Complete Desktop freeze when watching video using VLC

[gnufied]

I was watching some twitch video using VLC and after awhile the desktop froze completely. I couldn't kill Xorg or switch to ttyys (via Alt-Control-F1..F4) and my only option was a hard reboot.

I am using Thinkpad T450s with all the latest patches applied. I am attaching relevant log file which should help narrow down the problem.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 15.10
Package: xorg 1:7.7+7ubuntu4
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.2.0-16.19-generic 4.2.3
Uname: Linux 4.2.0-16-generic x86_64
.tmp.unity.support.test.0:

ApportVersion: 2.19.1-0ubuntu4
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
CurrentDesktop: Unity
Date: Thu Oct 29 06:53:54 2015
DistUpgraded: Fresh install
DistroCodename: wily
DistroVariant: ubuntu
ExtraDebuggingInterest: Yes
GpuHangFrequency: This is the first time
GraphicsCard:
 Intel Corporation Broadwell-U Integrated Graphics [8086:1616] (rev 09) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: Lenovo Device [17aa:5036]
InstallationDate: Installed on 2015-10-28 (1 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 15.10 "Wily Werewolf" - Release amd64 (20151021)
MachineType: LENOVO 20BXCTO1WW
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-4.2.0-16-generic.efi.signed root=UUID=15059329-95a6-482f-b14c-3eb08b5fd404 ro noprompt persistent quiet splash vt.handoff=7
SourcePackage: xorg
Symptom: display
Title: Xorg freeze
UdevLog: Error: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: '/var/log/udev'
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 09/14/2015
dmi.bios.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.bios.version: JBET53WW (1.18 )
dmi.board.asset.tag: Not Available
dmi.board.name: 20BXCTO1WW
dmi.board.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.board.version: SDK0E50512 STD
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: No Asset Information
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.chassis.version: None
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnLENOVO:bvrJBET53WW(1.18):bd09/14/2015:svnLENOVO:pn20BXCTO1WW:pvrThinkPadT450s:rvnLENOVO:rn20BXCTO1WW:rvrSDK0E50512STD:cvnLENOVO:ct10:cvrNone:
dmi.product.name: 20BXCTO1WW
dmi.product.version: ThinkPad T450s
dmi.sys.vendor: LENOVO
version.compiz: compiz 1:0.9.12.2+15.10.20151015-0ubuntu1
version.ia32-libs: ia32-libs N/A
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.64-1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 11.0.2-1ubuntu4
version.libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental: libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental N/A
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 11.0.2-1ubuntu4
version.xserver-xorg-core: xserver-xorg-core 2:1.17.2-1ubuntu9
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev 1:2.9.2-1ubuntu1
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:7.5.0+git20150819-0ubuntu1
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.99.917+git20150808-0ubuntu4
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:1.0.11-1ubuntu3
xserver.bootTime: Thu Oct 29 05:21:27 2015
xserver.configfile: default
xserver.errors:

xserver.logfile: /var/log/Xorg.0.log
xserver.outputs:
 product id 1133
 vendor LGD
xserver.version: 2:1.17.2-1ubuntu9

[penalvch (penalvch)]

gnufied, thank you for reporting this and helping make Ubuntu better.

Could you please test the latest upstream kernel available from the very top line at the top of the page from http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/?C=N;O=D (the release names are irrelevant for testing, and please do not test the daily folder)? Install instructions are available at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Kernel/MainlineBuilds . This will allow additional upstream developers to examine the issue.

If the latest kernel did not allow you to test to the issue (ex. you couldn't boot into the OS) please make a comment in your report about this, and continue to test the next most recent kernel version until you can test to the issue. Once you've tested the upstream kernel, please comment on which kernel version specifically you tested. If this issue is fixed in the mainline kernel, please add the following tags by clicking on the yellow circle with a black pencil icon, next to the word Tags, located at the bottom of the report description:
kernel-fixed-upstream
kernel-fixed-upstream-X.Y-rcZ

Where X, Y, and Z are numbers corresponding to the kernel version.

If the mainline kernel does not fix the issue, please add the following tags:
kernel-bug-exists-upstream
kernel-bug-exists-upstream-X.Y-rcZ

Please note, an error to install the kernel does not fit the criteria of kernel-bug-exists-upstream.

Once testing of the latest upstream kernel is complete, please mark this report's Status as Confirmed. Please let us know your results.

Thank you for your understanding.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Clinton Wright (clintonabco)]

Hi gnunified. I have had a freezing problem with games and anything that uses graphics as part of its main function with this particular hardware:

Intel Corporation Broadwell-U Integrated

I was doing some google searches and stumbled across a humble workaround that has stopped the freezing for me.

Depending on your distro, you will have to specify the an option in your xorg.conf for the intel driver to workaround this issue.

Change your device driver section to the following:

Section "Device"
  Driver "intel"
  Option "AccelMethod" "sna"
Section

The default option I think/believe, which is seems to be causing the freezing issue is the following, depending on the distro:

Option "AccelMethod" "uax"

All I have done is changed this to "uxa" to "sna".

I made this change and tested it, and it has successfully rectified my issue.

Please try this and see if it works for you.

Kind regards,