Unity using 100% CPU, desktop frozen

[Dody]

Using top, I can see compiz use 99-100% of CPU power.
Using ctrl+alt+f1 and killing compiz using killall -9 on tty1 allow me to switch back to the frozen desktop for a brief time. Because thereafter compiz will restart itself and must be stopped again.

I have tried to update my ATI-Driver using proprietary and open source, same result, compiz still keep freezing.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
Package: compiz 1:0.9.7.8+bzr3121-0ubuntu1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-35.55-generic 3.2.34
Uname: Linux 3.2.0-35-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: fglrx
.tmp.unity.support.test.0:

ApportVersion: 2.0.1-0ubuntu5
Architecture: amd64
CompizPlugins: [core,composite,opengl,compiztoolbox,decor,regex,move,vpswitch,place,session,grid,animation,snap,mousepoll,imgpng,resize,gnomecompat,workarounds,wall,expo,ezoom,fade,scale,unityshell]
CompositorRunning: None
Date: Tue Jan 8 10:20:18 2013
DistUpgraded: Fresh install
DistroCodename: precise
DistroVariant: ubuntu
DkmsStatus:
 fglrx, 9.002, 3.2.0-23-generic, x86_64: installed
 fglrx, 9.002, 3.2.0-35-generic, x86_64: installed
GraphicsCard:
 Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] nee ATI Device [1002:9647] (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: Toshiba America Info Systems Device [1179:fc50]
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 12.04 LTS "Precise Pangolin" - Release amd64 (20120425)
MachineType: TOSHIBA Satellite L755D
PackageArchitecture: all
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-35-generic root=UUID=f31f58f8-460c-4a56-baec-b79b8b67dd6f ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
SourcePackage: compiz
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 08/19/2011
dmi.bios.vendor: Insyde Corp.
dmi.bios.version: 1.30
dmi.board.asset.tag: Base Board Asset Tag
dmi.board.name: Torpedo
dmi.board.vendor: AMD
dmi.board.version: Base Board Version
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: No Asset Tag
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: AMD
dmi.chassis.version: None
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnInsydeCorp.:bvr1.30:bd08/19/2011:svnTOSHIBA:pnSatelliteL755D:pvrPSK32U-01L001B:rvnAMD:rnTorpedo:rvrBaseBoardVersion:cvnAMD:ct10:cvrNone:
dmi.product.name: Satellite L755D
dmi.product.version: PSK32U-01L001B
dmi.sys.vendor: TOSHIBA
version.compiz: compiz 1:0.9.7.8+bzr3121-0ubuntu1
version.fglrx-installer: fglrx-installer N/A
version.ia32-libs: ia32-libs N/A
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.32-1ubuntu1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 8.0.2-0ubuntu3
version.libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental: libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental N/A
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 8.0.2-0ubuntu3
version.xserver-xorg-core: xserver-xorg-core 2:1.11.4-0ubuntu10
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev 1:2.7.0-0ubuntu1
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
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:0.0.16+git20111201+b5534a1-1build2

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Please...

A. Try logging in to Gnome Classic:
  1. sudo apt-get install gnome-session-fallback
  2. Log out and choose Gnome Classic on the login screen
  3. Does the freeze still happen?

B. Log in to Unity again and...
  1. Copy the attached script to your home directory
  2. Open a terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T)
  3. Wait for the bug to occur again.
  4. Run: sudo sh dstack compiz >> compizcpu.txt
  5. Repeat #3 many times.
  6. Attach "compizcpu.txt" to this bug.

[Dody (bernadinorad)]

A. Gnome:
After installing gnome-session-fallback my gnome seems to work normally.

B. Unity
compizcpu.txt attached

I forgot to mention that Cairo-Dock is installed on my system and set to autostart.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Thanks. Both results show the problem to be in Unity, not Compiz.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Please repeat B many more times and attach the result.

Also, it looks like the problem might be your graphics driver: fglrx, 9.002. This is not a version officially supported by Ubuntu so please uninstall it and either:
(a) use the default built-in radeon driver; or
(b) install a supported version of fglrx via:
   gnome-control-center > Software Sources > Additional Drivers

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

If you get similar problems using a different driver, please repeat B again and attach new results.

