Xorg crashes persistently

[joehill]

Shortly after upgrading to precise, I noticed that xorg hung at apparently random times at least once a day, and no input would work except the power button, which prompted the computer to reboot. For the past week or so, something else has been happening: the screen freezes for a second or two, then goes black, then the lightdm login screen appears and I have to log into a new session. Again, it happens at apparently random times, several times a day, generally when doing very light tasks.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
Package: xorg 1:7.6+12ubuntu1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-29.46-generic-pae 3.2.24
Uname: Linux 3.2.0-29-generic-pae i686
.tmp.unity.support.test.0:

ApportVersion: 2.0.1-0ubuntu12
Architecture: i386
CompizPlugins: [core,bailer,detection,composite,opengl,compiztoolbox,decor,vpswitch,move,dbus,screenshot,gnomecompat,resize,mousepoll,place,imgpng,grid,session,regex,animation,wall,wobbly,workarounds,expo,ezoom,staticswitcher,fade,scale,unityshell]
CompositorRunning: None
Date: Mon Sep 3 22:47:53 2012
DistUpgraded: Fresh install
DistroCodename: precise
DistroVariant: ubuntu
EcryptfsInUse: Yes
ExtraDebuggingInterest: Yes, if not too technical
GraphicsCard:
 Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] nee ATI RS880M [Mobility Radeon HD 4200 Series] [1002:9712] (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. Device [1043:1b62]
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 12.04 LTS "Precise Pangolin" - Beta i386 (20120328)
MachineType: ASUSTeK Computer INC. 1215T
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=en_US:en
 TERM=xterm
 PATH=(custom, user)
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-29-generic-pae root=UUID=e8e8d0e7-09c3-4713-8ca3-476b0fa5e03b ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
SourcePackage: xorg
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 08/27/2010
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: 0303
dmi.board.asset.tag: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.board.name: 1215T
dmi.board.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer INC.
dmi.board.version: x.xx
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: 0x00000000
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer INC.
dmi.chassis.version: x.x
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvr0303:bd08/27/2010:svnASUSTeKComputerINC.:pn1215T:pvrx.x:rvnASUSTeKComputerINC.:rn1215T:rvrx.xx:cvnASUSTeKComputerINC.:ct10:cvrx.x:
dmi.product.name: 1215T
dmi.product.version: x.x
dmi.sys.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer INC.
version.compiz: compiz 1:0.9.7.8-0ubuntu1.4
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.32-1ubuntu1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 8.0.3+8.0.2-0ubuntu3.2
version.libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental: libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental N/A
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 8.0.3+8.0.2-0ubuntu3.2
version.xserver-xorg-core: xserver-xorg-core 2:1.11.4-0ubuntu10.7
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev 1:2.7.0-0ubuntu1.2
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:6.14.99~git20111219.aacbd629-0ubuntu2
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.17.0-1ubuntu4.1
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:0.0.16+git20111201+b5534a1-1build2

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Aethralis (aethralis)]

I have exactly the same problem (screen freezes for a second or two, then goes black, then the lightdm login screen appears and I have to log into a new session. Happens at apparently random times, several times a day, generally when doing very light tasks) but I have intel graphics (Thinkpad T410).