Screen Flicker Fedora 34 Acer Aspire 5

Hey, guys~ Everyone was most helpful in assisting me to get Fedora 34 installed on my failing laptop. Thanks for that! :smiley: However, the screen has begun to flicker again when I’m watching videos through VLC… It’s nowhere near as bad as when I was running Windows 10 on my laptop, but it’s still there. I’ve run a clamscan and there are no infected files, so I’m not sure what’s causing it. I followed another post’s instructs on how to update & fix Nvidia issues & now the Nvidia has been disabled. Here’s that bit, in case I made a mistake:

[root@fedora ~]# dnf copr enable t0xic0der/nvidia-auto-installer-for-fedora -y
Enabling a Copr repository. Please note that this repository is not part
of the main distribution, and quality may vary.

The Fedora Project does not exercise any power over the contents of
this repository beyond the rules outlined in the Copr FAQ at
<https://docs.pagure.org/copr.copr/user_documentation.html#what-i-can-build-in-copr>,
and packages are not held to any quality or security level.

Please do not file bug reports about these packages in Fedora
Bugzilla. In case of problems, contact the owner of this repository.
Repository successfully enabled.
[root@fedora ~]# dnf install nvautoinstall -y
Copr repo for nvidia-auto-installer-for-fedora  1.3 kB/s | 1.5 kB     00:01    
Dependencies resolved.
================================================================================
 Package       Arch   Version      Repository                              Size
================================================================================
Installing:
 nvautoinstall noarch 0.3.8-0.fc34 copr:copr.fedorainfracloud.org:t0xic0der:nvidia-auto-installer-for-fedora
                                                                           38 k
Installing dependencies:
 python3-click noarch 7.1.2-5.fc34 fedora                                 145 k

Transaction Summary
================================================================================
Install  2 Packages

Total download size: 182 k
Installed size: 721 k
Downloading Packages:
(1/2): python3-click-7.1.2-5.fc34.noarch.rpm    390 kB/s | 145 kB     00:00    
(2/2): nvautoinstall-0.3.8-0.fc34.noarch.rpm     29 kB/s |  38 kB     00:01    
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total                                           111 kB/s | 182 kB     00:01     
Copr repo for nvidia-auto-installer-for-fedora  9.1 kB/s | 1.0 kB     00:00    
Importing GPG key 0x07D7D182:
 Userid     : "t0xic0der_nvidia-auto-installer-for-fedora (None) <t0xic0der#nvidia-auto-installer-for-fedora@copr.fedorahosted.org>"
 Fingerprint: 89F4 342E 2383 F5B2 6CF7 E529 C204 3BBB 07D7 D182
 From       : https://download.copr.fedorainfracloud.org/results/t0xic0der/nvidia-auto-installer-for-fedora/pubkey.gpg
Key imported successfully
Running transaction check
Transaction check succeeded.
Running transaction test
Transaction test succeeded.
Running transaction
  Preparing        :                                                        1/1 
  Installing       : python3-click-7.1.2-5.fc34.noarch                      1/2 
  Installing       : nvautoinstall-0.3.8-0.fc34.noarch                      2/2 
  Running scriptlet: nvautoinstall-0.3.8-0.fc34.noarch                      2/2 
  Verifying        : nvautoinstall-0.3.8-0.fc34.noarch                      1/2 
  Verifying        : python3-click-7.1.2-5.fc34.noarch                      2/2 

Installed:
  nvautoinstall-0.3.8-0.fc34.noarch      python3-click-7.1.2-5.fc34.noarch     