[Dody (bernadinorad)]

Thank you for your quick respons. I really appreciate it.

I'm trying to do your comment #5. But the last precise-propose updates seem to bring many problems. My Software-Sources doesn't work anymore due to jockey-gtk bug: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/jockey/+bug/1087457. Need to get it run first and come back to this bug.

I've run your script twice because on the second run, after killing compiz, ctrl+alt+f1 brought my system to freeze with abstract grey screen (multple vertical lines). I thought further testing using a reboot will only yield a biased result. Sorry.

[Dody (bernadinorad)]

I've reverted the ATI driver to ubuntu's official following the instructions in Revert back to the open source drivers at http://askubuntu.com/questions/74171/is-my-ati-graphics-card-supported-in-ubuntu

Result is the same, compiz shoots always at 100% if I started to use unity features. Attached is the dstack results from 3 times rebooting and some after killing compiz.

The bugs seem not to be on fglrx package.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Interesting. The attachment in #8 says it is slow because it's trying to open/close the dash (Super key) constantly. Is that what you're doing? If not then it could be that your Super (Windows) key is stuck down.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Oh, maybe that's what you mean by "use unity features". So is it OK before you hit the Super/Windows key?

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Out of curiosity, how does it perform if you boot into a live session of Ubuntu 12.10 or 13.04?

[Dody (bernadinorad)]

Yes, everything was fine before I hit Super key (just Super to display dash, or Super+W to view if any application has been launched). And no, I've not pressed Super key multiple times, just press and HOLD, as I've used unity before updating to the recent version.

[Dody (bernadinorad)]

Ow, I've never tested how my system will perform with 12.10 (13.04 is still not released AFAIK, as we are still in jan 13).
But it is a big different between slow and unusable slow. Before update the unity dash will show up under 0.5 s, now I can't see the dash show up after waiting for 10 minutes!

[Dody (bernadinorad)]

Could it be someone has forgot to check if the events triggered for super key is only keyPressed and no keyReleased?

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

13.04 is in testing and the live ISOs are quite usable (boot from DVD or USB). But if it concerns you please boot 12.10 instead. I would be curious to see if this bug persists.

[Dody (bernadinorad)]

Ok, I'll test the 12.10 in the next days.
But please remind that some packages on my 12.04 system are more up to date than the 12.10 (AFAIK). This bug affects me only after I've updated my 'old' 12.04 with brand new stable packages (precise-proposed updates). So the bug could be not 'persist' but 'emerge' at the newer packages. And thus render the test result with 12.10 to practically useless.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Testing 12.10 and/or 13.04 is not practically useless but very important. It tells us if the problem (whatever the problem) is still present in future releases or limited to 12.04.

Interesting that you say it emerged after updates and not in 12.04 vanilla. Thanks, I think that will help to find the cause.

[Dody (bernadinorad)]

This bug is not present in vanilla 12.04. But as Ubuntu suggest me to do some update (NOT my initiative). And AGAIN, the updated packages are probably NEWER than the packages in 12.10. Downloading images is painfull for me, as I'm living in developing country with 1 GB internet quota and speed of 10-20 Kb/s. But if it is important for the community, I'll do it.

I did follow the advice and end up with a wracked Unity desktop. So I need currently to adapt myself to work with unity-2d (no windows strecth etc.) or gnome-shell.

OOT: Is there anyway to know which packages are updated recently and rollback the update process? Or should I reinstall 12.04( __windows__ )?

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

No problem. If you don't have the internet access or time to help us debug this fully then you don't need to.

You can go back to the vanilla Unity packages which should avoid the problem:
  1. Download and install the debs from: https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/unity/5.10.0-0ubuntu6/+build/3412816
  2. Enable "holding" of those older package versions to make sure they're never upgraded:
      https://help.ubuntu.com/community/PinningHowto#Introduction_to_Holding_Packages

However if you boot up a 12.10 live session and find the problem is solved then I would recommend simply upgrading to 12.10. But only if you find that fixes the problem.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for unity (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]