When playing a video, the whole screen will freeze (incl. Ubuntu itself) until the video is done playing

[pierre]

With some videos, it freezes VLC (windowed) and the whole computer. I can still hear the sound playing, and the computer operates normally again after the video is done playing.

While it's frozen, I can't move the mouse, none of the hotkeys work (ctrl alt t, alt tab, etc), and none of the screen updates. Even the vol up/down keys on my Thinkpad don't do anything anymore.

Once the video is done playing in VLC, everything is back to normal.

It doesn't always happen with the same video, and it's not always at the same point in the video.

Description: Ubuntu 17.10
Release: 17.10

vlc:
  Installed: 2.2.6-6
  Candidate: 2.2.6-6
  Version table:
 *** 2.2.6-6 500
        500 http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu artful/universe amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 17.10
Package: linux-image-4.13.0-32-generic 4.13.0-32.35
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.13.0-32.35-generic 4.13.13
Uname: Linux 4.13.0-32-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.7-0ubuntu3.7
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/pcmC0D0p: coaxial 6258 F...m pulseaudio
 /dev/snd/controlC0: coaxial 6258 F.... pulseaudio
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
Date: Mon Feb 12 14:56:28 2018
HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=7bbbbd31-ad44-46d0-bfcc-dba92785b74e
InstallationDate: Installed on 2017-05-15 (273 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 17.04 "Zesty Zapus" - Release amd64 (20170412)
MachineType: LENOVO 23243YU
ProcFB: 0 inteldrmfb
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/vmlinuz-4.13.0-32-generic root=/dev/mapper/ubuntu--vg-root ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-restricted-modules-4.13.0-32-generic N/A
 linux-backports-modules-4.13.0-32-generic N/A
 linux-firmware 1.169.3
SourcePackage: linux
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to artful on 2017-10-27 (108 days ago)
dmi.bios.date: 10/08/2017
dmi.bios.vendor: coreboot
dmi.bios.version: CBET4000 4.6-1715-gef1a5ede6c
dmi.board.name: 23243YU
dmi.board.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.board.version: ThinkPad X230
dmi.chassis.type: 9
dmi.chassis.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvncoreboot:bvrCBET40004.6-1715-gef1a5ede6c:bd10/08/2017:svnLENOVO:pn23243YU:pvrThinkPadX230:rvnLENOVO:rn23243YU:rvrThinkPadX230:cvnLENOVO:ct9:cvr:
dmi.product.name: 23243YU
dmi.product.version: ThinkPad X230
dmi.sys.vendor: LENOVO

[Ubuntu Kernel Bot (ubuntu-kernel-bot)]

This change was made by a bot.

[Joseph Salisbury (jsalisbury)]

Did this issue start happening after an update/upgrade? Was there a prior kernel version where you were not having this particular problem?

Would it be possible for you to test the latest upstream kernel? Refer to https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelMainlineBuilds . Please test the latest v4.16 kernel[0].

If this bug is fixed in the mainline kernel, please add the following tag 'kernel-fixed-upstream'.

If the mainline kernel does not fix this bug, please add the tag: 'kernel-bug-exists-upstream'.

Once testing of the upstream kernel is complete, please mark this bug as "Confirmed".

Thanks in advance.

[0] http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v4.16-rc1/

[pierre (dubiaj)]

This stopped when I switched off hardware decoding in VLC. I didn't try with the latest kernel.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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