Complete!
[root@fedora ~]# sudo nvautoinstall --nvrepo
[ # ] NVIDIA AUTOINSTALLER FOR FEDORA
[ ★ ] CHECKING SUPERUSER PERMISSIONS...
[ ✓ ] Superuser privilege acquired
[ ★ ] CHECKING AVAILABILITY OF OFFICIAL CUDA REPOSITORY...
[ ! ] Official CUDA repository was not detected
[ ! ] Repository enabling is required
[ ★ ] ATTEMPTING CONNECTION TO NVIDIA SERVERS...
[ ✓ ] Connection to NVIDIA servers was established
[ ★ ] INSTALLING OFFICIAL CUDA REPOSITORY...
[ ✓ ] Official CUDA repository was enabled
[ ★ ] REFRESHING REPOSITORY LIST...
73 files removed
[ ✓ ] Repositories have been refreshed
[ ★ ] DISABLING NVIDIA DRIVER MODULE...
Copr repo for nvidia-auto-installer-for-fedora  1.8 kB/s | 1.5 kB     00:00    
created by dnf config-manager from https://brav  21 kB/s | 8.0 kB     00:00    
cuda-fedora33-x86_64                            897 kB/s | 341 kB     00:00    
Fedora 34 - x86_64                              3.5 MB/s |  74 MB     00:21    
Fedora 34 openh264 (From Cisco) - x86_64        1.4 kB/s | 2.5 kB     00:01    
Fedora Modular 34 - x86_64                      3.6 MB/s | 4.9 MB     00:01    
Fedora 34 - x86_64 - Updates                    6.0 MB/s |  25 MB     00:04    
Fedora Modular 34 - x86_64 - Updates            2.4 MB/s | 4.6 MB     00:01    
RPM Fusion for Fedora 34 - Free                 541 kB/s | 941 kB     00:01    
RPM Fusion for Fedora 34 - Free - Updates       116 kB/s | 337 kB     00:02    
skype (stable)                                  1.9 kB/s | 4.6 kB     00:02    
Dependencies resolved.
================================================================================
 Package           Architecture     Version             Repository         Size
================================================================================
Disabling modules:
 nvidia-driver                                                                 

Transaction Summary
================================================================================

Complete!
[ ✓ ] NVIDIA DRIVER module has been disabled
[ ✗ ] Leaving installer
[root@fedora ~]# sudo nvautoinstall --plcuda
[ # ] NVIDIA AUTOINSTALLER FOR FEDORA
[ ★ ] CHECKING SUPERUSER PERMISSIONS...
[ ✓ ] Superuser privilege acquired
[ ★ ] CHECKING AVAILABILITY OF RPM FUSION NVIDIA REPOSITORY...
[ ✗ ] RPM Fusion repository for Proprietary NVIDIA Driver was not detected
[ ✗ ] Leaving installer

I haven’t seen any flickering yet since I did that, but I’m wondering if there is something else I need to do or look at. I’m about 10yrs behind in my knowledge… so I could use some help. Here’s my computer’s specs:

[root@fedora ~]# inxi -Fzx
System:    Kernel: 5.13.10-200.fc34.x86_64 x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 2.35.1-41.fc34 Console: tty pts/0 
           Distro: Fedora release 34 (Thirty Four) 
Machine:   Type: Laptop System: Acer product: Aspire A515-51 v: V2.02 serial: <filter> 
           Mobo: KBL model: Charmander_KL v: V2.02 serial: <filter> UEFI-[Legacy]: Insyde v: 2.02 date: 01/03/2019 
CPU:       Info: Quad Core model: Intel Core i5-8250U bits: 64 type: MT MCP arch: Kaby Lake note: check rev: A 
           cache: L2: 6 MiB 
           flags: avx avx2 lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 bogomips: 28800 
           Speed: 700 MHz min/max: 400/1600 MHz Core speeds (MHz): 1: 700 2: 1220 3: 800 4: 800 5: 800 6: 800 
           7: 795 8: 800 
Graphics:  Device-1: Intel UHD Graphics 620 vendor: Acer Incorporated ALI driver: i915 v: kernel bus-ID: 00:02.0 
           Device-2: Quanta HD Webcam type: USB driver: uvcvideo bus-ID: 1-7:4 
           Display: server: X.Org 1.21.1.2 driver: loaded: i915 note: n/a (using device driver) 
           resolution: 1920x1080~60Hz 
           OpenGL: renderer: Mesa Intel UHD Graphics 620 (KBL GT2) v: 4.6 Mesa 21.1.7 direct render: Yes 
Audio:     Device-1: Intel Sunrise Point-LP HD Audio vendor: Acer Incorporated ALI driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel 
           bus-ID: 00:1f.3 
           Sound Server-1: ALSA v: k5.13.10-200.fc34.x86_64 running: yes 
           Sound Server-2: PipeWire v: 0.3.33 running: yes 
Network:   Device-1: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet vendor: Acer Incorporated ALI 
           driver: r8169 v: kernel port: 3000 bus-ID: 01:00.1 
           IF: enp1s0f1 state: down mac: <filter> 
           Device-2: Qualcomm Atheros QCA9377 802.11ac Wireless Network Adapter vendor: Lite-On driver: ath10k_pci 
           v: kernel port: 3000 bus-ID: 02:00.0 
           IF: wlp2s0 state: up mac: <filter> 
           IF-ID-1: virbr0 state: down mac: <filter> 
Bluetooth: Device-1: Lite-On Qualcomm Atheros QCA9377 Bluetooth type: USB driver: btusb v: 0.8 bus-ID: 1-5:3 
           Report: rfkill ID: hci0 rfk-id: 2 state: up address: see --recommends 
Drives:    Local Storage: total: 4.56 TiB used: 1.59 TiB (34.9%) 
           ID-1: /dev/nvme0n1 vendor: Intel model: MEMPEK1J016GA size: 13.41 GiB temp: 37.9 C 
           ID-2: /dev/sda vendor: Toshiba model: MQ04ABF100 size: 931.51 GiB temp: 34 C 
           ID-3: /dev/sdb type: USB vendor: Seagate model: BUP Portable size: 3.64 TiB 
Partition: ID-1: / size: 930.51 GiB used: 6.21 GiB (0.7%) fs: btrfs dev: /dev/sda2 
           ID-2: /boot size: 975.9 MiB used: 262.9 MiB (26.9%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda1 
           ID-3: /home size: 930.51 GiB used: 6.21 GiB (0.7%) fs: btrfs dev: /dev/sda2 
Swap:      ID-1: swap-1 type: zram size: 3.7 GiB used: 810.2 MiB (21.4%) dev: /dev/zram0 
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 29.8 C mobo: 27.8 C 
           Fan Speeds (RPM): N/A 
Info:      Processes: 320 Uptime: 2h 25m Memory: 3.7 GiB used: 2.05 GiB (55.4%) Init: systemd runlevel: 5 
           Compilers: gcc: 11.2.1 Packages: N/A note: see --pkg Shell: Bash v: 5.1.0 inxi: 3.3.06 

