Applications occasionally stop refreshing the window, with NVidia Graphics

[Walter Ribeiro]

Occasionally, when there are multiple programs open, some applications, like Chromium and Google-Earth, stop refreshing window and it seems to be frozen. At this point we can not switch tabs, pages are static, the text does not scroll. Apparently the window is unresponsive, but when we minimize/maximize/restore the window, the image is correctly updated.

For example, in Google Chrome when the issue occurs, if another tab is clicked, no apparent effect occurs and the tab is not switched. If we click on a link on the page, the system will apparently not follow the link. But if we minimize/restore the window, the new page or the clicked tab is showed properly.

Close other applications, maximize/minimize/restore/resize the window, sometimes solves the problem.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.10
Package: nvidia-current-updates 304.51-0ubuntu1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.5.0-25.39-generic 3.5.7.4
Uname: Linux 3.5.0-25-generic i686
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia wl
.proc.driver.nvidia.gpus.0: Error: [Errno 21] É um diretório: '/proc/driver/nvidia/gpus/0'
.proc.driver.nvidia.registry: Binary: ""
.proc.driver.nvidia.version:
 NVRM version: NVIDIA UNIX x86 Kernel Module 304.64 Tue Oct 30 11:09:29 PDT 2012
 GCC version: versão do gcc 4.7.2 (Ubuntu/Linaro 4.7.2-2ubuntu1)
.tmp.unity.support.test.0:

ApportVersion: 2.6.1-0ubuntu10
Architecture: i386
CompizPlugins: No value set for `/apps/compiz-1/general/screen0/options/active_plugins'
CompositorRunning: compiz
Date: Mon Mar 4 08:24:49 2013
DistUpgraded: Fresh install
DistroCodename: quantal
DistroVariant: ubuntu
DkmsStatus:
 bcmwl, 5.100.82.112+bdcom, 3.5.0-17-generic, i686: installed
 bcmwl, 5.100.82.112+bdcom, 3.5.0-25-generic, i686: installed
 nvidia, 304.64, 3.5.0-25-generic, i686: installed
 nvidia-current-updates, 304.51, 3.5.0-25-generic, i686: installed
GraphicsCard:
 NVIDIA Corporation C67 [GeForce 7150M / nForce 630M] [10de:0531] (rev a2) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device [103c:30cf]
InstallationDate: Installed on 2013-03-02 (1 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 12.10 "Quantal Quetzal" - Release i386 (20121017.2)
MachineType: Hewlett-Packard HP Pavilion dv6500 Notebook PC
MarkForUpload: True
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=pt_BR:
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
 LANG=pt_BR.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.5.0-25-generic root=UUID=0b9d533d-ea20-43ab-be12-84d1fc122338 ro quiet splash
SourcePackage: nvidia-graphics-drivers-updates
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 03/22/2011
dmi.bios.vendor: Hewlett-Packard
dmi.bios.version: F.34
dmi.board.name: 30CF
dmi.board.vendor: Quanta
dmi.board.version: 85.26
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: Quanta
dmi.chassis.version: N/A
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnHewlett-Packard:bvrF.34:bd03/22/2011:svnHewlett-Packard:pnHPPaviliondv6500NotebookPC:pvrRev1:rvnQuanta:rn30CF:rvr85.26:cvnQuanta:ct10:cvrN/A:
dmi.product.name: HP Pavilion dv6500 Notebook PC
dmi.product.version: Rev 1
dmi.sys.vendor: Hewlett-Packard
version.compiz: compiz 1:0.9.8.6-0ubuntu1
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.39-0ubuntu1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 9.0.2-0ubuntu0.1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental: libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental N/A
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 9.0.2-0ubuntu0.1
version.nvidia-graphics-drivers: nvidia-graphics-drivers N/A
version.xserver-xorg-core: xserver-xorg-core 2:1.13.0-0ubuntu6.1
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev 1:2.7.3-0ubuntu2
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:6.99.99~git20120913.8637f772-0ubuntu1
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.20.9-0ubuntu2
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:1.0.2-0ubuntu3

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[David Pérez (sanete)]

I'm using Kubuntu 13.10, and I observe exactly the described behaviour.
With KUbuntu 13.04, 12.10 and previous ones it didn't happen to me.

Is there any workaround, apart from restarting Chrome?

I have several Chrome windows (with different profile each one), and when one window stops refreshing, the other ones opperate normally.

[David Pérez (sanete)]

More details about my setup:
- 64 bits
- 3.11.0-13-generic linux kernel
- nouveau graphics driver

Only observe this behaviour with Google Chrome.

[Walter Ribeiro (wribeirojr)]

I waited many years for a new driver to solve nvidia bugs until I decided to buy another computer. I'm sorry, but I suggest you do the same.
Never more nvidia.

[Jeff Ward (jeff-ward)]

Affects me, my details: Ubuntu 12.04.5, NVidia 340.58 64-bit, card is NVS 310

For me, minimizing and restoring does NOT fix the issue, but resizing the windows fixes the issue. Unfortunately, some windows are not resizeable.

Happens mostly to VirtualBox and Wine - it used to happen to Chrome a lot, but hasn't recently. Maybe there's a workaround that Chrome found.