Texts are not rendering properly

[Pavak Paul]

In a Ubuntu 16.04 Live session some letters are not showing at all, some very white or bold. Sometimes hovering on them shows the original text, sometimes blinking.

WORKAROUND: Install the nvidia proprietary drivers.

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: 2.19.1-0ubuntu3
Architecture: amd64
CasperVersion: 1.365
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: Sat Nov 14 16:16:18 2015
DistUpgraded: Fresh install
DistroCodename: wily
DistroVariant: ubuntu
ExtraDebuggingInterest: Yes
GraphicsCard:
 NVIDIA Corporation GM107 [GeForce GTX 750] [10de:1381] (rev a2) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. Device [1043:84ad]
LiveMediaBuild: Ubuntu 15.10 "Wily Werewolf" - Release amd64 (20151021)
MachineType: To be filled by O.E.M. To be filled by O.E.M.
ProcEnviron:
 TERM=xterm-256color
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/casper/vmlinuz.efi file=/cdrom/preseed/username.seed boot=casper quiet splash ---
Renderer: Software
SourcePackage: xorg
UdevLog: Error: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: '/var/log/udev'
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 04/07/2014
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: 2501
dmi.board.asset.tag: To be filled by O.E.M.
dmi.board.name: M5A99FX PRO R2.0
dmi.board.vendor: ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC.
dmi.board.version: Rev 1.xx
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.chassis.type: 3
dmi.chassis.vendor: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.chassis.version: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvr2501:bd04/07/2014:svnTobefilledbyO.E.M.:pnTobefilledbyO.E.M.:pvrTobefilledbyO.E.M.:rvnASUSTeKCOMPUTERINC.:rnM5A99FXPROR2.0:rvrRev1.xx:cvnToBeFilledByO.E.M.:ct3:cvrToBeFilledByO.E.M.:
dmi.product.name: To be filled by O.E.M.
dmi.product.version: To be filled by O.E.M.
dmi.sys.vendor: To be filled by O.E.M.
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: Sat Nov 14 20:58:08 2015
xserver.configfile: default
xserver.errors:
 Failed to load module "nvidia" (module does not exist, 0)
 Failed to load module "nvidia" (module does not exist, 0)
 AIGLX: reverting to software rendering
xserver.logfile: /var/log/Xorg.0.log
xserver.version: 2:1.17.2-1ubuntu9
xserver.video_driver: nouveau

[penalvch (penalvch)]

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

To see if this is already resolved in Ubuntu, could you please test http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/daily-live/current/ and advise to the results?

[Pavak Paul (pavakatubuntu)]

Sorry for being late. I was downloading the ISO and my internet went down for 2 days. Now I'm downloading it again and should provide the information by tomorrow. Thanks for being patient.

[Pavak Paul (pavakatubuntu)]

OK, I checked it with the daily-live current amd64 build. Same result. The texts are blinking on hover, not showing in some cases.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Pavak Paul, when xorg restarts, are there files in /var/crash ?

[Pavak Paul (pavakatubuntu)]

Good news, in xenial, xorg doesn't restart, but the font problem is still there. here is a screenshot:
https://files.pavakpaul.in/other-site-links/launchpad/xorg-font-bug.png

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Pavak Paul:
1) Did this issue not occur in a release prior to 15.10?
2) What release will you be using going forward so we may focus on that?
3) Are your results in https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/xorg/+bug/1516263/comments/6 with the nouveau drivers? If so, do the nvidia drivers still WORKAROUND the issue?

[Pavak Paul (pavakatubuntu)]

1) 15.10 is the first release I've faced this problem.
2) As I need nvidia driver to do my day to day works, I'll install the daily-live/current build to help you guys with this bug.
3) Yes, that is with the nouveau drivers. I haven't tested that with nvidia yet, but will try that tonight.

BTW should I try other desktop flavors such as Kubuntu or Xubuntu and see if the problem is there too?

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Pavak Paul:
1) Further clarifying, which prior release specifically did this not occur with?

[Pavak Paul (pavakatubuntu)]

The problem didn't occur with 15.04 .

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Pavak Paul, to further root cause, could you please undo the WORKAROUND, test a 15.04 kernel (3.19.x) following https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Kernel/MainlineBuilds and advise to the results?

[Pavak Paul (pavakatubuntu)]

Well, my internet was down for about a month, now finally I've installed the latest daily build. Now after installing Chromium I've noticed that inside Chromium there is no issue. each and every letters are rendered correctly, even in the title bar there is no issue. In Firefox there are some issues, but when I typed a-z in the address bar it showed all of them correctly. For LibreOffice, I can write anything, but some issues with the title bar when non-maximized, all the menus even when right clicking in the writing field. Now I'm downloading the 3.19.8-vivid kernel ( http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v3.19.8-vivid/ ) . After testing with it I'll comment the result.

[Pavak Paul (pavakatubuntu)]

I have installed and booted with kernel 3.19.8-031908-generic . The issue is not happening anymore with this old kernel.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Pavak Paul, at your earliest convenience, 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 testing on your main install would be inconvenient, one may:
1) Install Ubuntu to a different partition and then test this there.
2) Backup, or clone the primary install.

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, and Y are the first two numbers of the kernel version, and Z is the release candidate number if it exists.

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.

[Pavak Paul (pavakatubuntu)]

Bad news, I've installed and booted with 4.4.0-040400-generic , but same problem as the default kernel.
Doing experiments are not an issue, I've installed the daily-live/current in a separate 30 GB partition. Please tell me whatever I can help to solve this problem (non coding stuffs).

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Pavak Paul, the next step is to fully commit bisect from kernel 3.19 to 4.2 in order to identify the last good kernel commit, followed immediately by the first bad one. This will allow for a more expedited analysis of the root cause of your issue. Could you please do this following https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Kernel/KernelBisection ?

Please note, finding adjacent kernel versions is not fully commit bisecting.

After the offending commit (not kernel version) has been identified, then please mark this report Status Confirmed.

Thank you for your understanding.

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

[Pavak Paul (pavakatubuntu)]

I hope I'll be able to report it in a week.

[Pavak Paul (pavakatubuntu)]

I've identified the kernel from where the issue first occured.
Last kernel without this issue: 4.0.9-040009-generic (http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v4.0.9-wily/)
First kernel with this issue: 4.1.0-040100rc1-generic (http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v4.1-rc1-vivid/)
I didn't find any other kernels between these two in (http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/?C=N;O=D)

I didn't understand the whole about bisecting kernel. So please tell me what to do next.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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