           clock speeds: max: 2700 MHz 1: 1014 MHz 2: 910 MHz 3: 915 MHz
           4: 955 MHz
Graphics:  Card: Intel Haswell-ULT Integrated Graphics Controller
           bus-ID: 00:02.0
           Display Server: x11 (X.Org 1.19.6 )
           drivers: modesetting (unloaded: fbdev,vesa)
           Resolution: 1366x768@60.00hz
           OpenGL: renderer: Mesa DRI Intel Haswell Mobile
           version: 4.5 Mesa 18.0.0-rc5 Direct Render: Yes
Audio:     Card-1 Intel 8 Series HD Audio Controller
           driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 00:1b.0
           Card-2 Intel Haswell-ULT HD Audio Controller
           driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 00:03.0
           Sound: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture v: k4.15.0-20-generic
Network:   Card-1: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCIE Gigabit Ethernet Controller
           driver: r8169 v: 2.3LK-NAPI port: 4000 bus-ID: 08:00.0
           IF: enp8s0 state: up speed: 100 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>
           Card-2: Realtek RTL8723BE PCIe Wireless Network Adapter
           driver: rtl8723be port: 3000 bus-ID: 09:00.0
           IF: wlp9s0 state: down mac: <filter>
Drives:    HDD Total Size: 500.1GB (5.3% used)
           ID-1: /dev/sda model: WDC_WD5000LPCX size: 500.1GB
           Optical-1: /dev/sr0 model: PLDS DVD-RW DA8A5SH
           rev: RL61 dev-links: cdrom,cdrw,dvd,dvdrw
           Features: speed: 24x multisession: yes
           audio: yes dvd: yes rw: cd-r,cd-rw,dvd-r,dvd-ram state: running
Partition: ID-1: / size: 46G used: 16G (36%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda1
           ID-2: /home size: 73G used: 840M (2%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda6
           ID-3: swap-1 size: 4.00GB used: 0.00GB (0%)
           fs: swap dev: /dev/dm-0
RAID:      No RAID devices: /proc/mdstat, md_mod kernel module present
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 40.0C mobo: N/A
           Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: N/A
Info:      Processes: 213 Uptime: 1:26 Memory: 1823.2/3873.1MB
           Init: systemd runlevel: 5 Gcc sys: 7.3.0
           Client: Shell (bash 4.4.191) inxi: 2.3.56 

· Linux Mint 17 KDE (32bit): No color banding.

inxi -Fxz

Code: Select all

System:    Host: user-Lenovo-B50-70 Kernel: 3.13.0-37-generic i686 (32 bit, gcc: 4.8.2) 
           Desktop: KDE 4.14.2 (Qt 4.8.6) Distro: Linux Mint 17.1 Rebecca
Machine:   System: LENOVO (portable) product: 80EU version: Lenovo B50-70
           Mobo: LENOVO model: Lenovo B50-70 version: 00000000NO DPK Bios: LENOVO version: 9DCN29WW(V2.09) date: 11/21/2014
CPU:       Dual core Intel Core i5-4210U CPU (-HT-MCP-) cache: 3072 KB flags: (lm nx sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx) bmips: 9578.26 
           Clock Speeds: 1: 768.00 MHz 2: 768.00 MHz 3: 768.00 MHz 4: 768.00 MHz
Graphics:  Card: Intel Haswell-ULT Integrated Graphics Controller bus-ID: 00:02.0 
           X.Org: 1.15.1 drivers: intel (unloaded: fbdev,vesa) Resolution: 1366x768@60.0hz 
           GLX Renderer: Mesa DRI Intel Haswell Mobile x86/MMX/SSE2 GLX Version: 3.0 Mesa 10.1.3 Direct Rendering: Yes
Audio:     Card-1: Intel Lynx Point-LP HD Audio Controller driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 00:1b.0
           Card-2: Intel Haswell-ULT HD Audio Controller driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 00:03.0
           Sound: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture ver: k3.13.0-37-generic
Network:   Card-1: Realtek RTL8723BE PCIe Wireless Network Adapter driver: rtl8723be port: 3000 bus-ID: 09:00.0
           IF: wlan0 state: down mac: <filter>
           Card-2: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller 
           driver: r8169 ver: 2.3LK-NAPI port: 4000 bus-ID: 08:00.0
           IF: eth0 state: up speed: 100 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>
Drives:    HDD Total Size: 2500.5GB (37.4% used) 1: id: /dev/sda model: WDC_WD5000LPCX size: 500.1GB 
           2: USB id: /dev/sdb model: Ext_HDD_1021 size: 2000.4GB 
Partition: ID: / size: 47G used: 6.1G (14%) fs: ext4 ID: /home size: 1.8T used: 859G (51%) fs: ext4 
RAID:      No RAID devices detected - /proc/mdstat and md_mod kernel raid module present
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 47.0C mobo: N/A 
           Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: N/A 
Info:      Processes: 185 Uptime: 10 min Memory: 1326.9/3957.4MB Runlevel: 2 Gcc sys: 4.8.2 Client: Shell inxi: 1.8.4             

[Hoser Rob]

According to this ...

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+sour ... ug/1749420

... there's been a bug re this, and the last post there says it was fixed in kernel v. linux-hwe - 4.15.0-24.26~16.04.1.

I'd try installing that. Look up how to revert from CLI in case that breaks something else first though. Kernel changes are easy to revert, unlike other high level updates, if need be but you should know how before trying a new kernel.

[icavot]

I’ve tested the proposed solution on a fresh installation on an external HDD. It certainly fixed the problem of color banding. However, everything else was clunky and buggy, there wasn’t even Internet connection, etc.

I guess I’ll have to wait for a stable kernel release with the fix. Thanks anyway.

[VYBEfromYT]

I'm using Linux Mint 19.1 Cinnamon installed on Lenovo G50-80 and I have the same problem, banding is so much that is so difficult to unsee while watching a YT video.