Created attachment 26731 [details]
Example photo 1

Created attachment 26732 [details]
Example photo 2

Note vertical lines sides of windows. In real time, some or all of the display appears to quiver rapidly from side to side.

Created attachment 26733 [details]
Xorg.log

Error msgs about ADVANCE_RING filtered out, per bug 21553 comments.

grep -i bios Xorg.0.log

(--) PCI:*(0@1:0:0) ATI Technologies Inc Radeon Mobility M7 LW [Radeon Mobility 7500] rev 0, Mem @ 0xe8000000/0, 0xfcff0000/0, I/O @ 0x0000c000/0, BIOS @ 0x????????/131072
(II) RADEON(0): Primary V_BIOS segment is: 0xc000
(II) RADEON(0): Legacy BIOS detected
(II) RADEON(0): Panel Size from BIOS: 1400x1050
(II) RADEON(0): BIOS provided dividers will be used.

dmesg | grep -i bios

[    0.000000] BIOS-provided physical RAM map:
[    0.000000]  BIOS-e820: 0000000000000000 - 000000000009f000 (usable)
[    0.000000]  BIOS-e820: 000000000009f000 - 00000000000a0000 (reserved)
[    0.000000]  BIOS-e820: 0000000000100000 - 000000002ffc9000 (usable)
[    0.000000]  BIOS-e820: 000000002ffc9000 - 0000000030000000 (reserved)
[    0.000000]  BIOS-e820: 00000000feda0000 - 00000000fee00000 (reserved)
[    0.000000]  BIOS-e820: 00000000ffb00000 - 0000000100000000 (reserved)
[    0.000000]   #0 [0000000000 - 0000001000]   BIOS data page ==> [0000000000 - 0000001000]
[    0.000000]   #6 [000009f000 - 0000100000]    BIOS reserved ==> [000009f000 - 0000100000]
[    0.000000] Local APIC disabled by BIOS -- you can enable it with "lapic"
[    0.371275] weird, boot CPU (#0) not listedby the BIOS.
[    0.424114] PCI: PCI BIOS revision 2.10 entry at 0xfcfae, last bus=2
[    0.440473] HPET not enabled in BIOS. You might try hpet=force boot option
[    0.467105] PnPBIOS: Disabled by ACPI PNP
[    1.654492] BIOS EDD facility v0.16 2004-Jun-25, 0 devices found
[   20.245768] i8k: unable to get SMM BIOS version
[   24.640067] apm: BIOS not found.

Created attachment 26734 [details]
xorg.conf

Original xorg.conf. All defaults. Created by Ubuntu installer.

Currently testing git commit # 	43374c7420e378918bec062f4cbd581f16adb6f0 


I have turned off acceleration in xorg.conf:

Section "Device"
	Identifier	"Configured Video Device"
	Option		"NoAccel" "True"		
EndSection

Moving opaque windows is rather painful, but I'll try to exercise this long enough to see if the corruption recurs.

to dump your video bios:
(as root)
cd /sys/bus/pci/devices/<pci bus id>
echo 1 > rom
cat rom > /tmp/m7.vbios
echo 0 > rom

then attach the m7.vbios file.

Created attachment 26749 [details]
video BIOS

Problem recurring this morning. Display quivering from side to side and leaving bogus pixels behind afterward. Same as before, but in slow motion, since acceleration has been turned off.

I re-enabled acceleration, since it seemed to make no difference.

Currently testing AGPMode 2 instead.

Problem occurs when using AGPModes 4, 2, and 1. 

The default seems to be 4, and the Windows driver seems to use 4. Returning xorg.conf to AGPMode default, 4.

Currently testing with DRI disabled:

Section "Device"
	Identifier	"Configured Video Device"
	Option 		"DRI" "False"
EndSection

Problem occurs with DRI disabled.

Currently testing vesa driver:

Section "Device"
	Identifier	"Configured Video Device"
	Driver		"vesa"
EndSection

It occurred to me today to wonder about compositing as a factor in my display problem.  I turned off compositing several hours ago, (at least, I think it's off) and my display has been stable so far.

I just found this bug report involving another Radeon Mobility at 
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/metacity/+bug/386860

Hi etbsb

I think this is a pending hardware failure related issue.

I have an Inspiron 8200, 
with a Radeon Mobility M9, (RV250)
but running XP pro only.

I have the exact same issue as shown in your screenies,
which started occuring for me about 4 weeks ago,
following a major thermal excursion, (fans were accidentally disabled).

Googling http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&safe=off&newwindow=1&q=lcd+corruption&btnG=Search&meta=
brings up similar screenies, going back several years.

Seemingly it can be due to a -
- faulty/dislodged connector,
- laptop lid-closed switch
- failing vram
- etc.

In my case, 
mouse/keyboard activity can suppress the corruption.

HTH
ATB
Paul Donnelly

PS
Forgot to say,
it's not the LCD itself,
but videocard related,
as it occurs on both laptop screen & external CRT monitor.

HTH
ATB
Paul

Paul,

Thanks for providing additional diagnostic information, and also for reminding me to update the status of this report.

I agree: hardware failure.

I found a source of inexpensive surplus Dell parts, and I recently replaced this  video card. I haven't seen the problem since.

The Inspiron 5100 had (has?) a bad reputation for overheating. I've been careful with mine over the years, and I haven't seen the other symptoms people complained about, but perhaps the cumulative high temperature operation took a toll.

(And if it's kosher to do so here, may I mention that I'm now a satisfied customer of txcesssurplus.com ? )

I will mark this case resolved.

Cheers!

Hi etbsb

Just a little update.

It was a PICNIC.    ;-)

Having noticed the mouse related behaviour,
and pressing case, or keyboard hard,
also affected the corruption,
it turns out it's an earthing/earth leakage issue.

Slackened off two of the keyboard retaining screws 
and the problem disappeared.

Seems I'd possibly overtightened them,
or it was plastic creep with age.

HTH
ATB
Paul

As a native speaker of the US dialect of English, and as a former electrical engineer who now works on ecology and environment issues, reading the phrase "earth leakage" caused me some degree of semantic overload.

:)

Glad you found a workaround. 

Cheers