System text disappears

[NeilW]

Hi,

I installed Zorin several months ago on an older laptop, and its been marvelous. Recently, I'd say in the last month but maybe a bit longer, I'm getting the following issue.

All system text disappears, eg zorin menu has only the icons, time, date etc on the bar is missing, the info panel when you click time/date is completely empty (other than an occasional capital letter), the login screen eg has onlt the capital letters of my name.

Hopefully I can add in screenshot to this.

I'm using a standard install, supplied fonts, etc. This happens usually after a 'sleep', but not every time. Yesterday it happened within a few minutes of a full shutdown and start, which hadn't happened previously.

Thanks for any help - its annoying and frustrating.

[Aravisian]

Can you please post the terminal output of

sudo lshw -C video

This looks like a graphics driver issue. If using Intel Graphics, rolling back to the previous known working kernel may be the fix.

[NeilW]

Thanks, here's the output:

*-display
description: VGA compatible controller
product: HD Graphics 5500
vendor: Intel Corporation
physical id: 2
bus info: pci@0000:00:02.0
version: 09
width: 64 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: msi pm vga_controller bus_master cap_list rom
configuration: driver=i915 latency=0
resources: irq:46 memory:d0000000-d0ffffff memory:c0000000-cfffffff ioport:3000(size=64) memory:c0000-dffff

[nfratom]

run this command and show me the output u get journalctl -p err

[Aravisian]

@NeilW

product: HD Graphics 5500
configuration: driver=i915 latency=0

Yes... Ok can you please roll back the kernel:

[HOW TO] enter Recovery Grub Menu (Advanced Options for Zorin)

To enter the Recovery Menu on Zorin OS if using Legacy (MBR) boot, you can hold or tap the Left Shift key at boot to be offered the Advanced Options for Zorin Grub menu. If using EFI Boot, then tap the esc key vigorously. Some users report that the tab key worked, instead. You might think that this is pretty straight-forward. However... Some BIOS are programmed to ignore a key being held down, as it is assumed to be pressed by accident or a stuck key. Cat on keyboard, coffee... The BIOS prog…

Choose Advanced Options for Zorin
From the list offered, click on an earlier kernel to select it, then proceed to boot normally.
You can check which kernel you booted from with terminal command

uname -r

Test if the text appears normally. If it does, lock in the working kernel:

[HOW TO] set an older kernel to default boot

You may need to use an earlier kernel than the current kernel used by Zorin. This method allows you to set the kernel that you will boot into by default. To set the new kernel to default: Boot into the kernel you wish to be Saved. Open terminal and run: sudo nano /etc/default/grub Change GRUB_DEFAULT=0 to GRUB_DEFAULT=saved Hit enter to drop down a line. Add GRUB_SAVEDEFAULT=true ctrl+x to exit, then the y key to say yes to save, then the enter key to save as current configuration. Ru…

[NeilW]

I'll give that a go. Thank you.

Before i do so, does this take account of that this issue is only occuring after some time, ie if I restart, then the display is normal, for perhaps several sleeps, then goes funny?

[NeilW]

