Screen blanking and/or screen lock crashes gnome-shell user session on wayland - Ubuntu 17.10 beta

[DJ Dallas]

Filed against Xorg due to selection limitations of apport. Mutter is the best guess of responsible application/package.

Automatic (timed) screen blanking (or manually locking the desktop) causes the wayland gnome-shell session to crash and drop to user login prompt. The monitor fades the background to black (but oddly the mouse cursor does not fade). The monitor blanks and goes into signal search and then power saving mode. Almost immediately the monitor switches back on, displaying the login prompt (note login and not unlock as would be expected). Thereafter the screen stays on indefinitely without further attempts to blank or power-save.

Ubuntu artful 17.10 beta. Dell monitor at 1920x1080x60hz using hdmi connected to nvidia card with nouveau drivers on wayland session. Xorg session seems to work as expected.

/var/crash is empty and manually running Apport and reproducing crash does not produce a crash report, as Apport crashes with the user session. Have included Apport output, though I had to select xorg from limited options in app and this is clearly technically incorrect (xorg session works fine).

Have attached an exported log file of screen blanking causing the crash. Blanking probably starts at about the 16:04:22 entry, and the actual crash seems to happen at 16:04:35.

...
16:04:35 gnome-session-b: WARNING: Application 'org.gnome.Shell.desktop' killed by signal 6
16:04:35 gnome-shell: Fatal server error:
16:04:35 update-notifier: Error reading events from display: Broken pipe
16:04:35 gnome-shell: mutter:ERROR:backends/meta-monitor-manager.c:2267:meta_monitor_manager_get_logical_monitor_from_number: assertion failed: ((unsigned int) number < g_list_length (manager->logical_monitors))
16:04:28 gnome-software: no app for changed <email address hidden>
16:04:22 gnome-shell: Some code accessed the property 'Client' on the module 'dbusMenu'. That property was defined with 'let' or 'const' inside the module. This was previously supported, but is not correct according to the ES6 standard. Any symbols to be exported from a module must be defined with 'var'. The property access will work as previously for the time being, but please fix your code anyway.
...

Crash of gnome-shell can be avoided by changing "Settings - Power - Power Savings - Blank screen" to "never", and never attempting to lock the desktop. Alternatively logging in to a Xorg session seems to avoid crashes.

Bug may be related to https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/mutter/+bug/1721577 but circumstances leading to crash are completely different.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 17.10
Package: xorg 1:7.7+19ubuntu2
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.13.0-12.13-generic 4.13.3
Uname: Linux 4.13.0-12-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.7-0ubuntu2
Architecture: amd64
CompositorRunning: None
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
Date: Mon Oct 9 17:47:51 2017
DistUpgraded: Fresh install
DistroCodename: artful
DistroVariant: ubuntu
ExtraDebuggingInterest: Yes, if not too technical
GraphicsCard:
 NVIDIA Corporation GK208 [GeForce GT 730] [10de:1287] (rev a1) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. GK208 [GeForce GT 730] [1043:84f5]
InstallationDate: Installed on 2017-10-08 (0 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 17.10 "Artful Aardvark" - Alpha amd64 (20170926)
MachineType: PINNACLE MICRO PROLINE DQ57TM
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-4.13.0-12-generic.efi.signed root=UUID=805df197-93bb-4468-8ac9-c1611d91bbbf ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
SourcePackage: xorg
Symptom: display
Title: Xorg crash
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 12/07/2011
dmi.bios.vendor: Intel Corp.
dmi.bios.version: TMIBX10H.86A.0050.2011.1207.1134
dmi.board.asset.tag: To be filled by O.E.M.
dmi.board.name: DQ57TM
dmi.board.vendor: Intel Corporation
dmi.board.version: AAE70931-402
dmi.chassis.type: 3
dmi.chassis.version: UATX
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnIntelCorp.:bvrTMIBX10H.86A.0050.2011.1207.1134:bd12/07/2011:svnPINNACLEMICRO:pnPROLINEDQ57TM:pvr:rvnIntelCorporation:rnDQ57TM:rvrAAE70931-402:cvn:ct3:cvrUATX:
dmi.product.name: PROLINE DQ57TM
dmi.sys.vendor: PINNACLE MICRO
version.compiz: compiz N/A
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.83-1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 17.2.2-0ubuntu1
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 17.2.2-0ubuntu1
version.xserver-xorg-core: xserver-xorg-core 2:1.19.3-1ubuntu7
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev N/A
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:7.10.0-1
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.99.917+git20170309-0ubuntu1
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:1.0.15-2

[DJ Dallas (djdallas)]

Filed against Xorg due to selection limitations of apport. Mutter is the best guess of responsible application/package.

[DJ Dallas (djdallas)]

I did some experimenting. The wayland gnome-shell crash and monitor power-saving issue seems to be limited to a hdmi connection, and has something to do with the monitor searching for a signal on other inputs after it has been blanked.