Thanks in advance for your help~

There is an easier way to install the Nvidia proprietary driver in Fedora Workstation:

  1. Open Software, go to the three lines menu, and click in Software Sources. In the dialog enable third-party repositories and the “RPM Fusion for Fedora 34 - Nonfree - NVIDIA Driver” one.
  2. Search inside Software for nvidia, you will find the nvidia proprietary driver.
  3. Install it and reboot.

If you still want to use the program you are trying to use to install the driver, and while I don’t know about it, I see that there is this bit of info when you ran it:

This means that program you’re using needs the nonfree rpmfusion repository to be installed for it to continue.
To do that, follow these instructions at rpmfusion’s website

I installed the nonfree… Terminal stills says the proprietary NVIDIA Driver was not detected… :confused:

I don’t know what to say, the nonfree rpmfusion has the nvidia driver.
Have you tried searching the driver in Gnome Software?

According to the inxi output posted there is no nvidia GPU detected. The only one shown is an intel gpu and a usb webcam.

Graphics:  Device-1: Intel UHD Graphics 620 vendor: Acer Incorporated ALI driver: i915 v: kernel bus-ID: 00:02.0 
           Device-2: Quanta HD Webcam type: USB driver: uvcvideo bus-ID: 1-7:4 
           Display: server: X.Org 1.21.1.2 driver: loaded: i915 note: n/a (using device driver) 
           resolution: 1920x1080~60Hz 
           OpenGL: renderer: Mesa Intel UHD Graphics 620 (KBL GT2) v: 4.6 Mesa 21.1.7 direct render: Yes 

With no nvidia GPU there is not a reason to have the driver installed.

3 Likes

Oh… well, now I feel like a dummy. :sweat_smile: I could have sworn Nvidia was installed on this device… Oh well.

I still get random flickers occasionally, including on start-up. Any ideas how I can fix it? I’ve got the most up-to-date drivers installed I believe, so I’m not sure what else to do.

If the flickering also happened on Windows, then it’s a hardware issue.

1 Like

Well, that’s a bummer… Thanks for the head’s up. Guess I better save up for a new one then.

You might check the cable that connects the monitor to the motherboard. It is usually a ribbon cable and sometimes they can wiggle slightly loose over time.

2 Likes

Oh! Thank you! I’ll do that! :smiley:

1 Like

You might also clean the contacts with a cleaning spray and or a rubber-eraser. In case of spray let it good dry before assembling and testing. If you live on a humid place the corrosion is quite high and frequent cleaning and checking is a good idea.

1 Like

Dude! This place is so humid I have a mold problem even while running an industrial dehumidifier! Thanks for the tip! I’ll do that, too!