[R350] [R350] Kubuntu: Computer crashes when Compositing switched on

[Dragonheart]

I'm using Kubuntu 9.04 (RC1)
The problem might be in Xorg-ati, xorg-server or maybe kwin.
When I switch on 'Desktopeffects' in 'Systemsettings>Desktp>Desktop effects' I get all the nice eyecandy imediatelly and I'm able to work for a while (a couple of minutes). But after a random period of time the whole system freezes - usually the screen gets black and the machine dosn't react on either input - neither the keyboard(ctrl+alt+del) nor the powerbutton on the case causes any reaction. The only possibility is to 'pull the plug' (press 'power'-butten for more than 5 seconds). At rebooting i often have trouble afterwards and have to use the recovery-mode to repair filesystem.
At some occurancies, I can see the desktop after the crash (but not touch anything) instead of the black screen but apart from that the situation is the same.
When using the OpenGL-setting 'common RAM' only the X-Server crashed and I was dropped to KDM.

My hardware:
CPU: Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 3.00GHz
GPU: ATI Technologies Inc Radeon R350 [Radeon 9800 Pro]
Audio: Intel ICH5 with AD1980 (Intel ICH5)

[lspci]
00:00.0 Host bridge [0600]: Intel Corporation 82875P/E7210 Memory Controller Hub [8086:2578] (rev 02)
            Subsystem: Dell Device [1028:0157]
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: ATI Technologies Inc Radeon R350 [Radeon 9800 Pro] [1002:4e48]
            Subsystem: ATI Technologies Inc Device [1002:1002]

[Dragonheart (heiko-braun)]

Maybe its more a kwin-problem:
I tried the Ubuntu 9.04 live-CD on the same hardware and didn't encounter a crash i several minutes...

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

Hi heiko-braun,

Please attach the output of `lspci -vvnn`, and attach your /var/log/Xorg.0.log (and maybe Xorg.0.log.old) file from after reproducing this issue. If you've made any customizations to your /etc/X11/xorg.conf please attach that as well.

[This is an automated message. Apologies if it has reached you inappropriately; please just reply to this message indicating so.]

[Dragonheart (heiko-braun)]

This is my Xorg.0.log.old after a crash. I had to switch off the computer the 'brutal' way.

[Dragonheart (heiko-braun)]

is it normal, that Xorg takes up to 25% of CPU and more than 100MB of RAM?
This schreenshot was taken with compositing actiated.

[Martin Olsson (mnemo)]

Hi Dragonheat,

The logs you provided so far does not show any crashes even though the xorg.log.old you attached looks suspiciously truncated.

Do you have access to two computers? If so, can you please install the ssh package so you can connect to your computer over the network when it hangs. That way you can login to the computer while it is still in the hung/crashed state and then you run this command:
apport-collect 363618
(if that command doesn't work just save xorg.log, xorg.log.old and also the output of "dmesg".. these contain the most important data)

Also, can you please install these debug symbol packages (this will improve the quality of backtraces in case we manage to record a log showing a crash):
sudo apt-get install libc6-dbg xserver-xorg-core-dbg libgl1-mesa-dri-dbg xserver-xorg-video-ati-dbg

Concerning your question about CPU/mem usage, it depends entirely on what you're doing with the computer. Sometimes it's normal that X consumes 100% CPU and hundreds of megs of memory, but when the machine is idle CPU usage will typically go down to less than 1%. On my intrepid box running GNOME, then X usually consumes about 40MB memory and almost no CPU.

[Martin Olsson (mnemo)]

PS. if the kernel is still reponsive you can use Alt-SysRq-S to write all non-written data to disk (this is called syncing) and then press Alt-SysRq-B to reboot (this often works even when Xorg is completely borked).

[Dragonheart (heiko-braun)]

This Xorg.log I collected after a Xserver-crash when I was dropped to KDM. (not sure if it is different from the last one)
Unfortunatelly the system crashes mostly in a way that it isn't responding AT ALL! The remote-console isn't working anymore and Alt-SysRq-S isn't either. (did I mentin that I cant use the power-switch on the computer-case to shut down when that happens?) The Computer seems just like dead till someone pulls the plug...
Would you benefit from a dmesg after reboot?

[Dragonheart (heiko-braun)]

dmesg after reboot

[bugbot (bugbot)]

This bug report was filed against an old version of Ubuntu.
Can you confirm whether this is still an issue in natty?

If you don't mind, it would be very helpful if you could update the bug
report in launchpad to 'Fix Released' if it is no longer an issue for
you, or if it is still occurring under natty, please tag the bug 'natty'
so it's easier for us to track.

[bugbot (bugbot)]

We're closing this bug since it is has been some time with no response from the original reporter. However, if the issue still exists please feel free to reopen with the requested information. Also, if you could, please test against the latest development version of Ubuntu, since this confirms the bug is one we may be able to pass upstream for help.