I dug out an old d-sub vga cable and connected the monitor to the graphics card with that. Timed blanking of the screen or locking the desktop manually did not cause a gnome-shell crash on wayland when using the d-sub cable. Monitor power saving worked as expected.
The next thing I tried was reconnecting the hdmi cable and locking the monitor to the hdmi input and turning off the automatic signal selection. With the monitor configured that way, both timed blanking and manual locking of the desktop worked as expected. The monitor successfully went to sleep and the session resumed after user input.
I also tried plugging in a tv using hdmi. That didn't produce any session crashes. However the tv makes no attempt to blank itself or enter a power-saving mode; it just stays on with a "No Signal" notice.
I also connected an old 1680x1050 monitor using a dvi cable. That simply refused to boot past the Ubuntu splash screen. However the same monitor works perfectly when booting into the 17.10 beta live-cd, but the live-cd runs on a xorg session and not wayland.
Next I connected that same old monitor using dvi together with the newer dell over hdmi simultaneously, and booted successfully into a wayland session. (That this combination actually worked and booted barely makes sense. Also the primary monitor was changed between login prompt and the desktop being loaded, but whatever...) With multiple monitors connected timed blanking or desktop locking did not crash the gnome-shell session, but they still did not blank properly. After blanking both screens, they were immediately both turned on again with a only a black background and the mouse cursor on the primary monitor. And that is how they stayed, with backlights both still on. No blanking or power-saving was done thereafter. Mouse or keyboard input would return the lock-screen to the displays and unlocking with a password would successfully return the active user session. Lastly, after again locking the dell monitor to the hdmi input and turning off the automatic signal selection, both monitors would successfully enter power-saving modes and the user session could be resumed after unlocking with a password.

TL;DR = It seems that the monitor disconnecting itself from the blanked/inactive hdmi input in order to search for an active vga input signal is what is triggering the gnome-shell crash and/or preventing the monitor from entering its power-saving mode.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Grzegorz Daniluk (dgregd)]

Same problem on Intel integrated gfx card. I have 4k monitor connected over DP-1 (to have 4k @ 60Hz). In my case after the crash all apps (Google Chrome, terminal, ...) are killed. Additionally scaling-factor and refresh rate are set to incorrect values. Scaling-factor is set to 1 and refresh rate is lowered to 30Hz.

Scaling-factor can be fixed with "gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.interface scaling-factor 2" However there is no way to set fixed refresh rate to 60Hz. I have to reboot whole system. So basically after "blank screen" system has to rebooted.

[Emmanuel Pirsch (emmanuel-pirsch)]

I have the same issue, running on a laptop with a dual monitor splitter plugged in my displayPort.

The crash happens under Wayland and XOrg.

I've disabled auto-source selection on the monitors.

The crash happens only when I log-in after the session has been locked. It also happens when I press the reset switch on my displayPort splitter.

[Emmanuel Pirsch (emmanuel-pirsch)]

Disabling Power Saving on the monitors seems to help.

[Emmanuel Pirsch (emmanuel-pirsch)]

It may be related to the "Multi Monitors Add-On" extension. I've disabled it and now it works fine. Will update if I have any more crashes.

[Jimmy Merrild Krag (beruic)]

I had the same issue in an Intel integrated graphics card (Core i3-2120T). My whole session would just die.

My system is in Danish, so I am unsure if it is the power saving option mentioned by @emanuel-pirsch I have disabled, but I went to the power settings and disabled the second option that translated says something like "Dim monitor on inactivity". This makes no sense enabling on my computer since it is a desktop system with an external monitor.

The result is that it seems to have helped.

It makes me wonder if there is some sort of hardware detection that has a bug?

[Jimmy Merrild Krag (beruic)]

Bummer. It just did it again after automatically shutting the screen off.

[Jimmy Merrild Krag (beruic)]

Just experienced this after disabling the screen powerdown in power settings, and then I just turned of my screen. However it didn't seem like my session died before I turned the screen on again. At least thats what I think since my 7z compressions I started before turning off the monitor did finish.

[Jimmy Merrild Krag (beruic)]

Just retested a few times. EVERY time I turn of my monitor, the session dies. Therefore I think my issue might be related to that my monitor has an auto off function.

In dmesg I get the following every time it dies:
[108839.489217] gnome-shell[26345]: segfault at 38 ip 00007f58e823ac30 sp 00007fff55008b88 error 4 in libmutter-1.so.0.0.0[7f58e81e8000+141000]

[Jimmy Merrild Krag (beruic)]

Oh, I should mention that by "auto off function", I mean that it turns completely off so I need to push the power button again. I am trying to disable this now, and see how it goes leaving Ubuntu setting for turning it off enabled.

[Jimmy Merrild Krag (beruic)]

Turning of the screens auto off feature seems to have fixed this for me.

[Andrew Hatfield (autarkis13)]

I am having this issue despite having auto off feature disabled. The issue doesnt start until my monitor is turned back on; I put my /var/log/syslog entries here:
https://pastebin.com/QTe2QvHX
with this being where the segfault happens:
Oct 31 10:34:40 server kernel: [46047.363402] gnome-shell[3514]: segfault at 38 ip 00007fb52a26cc30 sp 00007ffc4b559568 error 4 in libmutter-1.so.0.0.0[7fb52a21a000+141000]

Running Desktop 17.10 inplace upgrade from 17.4/16.10 on a 7600K internal graphics on an ASRock z270 board with a Dell monitor plugged in via HDMI. Crash reports were uploaded to Ubuntu on 10/27. Happy to participate in detailed troubleshooting any time.

Andrew

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

JournalError.txt above is showing:

Oct 09 17:45:17 username-PROLINE-DQ57TM org.gnome.Shell.desktop[1262]: mutter:ERROR:backends/meta-monitor-manager.c:2267:meta_monitor_manager_get_logical_monitor_from_number: assertion failed: ((unsigned int) number < g_list_length (manager->logical_monitors))

So this was a duplicate of bug 1717170 (already fixed).

If you continue to have problems then please open a new bug.

[Martin (martin3000)]

I have the same crash in 18.10: if the screen automatically blanks after 1 minute, gnome crashes and the login screen appears.

[giannione (giannione)]

Idem here, 18.10, every app crashes - including the gnome session - after the screen goes blank into powersaving.