Unity can't switch to random windows

[Jon Loldrup]

Some windows seems to fall under the radar of Unity. They don't have small indicator triangles in the Launcher, and you can't tab to them using alt+tab. Which windows suffer from this seems very random. This video describes the problem:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lc4mw5l1b2E

my setup: ubuntu 12.04 desktop, 64 bit on a System76 laptop
---
ApportVersion: 2.0.1-0ubuntu15
Architecture: amd64
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 12.04 LTS "Precise Pangolin" - Release amd64 (20120425)
MarkForUpload: True
Package: unity-2d 5.12.0-0ubuntu1.2
PackageArchitecture: all
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=en_AG:en
 TERM=xterm
 PATH=(custom, user)
 LANG=en_AG
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-33.52-generic 3.2.31
Tags: precise running-unity unity-2d
Uname: Linux 3.2.0-33-generic x86_64
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
UserGroups: adm cdrom dip lpadmin plugdev sambashare sudo
---
ApportVersion: 2.0.1-0ubuntu17.6
Architecture: amd64
CompizPlugins: [core,composite,opengl,compiztoolbox,decor,vpswitch,snap,mousepoll,resize,place,move,wall,grid,regex,imgpng,session,gnomecompat,animation,fade,unitymtgrabhandles,workarounds,scale,expo,ezoom,unityshell]
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 12.04 LTS "Precise Pangolin" - Release amd64 (20120425)
MarkForUpload: True
Package: unity 5.20.0-0ubuntu2
PackageArchitecture: amd64
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=en_AG:en
 TERM=xterm
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 LANG=en_AG
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-56.86-generic 3.2.51
Tags: third-party-packages precise running-unity
Uname: Linux 3.2.0-56-generic x86_64
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
UserGroups: adm cdrom dip lpadmin plugdev sambashare sudo

[Ubuntu Foundations Team Bug Bot (crichton)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. It seems that your bug report is not filed about a specific source package though, rather it is just filed against Ubuntu in general. It is important that bug reports be filed about source packages so that people interested in the package can find the bugs about it. You can find some hints about determining what package your bug might be about at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bugs/FindRightPackage. You might also ask for help in the #ubuntu-bugs irc channel on Freenode.

To change the source package that this bug is filed about visit https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+bug/1069107/+editstatus and add the package name in the text box next to the word Package.

[This is an automated message. I apologize if it reached you inappropriately; please just reply to this message indicating so.]

[Jon Loldrup (loldrup)]

This bug MIGHT be related to this weird ubuntu tabbing phenomena, where Unity fails to sort the entries in the alt+tab list according to their recency of use:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgtbuUp1Z1k

[Jon Loldrup (loldrup)]

I suspect that these three bugs might be related:

https://bugs.launchpad.net/unity/+bug/1069107
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+bug/1069107
https://bugs.launchpad.net/unity/+bug/1069342

[Book 'em Dano (heymrdjd)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. Please execute the following command, as it will automatically gather debugging information, in a terminal:

  apport-collect 1069107

When reporting bugs in the future please use apport by using 'ubuntu-bug' and the name of the package affected. You can learn more about this functionality at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ReportingBugs.

[Jon Loldrup (loldrup)]

apport information

[Walter Garcia-Fontes (walter-garcia)]

Sorry for the long lack or attention to this report. If you are still seeing this issue in fully updated currently supported versions of Unity please feel free to mark the "Status" back to "New".

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for Unity because there has been no activity for 60 days.]

[Jon Loldrup (loldrup)]

I still see the bug. Today my terminal window lost it's small white triangle next to the terminal launcher icon. I couln't alt-tab to get to the terminal window either. I minimized all other windows and then I found my lone terminal window, all alone on the desktop. It still worked fine. I closed it and then tried to start a new terminal by clicking the terminal launcher icon in the launcher. Guess what: now new terminal window for me :(
After a reboot all was fine.
PS. this is a serious bug.

[Walter Garcia-Fontes (walter-garcia)]

Thank Jon. What is your current version of Ubuntu?

[Jon Loldrup (loldrup)]

12.04 fully updated
Den 30/11/2013 16.50 skrev "Walter Garcia-Fontes" <email address hidden>:

> Thank Jon. What is your current version of Ubuntu?
>
> --
> You received this bug notification because you are subscribed to the bug
> report.
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1069107
>
> Title:
> Unity can't switch to random windows
>
> Status in Unity:
> New
>
> Bug description:
> Some windows seems to fall under the radar of Unity. They don't have
> small indicator triangles in the Launcher, and you can't tab to them
> using alt+tab. Which windows suffer from this seems very random. This
> video describes the problem:
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lc4mw5l1b2E
>
> my setup: ubuntu 12.04 desktop, 64 bit on a System76 laptop
> ---
> ApportVersion: 2.0.1-0ubuntu15
> Architecture: amd64
> DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
> InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 12.04 LTS "Precise Pangolin" - Release amd64
> (20120425)
> MarkForUpload: True
> Package: unity-2d 5.12.0-0ubuntu1.2
> PackageArchitecture: all
> ProcEnviron:
> LANGUAGE=en_AG:en
> TERM=xterm
> PATH=(custom, user)
> LANG=en_AG
> SHELL=/bin/bash
> ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-33.52-generic 3.2.31
> Tags: precise running-unity unity-2d
> Uname: Linux 3.2.0-33-generic x86_64
> UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
> UserGroups: adm cdrom dip lpadmin plugdev sambashare sudo
>
> To manage notifications about this bug go to:
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/unity/+bug/1069107/+subscriptions
>

[Walter Garcia-Fontes (walter-garcia)]

According to your original report, which you are pasting in your last reply, it seems that you are using unity-2d, is that right?

