Kernel update seems to induce Intel graphics driver malfunction [closed]

Question

I'm using Ubuntu 14.04.5 with Intel Graphics drivers. With kernel versions up to 3.13.0-142, everything works fine. When I boot on 3.13.0-143, however, the following things happen:

• Redshift fails to do anything:

  Gamma ramp size too small: 0
  Failed to start adjustment method randr.
  Trying next method...
  Using method `vidmode'.
  

… and no changes happen to the display. Xflux do not have any effect either.

• Keys to change the screen's backlight do not work either.
• In the display settings, the screen is called “default” instead of its usual, more precise name.
• The Intel Graphics Installer claims that I have to i915 chipset.
• My eyes start hurting because of Redshift's absence and the backlight.

sudo lshw -c video seems to show rather clearly that the usual driver is not being used when I boot on the latest kernel. Here are the outputs for the 142 and 143 versions:

3.13.0-142 ↓

  *-display
       description: VGA compatible controller
       product: Haswell-ULT Integrated Graphics Controller
       vendor: Intel Corporation
       physical id: 2
       bus info: pci@0000:00:02.0
       version: 0b
       width: 64 bits
       clock: 33MHz
       capabilities: msi pm vga_controller bus_master cap_list rom
       configuration: driver=i915 latency=0
       resources: irq:62 memory:f6c00000-f6ffffff memory:e0000000-efffffff ioport:f000(size=64)

3.13.0-143 ↓

  *-display UNCLAIMED
       description: VGA compatible controller
       product: Haswell-ULT Integrated Graphics Controller
       vendor: Intel Corporation
       physical id: 2
       bus info: pci@0000:00:02.0
       version: 0b
       width: 64 bits
       clock: 33MHz
       capabilities: msi pm vga_controller bus_master cap_list
       configuration: latency=0
       resources: memory:f6c00000-f6ffffff memory:e0000000-efffffff ioport:f000(size=64)

(The “UNCLAIMED” part and the absence of “driver=i915” are particularly concerning.)

Furthermore, during boot (under the faulty version), I noticed this:

[   13.802629] drm: version magic '3.13.0-143-generic SMP mod_unload modversions ' should be '3.13.0-143-generic SMP mod_unload modversions retpoline '
[   13.862854] input: Dell WMI hotkeys as /devices/virtual/input/input8
[   13.893180] dcdbas dcdbas: Dell Systems Management Base Driver (version 5.6.0-3.2)
[   13.948828] snd_hda_intel 0000:00:1b.0: irq 62 for MSI/MSI-X
[   14.010001] drm: version magic '3.13.0-143-generic SMP mod_unload modversions ' should be '3.13.0-143-generic SMP mod_unload modversions retpoline '
[   14.011629] hda-i915: get_power symbol get fail
[   14.011631] hda-intel Error request power-well from i915

whereas under 142, it's more like:

$ zgrep i915 /var/log/dmesg.1.gz 
[   13.764493] i915 0000:00:02.0: irq 62 for MSI/MSI-X
[   14.911889] i915 0000:00:02.0: fb0: inteldrmfb frame buffer device
[   14.911891] i915 0000:00:02.0: registered panic notifier
[   15.124065] [drm] Initialized i915 1.6.0 20080730 for 0000:00:02.0 on minor 0
[   15.180576] HDA driver get symbol successfully from i915 module

I also took a look at Xorg's logs, and I notice far more errors during boots under the faulty kernel. In particular, the following lines can only be found for 143:

[    19.291] (EE) open /dev/dri/card0: No such file or directory
[    19.291] (EE) open /dev/dri/card0: No such file or directory
[    19.291] (EE) Screen 0 deleted because of no matching config section.
[    19.342] (EE) FBDEV(0): FBIOBLANK: Invalid argument
[    19.348] (EE) AIGLX: reverting to software rendering
[    19.925] (EE) FBDEV(0): FBIOBLANK: Invalid argument

So, well, if you have anything not too risky or overkill to suggest, I'll be glad to give it a try. Do you think it's something that will get resolved by upcoming updates? It might be related to this.

