Framework Laptop 16 primary monitor stops working after a while

Framework Laptop 16 Linux
1

Which Linux distro are you using? Kubuntu

Which release version? 24.04
(if rolling release without a release version, skip this question)

(If rolling release, last date updated?)

Which kernel are you using? 6.8.0-79-generic

Which BIOS version are you using? 03.05

Which Framework Laptop 16 model are you using? (AMD Ryzen™ 7040 Series) DIY, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD

I’ve been having a few issues with the laptop since I got it, but have managed to work around most of them. The current one I’m facing and unable to resolve is the monitor stops working after several days/weeks, and the system has to be restarted to fix it. The display simply doesn’t show anything (remains black) at some point when the system is left idle, even though the backlight remains on. I found I’m able to utilize the system via an external monitor, however input performance increasingly deteriorates (the mouse pointer moves and typed text is delayed as if the system RAM or CPU is fully utilized, but a resource check shows everything well within parameters), and if left eventually fully freezes though the system continues to work fine otherwise. I’ve gotten around this by disabling the display (xrandr --output eDP --off), which returns performance to normal and allows regular usage. I’m currently running with only the external monitor as I seek any tips/tricks which may restore functionality without restarting (issue occurred again today, and uptime is currently 18 days).

Possibly related, the previous issue involved the login screen freezing, also after several days/weeks. This I worked around by setting up xpra to preserve my key apps (I accumulate a lot of state), so I can restart the display manager (sudo systemctl restart sddm.service
) via a TTY, but that particular issue has not surfaced since the setup.

Any ideas what might be happening or how to further troubleshoot?

2

Hey @Andrew_P If you haven’t yet contacted support, please give us a shout and we’ll dive into it further.

3

This sounds like potentially what happens with Xorg and replay. As you’re mentioned X based commands, can you switch to Wayland?

4

I’ve submitted a ticket. Thank you.

5

I’m not really keen on moving to Wayland as there are a number of Xorg tools that I use with features unsupported/restricted in Wayland. And I doubt it is a Xorg, or even a distro issue, as I used Kubuntu on my previous laptop for about 9 years with no problem. Thanks for the suggestion though, I’ll keep it in mind.

6

The issue I’m talking about is specifically an incompatibility with panel replay and Xorg architecture. There are some kernel patches that improve the situation in later kernels.

7

I see. This is my first hearing of Panel Replay. Looked into it a bit and it seems to be only applicable to external monitors though. But my external monitor works - mostly - fine; it’s the internal that has the issue. Although there could still be some kind of side-effect happening there. I’ll look into this more.

8

No; panel replay is a technology that is present on eDP panels (internal panels). That’s why I’m saying it’s a potential cause. FYI there is a kernel debug option you can use to disable it to confirm as well, but it’s going to have negative implications for your power consumption:

amdgpu.dcdebugmask=0x400

When panel replay is turned off, the panel will fall back to panel self refresh, which could have it’s own set of issues. If you still have problems you can try to turn off both like this:

amdgpu.dcdebugmask=0x610