I’m experiencing an issue on Zorin OS 18 where the screen flickers intermittently. The problem is not constant and I can’t reproduce it intentionally — it just happens sometimes, without a clear pattern. Interestingly, the flickering stops when I move the mouse quickly.
The issue occurs in both Xorg and Wayland sessions and is not app-specific. The system continues to respond normally, and the flickering appears under different usage conditions.
I use only the laptop monitor (no external monitor), and the screen settings (brightness, resolution, refresh rate) are all at the default values from installation. This problem did not occur in Zorin OS 17.3, Windows 11, or Ubuntu on the same machine. I’ve attached a video showing the behavior:
System details:
Laptop: Lenovo IdeaPad L340-15IRH Gaming
CPU: Intel Core i5-9300H
GPU: Intel UHD Graphics 630 (CFL GT2)
RAM: 8 GB
OS: Zorin OS 18 Core, 64-bit, Kernel Linux 6.14.0-33-generic, Wayland
I regularly perform the system updates prompted by the operating system. However, the problem has existed since the first days after installation. I had hoped that updating the system would eventually make the issue disappear.
That looks like sync noise flashing around. Test the notebook with an external monitor or newer TV to eliminate it's something with the built-in monitor sync. The mouse snapping it out is strange.
Wayland vs. X11 was the first test. Something down-line and maybe not software generated? Gotta try a different monitor thinking ver. 18 Ubuntu video drivers haven't changed drastically.
I also have some flicker when adjusting volume via keyboardhotbutton but only for about 5 frames long. so far it happend in steam firefox and mulvad. Yesterday that problem wasnt there. doesnt bother me to much as long as it get fixed at the next update. might be a ubuntu problem because i had that stuff a lot on kubuntu before i switched to zorin. kubuntu has many problems with transparent overlays. as always i dont know much bout hardware problems so i just write all that could give some information. for now ill just wait if it fixes itself in future updates.
I went into the appearance settings and disabled all animation and transparency options I could find. This seemed to reduce the glitches a bit, but did not fully resolve the issue.
Eventually, I found time to back up my data, and the solution was simply to reinstall Zorin OS. I downloaded the latest version from the official website, and the problem is now resolved.