Distorted graphics in Ubuntu 18.04 with intel integrated graphics

I have a Ubuntu 18.04 desktop with Intel integrated (Ivybridge) graphics. When I boot to the system, the login screen and the default Ubuntu session shows severely distorted graphics and colors making it practically unusable. The picture is attached below.

Image of the Ubuntu session

However, I also have gnome flashback (metacity) and xfce4 desktop installed in this system and when I login to these session, there is apparently no such severe distortion except in few applications (google-chrome, skype etc., I have not checked all the applications although). The nautilus and other applications run smooth without any glitch so far in these desktop. Is there any way to resolve the issue with the Ubuntu session and the login screen ? I have tried few solutions mentioned in the links below but with no success -

1. How to solve the Ubuntu 18.04 display issues (lagging, flickering)?

System information:

$uname -a
Linux scorpio 5.3.0-62-generic #56~18.04.1-Ubuntu SMP Wed Jun 24 16:17:03 UTC 2020 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

$lsb_release -a
LSB Version:    core-9.20170808ubuntu1-noarch:printing-9.20170808ubuntu1-noarch:security-9.20170808ubuntu1-noarch
Distributor ID: Ubuntu
Description:    Ubuntu 18.04.4 LTS
Release:        18.04
Codename:       bionic

Here is the output of glxinfo -B

name of display: :1.0
display: :1  screen: 0
direct rendering: Yes
Extended renderer info (GLX_MESA_query_renderer):
    Vendor: Intel Open Source Technology Center (0x8086)
    Device: Mesa DRI Intel(R) Ivybridge Desktop  (0x152)
    Version: 19.2.8
    Accelerated: yes
    Video memory: 1536MB
    Unified memory: yes
    Preferred profile: core (0x1)
    Max core profile version: 4.2
    Max compat profile version: 3.0
    Max GLES1 profile version: 1.1
    Max GLES[23] profile version: 3.0
OpenGL vendor string: Intel Open Source Technology Center
OpenGL renderer string: Mesa DRI Intel(R) Ivybridge Desktop
OpenGL core profile version string: 4.2 (Core Profile) Mesa 19.2.8
OpenGL core profile shading language version string: 4.20
OpenGL core profile context flags: (none)
OpenGL core profile profile mask: core profile

OpenGL version string: 3.0 Mesa 19.2.8
OpenGL shading language version string: 1.30
OpenGL context flags: (none)

OpenGL ES profile version string: OpenGL ES 3.0 Mesa 19.2.8
OpenGL ES profile shading language version string: OpenGL ES GLSL ES 3.00

and the output of inxi -G

Graphics:  Card: Intel Xeon E3-1200 v2/3rd Gen Core processor Graphics Controller
           Display Server: x11 (X.Org 1.20.8 ) drivers: fbdev (unloaded: modesetting,vesa)
           Resolution: [email protected]
           OpenGL: renderer: Mesa DRI Intel Ivybridge Desktop version: 4.2 Mesa 19.2.8

Also lshw -c video gives

  *-display
       description: VGA compatible controller
       product: Xeon E3-1200 v2/3rd Gen Core processor Graphics Controller
       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:28 memory:f7800000-f7bfffff memory:e0000000-efffffff ioport:f000(size=64) memory:c0000-dffff

Output of cat /var/log/gpu-manager.log

log_file: /var/log/gpu-manager.log
last_boot_file: /var/lib/ubuntu-drivers-common/last_gfx_boot
new_boot_file: /var/lib/ubuntu-drivers-common/last_gfx_boot
can't access /run/u-d-c-nvidia-was-loaded file
can't access /opt/amdgpu-pro/bin/amdgpu-pro-px
Looking for nvidia modules in /lib/modules/5.3.0-62-generic/updates/dkms
Looking for amdgpu modules in /lib/modules/5.3.0-62-generic/updates/dkms
Is nvidia loaded? no
Was nvidia unloaded? no
Is nvidia blacklisted? no
Is intel loaded? yes
Is radeon loaded? no
Is radeon blacklisted? no
Is amdgpu loaded? no
Is amdgpu blacklisted? no
Is amdgpu versioned? no
Is amdgpu pro stack? no
Is nouveau loaded? no
Is nouveau blacklisted? no
Is nvidia kernel module available? no
Is amdgpu kernel module available? no
Vendor/Device Id: 8086:152
BusID "PCI:0@0:2:0"
Is boot vga? yes
Skipping "/dev/dri/card0", driven by "i915"
Skipping "/dev/dri/card0", driven by "i915"
Skipping "/dev/dri/card0", driven by "i915"
Found "/dev/dri/card0", driven by "i915"
output 0:
        card0-VGA-1
Number of connected outputs for /dev/dri/card0: 1
Does it require offloading? yes
last cards number = 1
Has amd? no
Has intel? yes
Has nvidia? no
How many cards? 1
Has the system changed? No
Single card detected
Nothing to do

I am quite new to this forum. I'll be grateful if I get any help to resolve this issue which has been bugging me for quite some time.

Many thanks.

Solution 1:

Looks like a Mesa problem.

First try Ubuntu-X Mesa PPA for more recent drivers. Kisak's Mesa PPA is even more recent but may be very slightly unstable

Then try switching between AccelMethod "glamor", "uxa" and "sna" by adding a new entry in /usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d/

e.g. my /usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d/20-intel.conf says:

Section "Device"
    Identifier  "Intel Graphics"
    Driver      "intel"
    Option      "AccelMethod"  "sna"
    Option      "TearFree"     "true"
    Option      "DRI"          "3"
EndSection

Try downgrading DRI to 2, and try glamor vs uxa vs sna. (Note: I set TearFree to true because otherwise xfce has awful tearing, but that's a personal preference)

If this fails, try to see if a live USB also presents this problem (to rule out a bad installation on your system).

Check if the problem also happens on Windows... it could be bad hardware.

If the problem persists on Linux but not in Windows ask in Mesa's bugtracker where there's talented people who may be able to help you better. They will probably ask you this information you're providing plus your Xorg log (located at /var/log/Xorg.0.log) and your syslog (/var/log/syslog)