[SOLVED] Screen inverts colors

[Taman]

Hi,

Installed Mint a few weeks ago and I am really enjoying my first linux experience.
However, I need help as my screen inverts all colors and goes blurry once in a while. I haven't found any pattern into why or when it happens. Sometimes it takes an hour, sometimes 3 but eventually my screen will suddenly invert all colors and stay like that. The only solution is a reboot. I have tried taking a screenshot when it happens but that does show the normal colors (after rebooting).

Any ideas as how to prevent / fix this issue and what the underlying cause may be?

Thanks!

[Mattyboy]

This sounds like a hardware issue. Check your connections or, maybe a different monitor.

If you think this isn't the case then do post the results of this terminal command.

Code: Select all

inxi -Fxz

[Termy]

I'd agree that it sounds like a hardware issues. I'd consider the monitor or the graphics card as the issue. The issue not showing on a screenshot tells me it's very, very unlikely to be a software issue. Are you able to try a different monitor as a test? Perhaps a different graphics card if that yields no results? Unless it's a laptop, of course.

[Taman]

Hi,
It is a laptop with dual-boot Windows/Linux and this issue does not occur on Windows.

System: Host: Taman Kernel: 4.10.0-38-generic x86_64 (64 bit gcc: 5.4.0)
Desktop: Cinnamon 3.6.6 (Gtk 3.18.9-1ubuntu3.3)
Distro: Linux Mint 18.3 Sylvia
Machine: System: Hewlett-Packard (portable) product: HP EliteBook 840 G1 v: A3009DD10203
Mobo: Hewlett-Packard model: 198F v: KBC Version 15.52
Bios: Hewlett-Packard v: L71 Ver. 01.07 date: 02/09/2014
CPU: Dual core Intel Core i5-4300U (-HT-MCP-) cache: 3072 KB
flags: (lm nx sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx) bmips: 9976
clock speeds: max: 2900 MHz 1: 899 MHz 2: 983 MHz 3: 899 MHz
4: 1019 MHz
Graphics: Card: Intel Haswell-ULT Integrated Graphics Controller
bus-ID: 00:02.0
Display Server: X.Org 1.18.4 drivers: intel (unloaded: fbdev,vesa)
Resolution: 1366x768@60.00hz
GLX Renderer: Mesa DRI Intel Haswell Mobile
GLX Version: 3.0 Mesa 17.2.4 Direct Rendering: 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: k4.10.0-38-generic
Network: Card-1: Intel Ethernet Connection I218-LM
driver: e1000e v: 3.2.6-k port: 3080 bus-ID: 00:19.0
Card-2: Intel Wireless 7260 driver: iwlwifi bus-ID: 02:00.0

Drives: HDD Total Size: 195.5GB (23.0% used)
ID-1: /dev/sda model: INTEL_SSDSC2BF18 size: 180.0GB
ID-2: USB /dev/sdb model: DataTraveler_2.0 size: 15.5GB
Partition: ID-1: / size: 26G used: 21G (85%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda5
ID-2: swap-1 size: 8.48GB used: 0.00GB (0%) fs: swap dev: /dev/sda6
RAID: No RAID devices: /proc/mdstat, md_mod kernel module present
Sensors: System Temperatures: cpu: 47.0C mobo: 0.0C
Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: N/A
Info: Processes: 214 Uptime: 3 min Memory: 1117.3/7878.7MB
Init: systemd runlevel: 5 Gcc sys: 5.4.0
Client: Shell (bash 4.3.481) inxi: 2.2.35

[Termy]

Aaah, it not happening on Windows absolutely suggests a software issue; Linux. The main thing which jumps out at me right now, is that you're on the 4.10.0-38-generic kernel; it's oft-recommended (by myself included) to use the latest in the 4.4 (for example, I use 4.4.0-116-generic) or 4.13 sets, if possible, although I think this is mainly related to security per the whole Meltdown and Spectre thing.

Have you tried installing a different kernel? Particularly if your laptop is very new, which seems to be the case, you might benefit from and find this fixed by using the latest in the 4.13 set, which is, for me, on a similar system, currently the 4.13.0.36-generic version. To change kernel versions, open the mintupdate program -- also known more simply as Update Manager -- then go to the View option on the window's top menu bar; once on that, click the option that reads something like "Kernel versions", then just diligently pick and choose your poison. The emboldened section of this should probably be the latest: 4.13.0.36-generic

Once that's done, and your new kernel version is installed, reboot the machine, and enter GRUB, which you can access by spamming Shift (either one) multiple times at startup. GRUB (Grand Unified Bootloader) is similar to a menu you may have seen in Windows, when it boots up and you select options like "Safe Mode", "Safe Mode with Networking", "Normal Mode", etc, unless they got rid of that in Windows 10. Anywho, at this menu, select the option for Mint which offers "advanced" options, then select the kernel version you just installed.

This part is just a test. Check your sound, check your display, check your network (Internet, for example), etc; be sure your hardware is working, basically. If all seems OK, you're all set. As it's (much) newer than the previous version, it should be automatically selected the next time you reboot.

If, however, things go awry, and, for example, you can't move your mouse, type on your keyboard, and/or use the Internet at all, then reboot the machine, forcefully, if needed. As long as you chose a journaling file system, like EXT4, the chances for data corruption from a forced reboot/shutdown are in this case minimal, unless you've got a particularly non-standard setup. Then, during bootup, enter that GRUB menu again, go through it as before, but this time choose your original kernel version. Now you need only remove the one you installed, using the aforementioned mintupdate program.

[Taman]

Updating kernel seems to have solved the issue - haven't had this problem anymore for a few days now
Thanks a lot!