Regression: Compiz fail Signal 7 - non-indentical multimonitor

[Jon Smirl]

I have three monitors attached to an ATI card. Two monitors are 16:10 and one is 16:9. When all of the monitors are set to their non-identical native resolutions compiz crashes at boot and the system is unusable. This is a regression that came down in the April 15 update to the 13.04 beta. Xorg will still be running, compiz won't start which means no unity and no desktop.

When the monitors are all set to identical resolution compiz will start. Of course that distorts everything on my displays.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 13.04
Package: compiz 1:0.9.9~daily13.04.18.1~13.04-0ubuntu1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.8.0-19.29-generic 3.8.8
Uname: Linux 3.8.0-19-generic x86_64
.tmp.unity.support.test.0:

ApportVersion: 2.9.2-0ubuntu8
Architecture: amd64
CompizPlugins: No value set for `/apps/compiz-1/general/screen0/options/active_plugins'
CompositorRunning: compiz
CompositorUnredirectDriverBlacklist: '(nouveau|Intel).*Mesa 8.0'
CompositorUnredirectFSW: true
Date: Sat May 4 08:23:17 2013
DistUpgraded: Fresh install
DistroCodename: raring
DistroVariant: ubuntu
GraphicsCard:
 Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] nee ATI Redwood PRO [Radeon HD 5570] [1002:68d9] (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device [103c:6872]
InstallationDate: Installed on 2013-05-01 (2 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 13.04 "Raring Ringtail" - Release amd64 (20130424)
MachineType: Hewlett-Packard HPE-480t
MarkForUpload: True
PackageArchitecture: all
ProcEnviron:
 TERM=xterm
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.8.0-19-generic root=UUID=30a9a743-8708-4efd-874f-f29bc9e16454 ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
SourcePackage: compiz
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 09/16/2010
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: 6.10
dmi.board.asset.tag: N/A
dmi.board.name: 2A86
dmi.board.vendor: PEGATRON CORPORATION
dmi.board.version: 1.04E01
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: 2MD0470HR2
dmi.chassis.type: 3
dmi.chassis.vendor: Hewlett-Packard
dmi.chassis.version: Chassis Version
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvr6.10:bd09/16/2010:svnHewlett-Packard:pnHPE-480t:pvr:rvnPEGATRONCORPORATION:rn2A86:rvr1.04E01:cvnHewlett-Packard:ct3:cvrChassisVersion:
dmi.product.name: HPE-480t
dmi.sys.vendor: Hewlett-Packard
version.compiz: compiz 1:0.9.9~daily13.04.18.1~13.04-0ubuntu1
version.ia32-libs: ia32-libs N/A
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.43-0ubuntu1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 9.1.1-0ubuntu3
version.libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental: libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental N/A
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 9.1.1-0ubuntu3
version.xserver-xorg-core: xserver-xorg-core 2:1.13.3-0ubuntu6
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev 1:2.7.3-0ubuntu2b2
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:7.1.0-0ubuntu2
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.21.6-0ubuntu4
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:1.0.7-0ubuntu1
xserver.bootTime: Sat May 4 08:17:19 2013
xserver.configfile: default
xserver.devices:
 input Power Button KEYBOARD, id 6
 input Power Button KEYBOARD, id 7
 input Logitech USB Receiver KEYBOARD, id 8
 input Logitech USB Receiver KEYBOARD, id 9
 input ASUS USB2.0 Webcam KEYBOARD, id 10
xserver.errors:

xserver.logfile: /var/log/Xorg.0.log
xserver.version: 2:1.13.3-0ubuntu6
xserver.video_driver: radeon

[Jon Smirl (jonsmirl)]

_usr_bin_compiz.1000.crash

[Jon Smirl (jonsmirl)]

Note that I had to get compiz into a working state in order to run apport-bug. So in the first post the monitors have been set to identical resolution.

Is there a non-GUI tool for bug reporting when the desktop won't start?

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Jon Smirl, thank you for reporting this and helping make Ubuntu better. However, your crash report is attached. Please follow these instructions to have apport report a new bug about your crash that can be dealt with by the automatic retracer. First, execute at a terminal:
cd /var/crash && sudo rm * ; sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get -y upgrade && sudo service apport start force_start=1

If you are running the Ubuntu Stable Release you might need to enable apport in /etc/default/apport and restart.

Now reproduce the crash, then open your file manager, navigate to your /var/crash directory and open the crash report you wish to submit.
If this fails you will have to open a terminal and file your report with 'ubuntu-bug /var/crash/_my_crash_report.crash' where _my_crash_report.crash is the crash you would like to report. If you get an error that you aren't allowed to access this report you will have to file it with 'sudo ubuntu-bug /var/crash/_my_crash_report.crash'. If you run the command against the crash report and a window pops up asking you to report this, but then never opens a new report, you would be affected by https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/apport/+bug/994921 . In order to WORKAROUND this, one would need to open the following file via a command line:
gksudo gedit /etc/apport/crashdb.conf

and comment out the line:
'problem_types': ['Bug', 'Package'],

by changing it to:
# 'problem_types': ['Bug', 'Package'],

Save, close, and try to file the crash report again via:
ubuntu-bug /var/crash/_my_crash_report.crash

Please follow https://wiki.ubuntu.com/DebuggingCompiz when you file this crash report so the necessary information is provided.

I'm closing this bug report since the process outlined above will automatically open a new bug report which can then dealt with more efficiently.

Thank you for your understanding.

Helpful bug reporting tips:
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ReportingBugs