@nfratom

journalctl -p err

Here's the output - thanks
-- Logs begin at Wed 2023-02-22 19:23:39 GMT, end at Fri 2023-05-19 18:30:01 BST. --
Feb 22 19:23:39 neil-Lenovo-Yoga-3-14 kernel: DMAR: [Firmware Bug]: No firmware reserved region can cover this RMRR [0x00000000ad>
Feb 22 19:23:39 neil-Lenovo-Yoga-3-14 kernel: x86/cpu: VMX (outside TXT) disabled by BIOS
Feb 22 19:23:48 neil-Lenovo-Yoga-3-14 bluetoothd[616]: Failed to set mode: Blocked through rfkill (0x12)
Feb 22 19:23:52 neil-Lenovo-Yoga-3-14 bluetoothd[616]: Failed to set mode: Blocked through rfkill (0x12)
Feb 22 19:24:25 neil-Lenovo-Yoga-3-14 gdm-password][1334]: gkr-pam: unable to locate daemon control file
Feb 22 19:24:26 neil-Lenovo-Yoga-3-14 systemd[1363]: Failed to start Application launched by gnome-session-binary.
Feb 22 19:24:29 neil-Lenovo-Yoga-3-14 systemd[1363]: Failed to start Application launched by gnome-session-binary.
Feb 22 19:24:29 neil-Lenovo-Yoga-3-14 systemd[1363]: Failed to start Application launched by gnome-session-binary.
Feb 22 19:35:37 neil-Lenovo-Yoga-3-14 /hpfax[30764]: [30764]: error: Failed to create /var/spool/cups/tmp/.hplip
Feb 22 20:51:57 neil-Lenovo-Yoga-3-14 kernel: snd_hda_intel 0000:00:1b.0: spurious response 0x0:0x0, last cmd=0x113904a
Feb 22 21:51:22 neil-Lenovo-Yoga-3-14 kernel: snd_hda_intel 0000:00:1b.0: spurious response 0x0:0x0, last cmd=0x1124011
Feb 23 00:27:57 neil-Lenovo-Yoga-3-14 kernel: Bluetooth: hci0: unexpected event for opcode 0xfc2f
Feb 23 00:27:57 neil-Lenovo-Yoga-3-14 bluetoothd[616]: Failed to set mode: Blocked through rfkill (0x12)
Feb 23 00:27:57 neil-Lenovo-Yoga-3-14 bluetoothd[616]: Failed to set mode: Blocked through rfkill (0x12)
Feb 23 02:14:56 neil-Lenovo-Yoga-3-14 kernel: Bluetooth: hci0: unexpected event for opcode 0xfc2f
Feb 23 02:14:56 neil-Lenovo-Yoga-3-14 bluetoothd[616]: Failed to set mode: Blocked through rfkill (0x12)
Feb 23 02:14:56 neil-Lenovo-Yoga-3-14 bluetoothd[616]: Failed to set mode: Blocked through rfkill (0x12)
Feb 23 05:29:12 neil-Lenovo-Yoga-3-14 kernel: Bluetooth: hci0: unexpected event for opcode 0xfc2f
Feb 23 05:29:12 neil-Lenovo-Yoga-3-14 bluetoothd[616]: Failed to set mode: Blocked through rfkill (0x12)
Feb 23 05:29:13 neil-Lenovo-Yoga-3-14 bluetoothd[616]: Failed to set mode: Blocked through rfkill (0x12)
Feb 23 05:29:17 neil-Lenovo-Yoga-3-14 kernel: usb usb2-port1: Cannot enable. Maybe the USB cable is bad?
Feb 23 05:29:21 neil-Lenovo-Yoga-3-14 kernel: usb usb2-port1: Cannot enable. Maybe the USB cable is bad?

[Aravisian]

@NeilW

Before i do so, does this take account of that this issue is only occuring after some time, ie if I restart, then the display is normal, for perhaps several sleeps, then goes funny?

It can, yes. Though I agree that suggests some doubt. What remains is that it is the easiest and safest first thing you can try.
This definitely looks like a graphics issue...
Your graphics driver is in the kernel...
So, that is pretty strong. Is it possible that an init issue is ultimately the cause? Yes but then that would point us right back to the kernel.

[zenzen]

@NeilW

product: HD Graphics 5500

I found a few old reports of this exact same issue for this particular hardware. The solution was to simply upgrade to a new kernel, so it's possible this bug has been re-introduced in latest releases. Perhaps you can try one of the proposed workarounds as a temporary solution:

https://bugzilla.opensuse.org/show_bug.cgi?id=928086

The solution is found in Ubuntu forums and is to restore the old acceleration method UXA: Intel i915: Stuck on Rendering Ring error

For this, create a file called 20-intel.conf and put it in directory /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/ The content of the file is

Section "Device"
Identifier "Intel Graphics"
Driver "intel"
Option "AccelMethod" "uxa"
EndSection