[Bug 2047456] Re: Installed Lubuntu Mantic and Noble are flaky with two screens

Wed Dec 27 20:11:17 UTC 2023

Kubuntu Noble live:

I tried Kubuntu Noble in my Toshiba Satellite Pro C850-19W with a
generation 3 Intel i5 CPU (and built-in Intel graphics) and resolution
1366x768. This system works well when run with only the internal screen
and I updated && upgraded it before trying with the external screen
(Samsung 1920x1080 via HDMI).

1. Booting in BIOS mode when the external screen is connected: Nothing
is ever seen, not even an underscore. It does not even react on
ctrl+alt+delete.

2. Booting when the external screen is disconnected: it works as
expected. I selected 'Try Kubuntu' and reached the desktop. Then I
connected the external screen, and it works as expected.

3,4. Booting when the external screen is disconnected. At the grub menu
I connected the external screen and hit enter to start the default 'Try
or Install Kubuntu'. For a while there is only text on the internal
screen, then splash on both screens and then both screens show the
desktop. The window with 'Try' and  'Install' is on the external screen,
but can be dragged to the internal one, in other words, it works as
expected.

-o-

So this indicates that there is a problem to show the grub menu, and it
never recovers, if the external screen is connected at boot.

-o-

I installed Kubuntu (into an SSD in the Toshiba), a basic installation
using the whole drive.

Anyway, Kubuntu Noble has a basic text mode grub menu (like Ubuntu
Desktop), not a fancy semi-graphical one like Lubuntu Noble. So we
cannot blame that, but still, the bug appears already at grub.

Kubuntu Noble installed:

1. I rebooted when Calamares had finished. The external screen was
connected, and everything was black (as expected, like the live case).

2. I turned off the power (brutal shutdown), disconnected the external
screen, and cold booted. There is no grub menu (as expected). At the
login screen I connected the external screen. Nothing happened, but
after log in the desktop was shown in both screens, and it works as
expected and I can configure the two screens, things work.

3. I shutdown as gracefully, disconnected the external screen, and cold
booted. There is no grub menu (as expected). At the login screen I
connected the external screen. Nothing happened, but after log in the
desktop was shown in both screens, and things work.

-o-

The bug is affecting the installed Kubuntu Noble system too.

-o-

Kubuntu Noble live again:

Now Kubuntu Noble live was tested in the HP Probook 640 G4 connected to
the old Samsung monitor with 1920x1080 resolution. The external screen
is connected via HDMI (a HDMI to HDMI cable). This is the same setup as
in the original bug report except that Kubuntu was tested instead of
Lubuntu.

1,2,3. Cold-booting in UEFI mode with secure boot when the external
screen is connected: The grub menu is seen in the internal screen. I
selected the default 'Try Kubuntu'. The splash screen is seen in both
screens and the desktop is seen in both desktops. It works. Is it flaky?
I will test a few times ...

4,5. Rebooting in UEFI mode with secure boot when the external screen is
connected:  The grub menu is seen in the internal screen. I selected the
default 'Try Kubuntu'. The splash screen is seen in both screens and the
desktop is seen in both desktops. It works, not flaky.

-o-

So the problem that stops showing the grub menu in the Toshiba affects
also Kubuntu Noble, but the problem of Lubuntu Noble in the HP Probook
seems not affect Kubuntu Noble.

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/2047456

Title:
  Installed Lubuntu Mantic and Noble are flaky with two screens

Status in grub2 package in Ubuntu:
  New
Status in lxqt-session package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  Tested in an HP Probook 640 G4 with

  - Intel i5-8250U CPU
  - Intel 'UHD Graphics 6'
  - built-in resolution 1366x768

  connected to an old Samsung monitor with 1920x1080 resolution. The
  extermal screen is connected via HDMI (a HDMI to HDMI cable).

  It works smoothly when booted as usual (with only the internal
  screen). After testing Lubuntu Noble live, when booting with the
  external screen connected, it failed to show anything (nothing on any
  of the screens except a white underscore on the internal screen).
  Alt+tab did not help.

  I rebooted brutally with ctrl+alt+delete, disconnected the external
  screen and things worked well. When logged in, I cnnnected the
  external screen, and then things worked as expected. I had the correct
  background and could use both screens. So in order to check if it was
  a temporary glitch, I rebooted and cold booted several times:

  1. I prepared for making a separate bug report for problems with 2
  screens in Lubuntu 23.10. And it worked, when cold booted, also when
  the external screen is connected. Maybe some bad state in some
  electronic component(s) of the system was not cleared by the brutal
  reboot (ctrl+alt+delete) after the failure with Lubuntu Noble live.

  I repeated reboot and cold boot a few times to see if things continue
  to work well.

  2. It worked again after reboot

  3. It failed like the first time after 'correct shutdown via the menu'
  and cold boot after a few seconds.

  4. It worked well after brutal reboot (ctrl+alt+delete).

  5. It failed like the first time after 'correct shutdown via the menu'
  and cold boot after one minute (so 'colder' than the previous cold
  boot).

  6. It worked well when cold booted with the external monitor connected
  but turned off.

  7. It worked well when cold booted with the external monitor connected
  but turned off (again), When logged in, I turned on the extermal
  screen and it showed what it should show.

  8. It worked well when cold booted with the external monitor connected
  but turned off (again), When logged in, I turned on the extermal
  screen and it showed what it should show.

  9,10. It failed when I tried to edit the grub menu with 'e'. It booted
  without any command to boot (and it happened twice).

  11. It kind of worked, when I booted in recovery mode, but only the
  internal screen was active.

  12. It worked well when cold booted into normal mode with the external
  screenconnected and turned on.

  13. It worked well when cold booted with the external monitor
  connected but turned off, When logged in, I turned on the extermal
  screen and it showed what it should show.

  So I would say that the function is flaky with two screens connected
  and the external one turned on at boot.

  -o-

  Please notice that the system works now, with both screens. I am not
  able to create a bug report when it fails, because there is only an
  underscore on the internal screen and nothing on the external one.

  Please advice how to create a useful log file to upload (for example
  by booting without 'quiet splash', and what log file should I look for
  and upload)!

  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 23.10
  Package: lxqt-session 1.3.0-0ubuntu4
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 6.5.0-10.10-generic 6.5.3
  Uname: Linux 6.5.0-10-generic x86_64
  ApportVersion: 2.27.0-0ubuntu5
  Architecture: amd64
  CasperMD5CheckResult: unknown
  CurrentDesktop: LXQt
  Date: Tue Dec 26 21:17:14 2023
  InstallationDate: Installed on 2023-10-21 (66 days ago)
  InstallationMedia: Lubuntu 23.10 "Mantic Minotaur" - Release amd64 (20231010)
  SourcePackage: lxqt-session
  UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

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