GTK-ngl (new default backend) rendering issues with the nvidia 470 driver

[Didier Roche-Tolomelli]

[ Impact ]

When the Nvidia 470 driver is used GTK 4 fails to render most text labels.

[ Workaround ]

Install a newer Nvidia driver using the 'Additional Drivers' app if you can. Otherwise add GSK_RENDERER=gl (or GSK_RENDERER=vulkan) to /etc/environment and reboot.

[ Test Plan ]

1. Install the Nvidia 470 driver on a system that supports it, being careful to ensure that Nvidia is the PRIMARY GPU of the system. So usually a desktop.

2. Open the Settings app and verify that all the icons in the side menu are visible.

3. Open Nautilus and verify that no file icons are missing their text labels.

[ Where problems could occur ]

Anywhere else in the rendering of GTK 4 apps.

[ Additional information ]

With nvidia driver, all GTK4 applications have label rendering issues.

They are not refresh until passing the cursor over them, giving blank windows. The corner are white and not themed. Passing from one app scren to another one reproduces the issue.

gnome-control-center or files, for instance, are blank by default.

As suggested by seb128, exporting GSK_RENDERER=gl fixes the issue.

Related upstream bugs and discussions are:
- https://blog.gtk.org/2024/01/28/new-renderers-for-gtk/
- https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gtk/-/issues/6574
- https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gtk/-/issues/6411
- https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gtk/-/issues/6542

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 24.04
Package: libgtk-4-1 4.14.1+ds-0ubuntu2
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 6.8.0-11.11-generic 6.8.0-rc4
Uname: Linux 6.8.0-11-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia_modeset nvidia zfs
ApportVersion: 2.28.0-0ubuntu1
Architecture: amd64
CasperMD5CheckResult: unknown
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
Date: Fri Apr 12 09:47:05 2024
InstallationDate: Installed on 2020-04-24 (1449 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 20.04 LTS "Focal Fossa" - Release amd64 (20200423)
ProcEnviron:
 LANG=fr_FR.UTF-8
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 SHELL=/bin/bash
 TERM=xterm-256color
 XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
SourcePackage: gtk4
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Confirmed on Nvidia 470. The newer drivers 535 and 545 however do not have the bug. I couldn't test 550 due to bug 2061738.

Please also be aware of bug 2059847.

[Didier Roche-Tolomelli (didrocks)]

Confirming that it’s fixed on the same machine with 550.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Here's a workaround/fix.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Oracular didn't exist when I proposed the Noble patch here. So it will be added in the coming weeks when I have access to the hardware again.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Here's the patch for Oracular. Since the package version actually never changed since my last patch proposal I didn't really need to defer this, only update the changelog entry...

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

This bug was fixed in the package nvidia-graphics-drivers-470 - 470.239.06-0ubuntu3

---------------
nvidia-graphics-drivers-470 (470.239.06-0ubuntu3) oracular; urgency=medium

  [ Timo Aaltonen ]
  * control: Update Vcs links.
  * control: Drop Alberto from uploaders.

  [ Daniel van Vugt]
  * Add /etc/environment.d/nvidia-gtk-workaround.conf to work around
    undiagnosed rendering issues in older Nvidia drivers that seem to be
    fixed in 5xx drivers. (LP: #2061079)

 -- Timo Aaltonen <email address hidden> Tue, 04 Jun 2024 15:27:07 +0300

[caio tor (synaxis)]

I have a nvidia gt 730 ( ddr5 ) i can only install nvidia-graphics-driver-470

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

In that case as a workaround, please add GSK_RENDERER=gl (or GSK_RENDERER=vulkan) to /etc/environment and reboot.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Already fix committed to Noble, thanks Timo!

https://github.com/canonical/nvidia-graphics-drivers/commit/e1ad3cc3a06ae06d15505ee6ff08ac7cb13c018a

[caio tor (synaxis)]

Thank you!

[Steve Simmons (stephenmsimmons)]

Does not work on:
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GT 710
Graphics 1: NVIDIA GeForce GT 710

Posted on 'Ask Ubuntu': After upgrading to 24.04 label from buttons on the settings menu (wifi, wired, etc) disappeared

Fresh install yesterday.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Please continue to use the workaround mentioned in the Bug Description above.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Looks like the fix was released to Noble updates on 19 June as part of 470.256.02-0ubuntu0.24.04.1, just not mentioned in the changelog.