[Jon Loldrup (loldrup)]

I'm using unity, not unity-2D. I've never used unity 2D on this machine.
It's a system76 laptop with an i5 processor, preinstalled with ubuntu, and
not tweaked in any way. I tried this:

jon@lemur:~$ echo $DESKTOP_SESSION
ubuntu

This output, supposedly, reveals that I'm not using unity 2D

I don't understand why my apport rapport mentioned unity 2D

Jon Loldrup

On 30 November 2013 17:52, Walter Garcia-Fontes <email address hidden>
wrote:
>
> According to your original report, which you are pasting in your last
> reply, it seems that you are using unity-2d, is that right?
>
> ** Project changed: unity => unity-2d (Ubuntu)
>
> --
> You received this bug notification because you are subscribed to the bug
> report.
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1069107
>
> Title:
> Unity can't switch to random windows
>
> Status in “unity-2d” package in Ubuntu:
> New
>
> Bug description:
> Some windows seems to fall under the radar of Unity. They don't have
> small indicator triangles in the Launcher, and you can't tab to them
> using alt+tab. Which windows suffer from this seems vMvh. ery random.
This
> video describes the problem:
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lc4mw5l1b2E
>
> my setup: ubuntu 12.04 desktop, 64 bit on a System76 laptop
> ---
> ApportVersion: 2.0.1-0ubuntu15
> Architecture: amd64
> DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
> InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 12.04 LTS "Precise Pangolin" - Release amd64
(20120425)
> MarkForUpload: True
> Package: unity-2d 5.12.0-0ubuntu1.2
> PackageArchitecture: all
> ProcEnviron:
> LANGUAGE=en_AG:en
> TERM=xterm
> PATH=(custom, user)
> LANG=en_AG
> SHELL=/bin/bash
> ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-33.52-generic 3.2.31
> Tags: precise running-unity unity-2d
> Uname: Linux 3.2.0-33-generic x86_64
> UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
> UserGroups: adm cdrom dip lpadmin plugdev sambashare sudo
>
> To manage notifications about this bug go to:
>
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/unity-2d/+bug/1069107/+subscriptions

[Walter Garcia-Fontes (walter-garcia)]

Thanks, the tag of unity-2D seems to be related to this bug:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/unity-2d/+bug/712343
It's strange because supposedly it was fixed long ago. Just to make sure also check "echo GDMSESSION".

[Jon Loldrup (loldrup)]

Maybe not that strange: the apport report in this thread is quite old. I
haven't filled a new one now. Should I?
Den 30/11/2013 19.45 skrev "Walter Garcia-Fontes" <email address hidden>:

> Thanks, the tag of unity-2D seems to be related to this bug:
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/unity-2d/+bug/712343
> It's strange because supposedly it was fixed long ago. Just to make sure
> also check "echo GDMSESSION".
>
> ** Package changed: unity-2d (Ubuntu) => unity (Ubuntu)
>
> --
> You received this bug notification because you are subscribed to the bug
> report.
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1069107
>
> Title:
> Unity can't switch to random windows
>
> Status in “unity” package in Ubuntu:
> New
>
> Bug description:
> Some windows seems to fall under the radar of Unity. They don't have
> small indicator triangles in the Launcher, and you can't tab to them
> using alt+tab. Which windows suffer from this seems very random. This
> video describes the problem:
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lc4mw5l1b2E
>
> my setup: ubuntu 12.04 desktop, 64 bit on a System76 laptop
> ---
> ApportVersion: 2.0.1-0ubuntu15
> Architecture: amd64
> DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
> InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 12.04 LTS "Precise Pangolin" - Release amd64
> (20120425)
> MarkForUpload: True
> Package: unity-2d 5.12.0-0ubuntu1.2
> PackageArchitecture: all
> ProcEnviron:
> LANGUAGE=en_AG:en
> TERM=xterm
> PATH=(custom, user)
> LANG=en_AG
> SHELL=/bin/bash
> ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-33.52-generic 3.2.31
> Tags: precise running-unity unity-2d
> Uname: Linux 3.2.0-33-generic x86_64
> UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
> UserGroups: adm cdrom dip lpadmin plugdev sambashare sudo
>
> To manage notifications about this bug go to:
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/unity/+bug/1069107/+subscriptions
>

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Walter Garcia-Fontes (walter-garcia)]

Thanks Jon, that would be useful, issuing

apport-collect 1069107

from a terminal will do it.

[Jon Loldrup (loldrup)]

apport information

[Jon Loldrup (loldrup)]

apport information

[Alex Baggott (alex-baggott)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug. We have tried to recreate this on the latest release of Ubuntu, but cannot reproduce it. This bug is being marked as Invalid. If you believe the problem to still exist in the latest version of Ubuntu, please comment on why that is the case and change the bug status to NEW.

Not tested in 12.04.