Details just in case:

 $ uname
 3.13.0-143-generic #192-Ubuntu SMP Tue Feb 27 10:45:36 UTC 2018 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

Release: Ubuntu 14.04.5 LTS (Installed as Xubuntu)

Computer: Dell Latitude E5540 Laptop

Here's modinfo's output:

$ modinfo i915
filename:       /lib/modules/3.13.0-143-generic/updates/dkms/i915.ko
license:        GPL and additional rights
description:    Intel Graphics
author:         Tungsten Graphics, Inc.
srcversion:     5E23E4034358B57C037D509
alias:          pci:v00008086d000022B3sv*sd*bc03sc*i*
... [Boatloads of lines like this] ...
alias:          pci:v00008086d00003577sv*sd*bc03sc*i*
depends:        drm_kms_helper,drm,video,i2c-algo-bit
vermagic:       3.13.0-143-generic SMP mod_unload modversions 
parm:           modeset:Use kernel modesetting [KMS] (0=DRM_I915_KMS from .config, 1=on, -1=force vga console preference [default]) (int)
parm:           panel_ignore_lid:Override lid status (0=autodetect, 1=autodetect disabled [default], -1=force lid closed, -2=force lid open) (int)
parm:           powersave:Enable powersavings, fbc, downclocking, etc. (default: true) (int)
parm:           semaphores:Use semaphores for inter-ring sync (default: -1 (use per-chip defaults)) (int)
parm:           enable_rc6:Enable power-saving render C-state 6. Different stages can be selected via bitmask values (0 = disable; 1 = enable rc6; 2 = enable deep rc6; 4 = enable deepest rc6). For example, 3 would enable rc6 and deep rc6, and 7 would enable everything. default: -1 (use per-chip default) (int)
parm:           enable_fbc:Enable frame buffer compression for power savings (default: -1 (use per-chip default)) (int)
parm:           lvds_downclock:Use panel (LVDS/eDP) downclocking for power savings (default: false) (int)
parm:           lvds_channel_mode:Specify LVDS channel mode (0=probe BIOS [default], 1=single-channel, 2=dual-channel) (int)
parm:           lvds_use_ssc:Use Spread Spectrum Clock with panels [LVDS/eDP] (default: auto from VBT) (int)
parm:           vbt_sdvo_panel_type:Override/Ignore selection of SDVO panel mode in the VBT (-2=ignore, -1=auto [default], index in VBT BIOS table) (int)
parm:           reset:Attempt GPU resets (default: true) (bool)
parm:           enable_hangcheck:Periodically check GPU activity for detecting hangs. WARNING: Disabling this can cause system wide hangs. (default: true) (bool)
parm:           enable_ppgtt:Override PPGTT usage. (-1=auto [default], 0=disabled, 1=aliasing, 2=full) (int)
parm:           enable_psr:Enable PSR (default: false) (int)
parm:           preliminary_hw_support:Enable preliminary hardware support. (int)
parm:           disable_power_well:Disable the power well when possible (default: true) (int)
parm:           enable_ips:Enable IPS (default: true) (int)
parm:           fastboot:Try to skip unnecessary mode sets at boot time (default: false) (bool)
parm:           prefault_disable:Disable page prefaulting for pread/pwrite/reloc (default:false). For developers only. (bool)
parm:           invert_brightness:Invert backlight brightness (-1 force normal, 0 machine defaults, 1 force inversion), please report PCI device ID, subsystem vendor and subsystem device ID to [email protected], if your machine needs it. It will then be included in an upcoming module version. (int)
parm:           disable_display:Disable display (default: false) (bool)
parm:           disable_vtd_wa:Disable all VT-d workarounds (default: false) (bool)
parm:           enable_cmd_parser:Enable command parsing (1=enabled [default], 0=disabled) (int)

Thanks.