[Bug 1738144] [NEW] Monitor locked to low-res when using EFI/Secure Boot on Coffee Lake

[jimav]

Public bug reported:

Booting with EFI, as opposed to legacy BIOS booting, somehow prevents
detecting the resolutions supported by a VESA-compliant monitor; instead
a single low resolution mode is used, and no other choices are available
in the "Displays" setting dialog.

At least that's what happens using built-in Intel graphics on a i7-8700K
/ Z370 (Coffee Lake), with a 1920x1200 DVI monitor.

This effectively prevents enabling Secure Boot with Ubuntu on this
platform.

I don't know if older hardware has the same problem (this is the first
UEFI-capable system I've owned)

The problem is visible when booting from the installer DVD in "try
Ubuntu" mode (the install DVDs are set up to boot either way).   If you
boot in EFI mode, the desktop comes up at 1024x768.  But if you boot in
legacy BIOS mode, it comes up normally (1920x1200 in my case).  Ditto
for installed systems.

STEPS TO REPRODUCE:

1. Go out and buy a new Coffee Lake system with ASUS Z370-A PRIME motherboard and i7-8700K cpu
2. Enable Secure Boot in the "bios" (disable legacy booting)
3. Boot the 17.10 or 16.04 Ubuntu Desktop DVD in "try Ubuntu" mode

RESULTS: Resolution abnormally low, and can not be changed

4. Turn off Secure Boot and enable legacy or "Compatibility" support (CSM in ASUS-speak).
5. Boot the same Desktop installer DVD

RESULTS: Normal resolution

Installing in legacy BIOS mode is a work-around, but preventing use of
Secure Boot is a security problem (the system is potentially vulnerable
to bootstrap malware)

** Affects: upstart (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: New

** Information type changed from Private Security to Public

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1738144

Title:
  Monitor locked to low-res when using EFI/Secure Boot on Coffee Lake

Status in upstart package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  Booting with EFI, as opposed to legacy BIOS booting, somehow prevents
  detecting the resolutions supported by a VESA-compliant monitor;
  instead a single low resolution mode is used, and no other choices are
  available in the "Displays" setting dialog.

  At least that's what happens using built-in Intel graphics on a
  i7-8700K / Z370 (Coffee Lake), with a 1920x1200 DVI monitor.

  This effectively prevents enabling Secure Boot with Ubuntu on this
  platform.

  I don't know if older hardware has the same problem (this is the first
  UEFI-capable system I've owned)

  The problem is visible when booting from the installer DVD in "try
  Ubuntu" mode (the install DVDs are set up to boot either way).   If
  you boot in EFI mode, the desktop comes up at 1024x768.  But if you
  boot in legacy BIOS mode, it comes up normally (1920x1200 in my case).
  Ditto for installed systems.

  STEPS TO REPRODUCE:

  1. Go out and buy a new Coffee Lake system with ASUS Z370-A PRIME motherboard and i7-8700K cpu
  2. Enable Secure Boot in the "bios" (disable legacy booting)
  3. Boot the 17.10 or 16.04 Ubuntu Desktop DVD in "try Ubuntu" mode

  RESULTS: Resolution abnormally low, and can not be changed

  4. Turn off Secure Boot and enable legacy or "Compatibility" support (CSM in ASUS-speak).
  5. Boot the same Desktop installer DVD

  RESULTS: Normal resolution

  Installing in legacy BIOS mode is a work-around, but preventing use of
  Secure Boot is a security problem (the system is potentially
  vulnerable to bootstrap malware)

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