sometimes (very rarely) windows of different apps start blinking with interval of 0.5 sec or so; it stops after switching focus to another window

[Kamil]

sometimes (very rarely) windows of different apps start blinking with interval of 0.5 sec or so; it stops after switching focus to another window;

the bug is present at least for 9 months (since April 2017th); and it was detected on 2 different configurations of laptops

I suppose, it may relate to some 3rd party's desktop app I use;
but different apps are blinking, and my configuration of used software is rather standard for web developer

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 16.04
Package: unity 7.4.0+16.04.20160906-0ubuntu1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.10.0-42.46~16.04.1-generic 4.10.17
Uname: Linux 4.10.0-42-generic i686
.tmp.unity_support_test.0:

ApportVersion: 2.20.1-0ubuntu2.15
Architecture: i386
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: Sun Jan 21 04:54:30 2018
DistUpgraded: Fresh install
DistroCodename: xenial
DistroVariant: ubuntu
DkmsStatus:
 virtualbox, 5.0.40, 4.10.0-42-generic, i686: installed
 virtualbox, 5.0.40, 4.13.0-26-generic, i686: installed
GraphicsCard:
 Intel Corporation Broadwell-U Integrated Graphics [8086:1616] (rev 09) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: Acer Incorporated [ALI] Broadwell-U Integrated Graphics [1025:111d]
InstallationDate: Installed on 2017-06-23 (211 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 16.04.2 LTS "Xenial Xerus" - Release i386 (20170215.2)
MachineType: Packard Bell Easynote ENTE70BH
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-4.10.0-42-generic root=UUID=557e3c22-0c8c-44b3-a8f6-5446013327ad ro quiet splash
SourcePackage: unity
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 08/08/2016
dmi.bios.vendor: Insyde Corp.
dmi.bios.version: V1.05
dmi.board.name: Easynote ENTE70BH
dmi.board.vendor: Packard Bell
dmi.board.version: V1.05
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: Packard Bell
dmi.chassis.version: V1.05
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnInsydeCorp.:bvrV1.05:bd08/08/2016:svnPackardBell:pnEasynoteENTE70BH:pvrV1.05:rvnPackardBell:rnEasynoteENTE70BH:rvrV1.05:cvnPackardBell:ct10:cvrV1.05:
dmi.product.name: Easynote ENTE70BH
dmi.product.version: V1.05
dmi.sys.vendor: Packard Bell
version.compiz: compiz 1:0.9.12.2+16.04.20160823-0ubuntu1
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.83-1~16.04.1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 17.2.4-0ubuntu1~16.04.4
version.libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental: libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental N/A
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 17.2.4-0ubuntu1~16.04.4
version.xserver-xorg-core: xserver-xorg-core N/A
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev N/A
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati N/A
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel N/A
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau N/A
xserver.bootTime: Sun Jan 21 03:12:33 2018
xserver.configfile: default
xserver.errors:

xserver.logfile: /var/log/Xorg.0.log
xserver.version: 2:1.19.5-0ubuntu2~16.04.1
xserver.video_driver: modeset

[Khurshid Alam (khurshid-alam)]

I can't reproduce it. But most likely a graphics/xorg issue.