compiz desktop effects lost after logout & login or reboot

[Greg]

Binary package hint: compiz

When I upgraded from Ubuntu 9.10 to 10.04 lucid, the desktop effects were lost. I could reselect the Appearance, Visual Effects, Extra but after logout/in or reboot they had gone back to none.
Steps to reproduce:
1. Upgrade from Ubuntu 9.10 to 10.04. (might happen with a clean install)
2. After login to your user desktop start an application like Boinc
3. Notice that the applications top name bar or whatever is the correct term, is missing.
4. Also notice not more wobbly window effects when resizing a window.
5. Go to Preferences, Appearance, Visual Effects. Notice that it reset to none.
6. Set it back to Extra.
7. Logout/in, notice how it has been set back to none again.
Expected: Visual Effects should remain at preferred setting of Extra.
The workaround I found was to manually add compiz to Preferences, Startup Applications. If it should have been added there automatically I am not certain but that seems to fix the problem at least temporarily.
Source package: compiz
Ubuntu 10.04 lucid
Compiz version: 1:0.8.4-0ubuntu15

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.04
Package: compiz-core 1:0.8.4-0ubuntu15
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.32-22.33-generic 2.6.32.11+drm33.2
Uname: Linux 2.6.32-22-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
Architecture: amd64
CompizPlugins: [core,ccp,move,resize,place,decoration,dbus,mousepoll,gnomecompat,png,svg,imgjpeg,text,commands,neg,wall,snap,animation,scale,scaleaddon,expo,staticswitcher,regex,resizeinfo,workarounds,ezoom,vpswitch,fade,session,shift,wobbly]
CurrentDmesg:
 [ 31.320017] eth0: no IPv6 routers present
 [ 40.528060] ppdev: user-space parallel port driver
 [ 77.762529] end_request: I/O error, dev fd0, sector 0
 [ 77.792355] end_request: I/O error, dev fd0, sector 0
 [10288.312539] Clocksource tsc unstable (delta = -100010908 ns)
Date: Sun May 9 23:01:49 2010
ExecutablePath: /usr/bin/compiz
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 9.10 "Karmic Koala" - Release amd64 (20091027)
Lsusb:
 Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
 Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
PciDisplay: 05:00.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: nVidia Corporation G71 [GeForce 7950 GT] [10de:0295] (rev a1)
ProcCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-22-generic root=UUID=b393b81e-8e42-47b1-b926-9175c832be98 ro quiet splash
ProcEnviron:
 LANG=en_NZ.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
RelatedPackageVersions:
 xserver-xorg 1:7.5+5ubuntu1
 libgl1-mesa-glx 7.7.1-1ubuntu2
 libdrm2 2.4.18-1ubuntu3
 xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.9.1-3ubuntu5
 xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:6.13.0-1ubuntu5
SourcePackage: compiz
dmi.bios.date: 05/30/2006
dmi.bios.vendor: Phoenix Technologies, LTD
dmi.bios.version: 6.00 PG
dmi.board.name: KN8 SLI(NF-CK804)
dmi.board.vendor: http://www.abit.com.tw/
dmi.board.version: 1.x
dmi.chassis.type: 3
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnPhoenixTechnologies,LTD:bvr6.00PG:bd05/30/2006:svn:pn:pvr:rvnhttp//www.abit.com.tw/:rnKN8SLI(NF-CK804):rvr1.x:cvn:ct3:cvr:
system: distro = Ubuntu, architecture = x86_64, kernel = 2.6.32-22-generic

[Greg (cebif)]

With compiz added to Startup Applications I have found setting the System, Preferences, Appearance, Visual Affects to none, then logout/in causes it to be set back to either Extra or Normal.
I went to Ubuntu Forums for help. Here is the advice I received:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=9284091#post9284091
I removed compiz from Startup Applications and added metacity. Metacity allowed me to select none in Appearance, Visual Effects, but now there is another problem: The Screensaver Preferences app when opened seems to cause momentary mouse and keyboard freezes. Also when I resumed my PC from overnight hibernation, the screen was blank except for the mouse pointer. I had to do ctrl-alt-f1 then ctrl-alt-delete for a reboot to get back the desktop. Is this related or a different bug? I then tried to hibernate again for one minute and after resume everything worked properly this time.
Another thing I noticed that after the set time for the monitor to turn off (1 hour): I had left it off for about 1.5 hours then after pressing a key on the keyboard the top panel was still blank. After clicking the end arrows on the panel and sliding it off then on again, it was visible. Is this related also.
I have now reselected Extra in Appearance, Visual Affects and the screensaver preferences App no longer causes momentary freezes.

[Greg (cebif)]

"I have now reselected Extra in Appearance, Visual Affects and the screensaver preferences App no longer causes momentary freezes." With that and no compiz but metacity in the Startup Applications I'm back to where I was before if I want selected Normal or Extra in Appearance: after logou/in the setting goes to None. The only way I seem to have stopping this is to have compiz in startup Applications. I don't know if I could get around this by having both compiz and metacity in Startup Applications?

[Greg (cebif)]

Just tried both compiz and metacity in Startup Applications with Appearance, Visual Effects set to None. After logout /in it gets set back to Extra. The setting I had before.
It seems that I may as well just have metacity not compiz and Appearance, Visual Effects at Extra or Normal to satisfy settings not be changed after logout/in and not having short freezes or return from hibernate problems.

[Greg (cebif)]

"It seems that I may as well just have metacity not compiz and Appearance, Visual Effects at Extra or Normal to satisfy settings not be changed after logout/in and not having short freezes or return from hibernate problems." Exchange compiz for metacity.

[hontu (moelleni)]

Hi,
I had the same issue. The #6 at http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1264495 helped me.

Hope this will be helpful also for u.

[Greg (cebif)]

Thanks, that has helped if I just want Extra in Appearance. I also removed both metacity & compiz from Startup Applications. If I wanted None in Appearance settings I would have to click Remember Running Applications in Startup Applications, for that setting to remain after logou/in. or reboot. It is better than exchanging metacity and compiz in & out of Startup Applications though and Remember Running Applications only has to be clicked in one session for whatever setting.
If everything was working properly in Gnome though surely even this would not be necessary.

[Greg (cebif)]

There is still the bug of None setting in Appearace settings causing short freezes when the gnome-screensaver settings App is open..That is if I click Remember Running Applications in Startup Applications and no compiz or metacity in Startup Applications To avoid this it is always necessary to choose Normal or Extra in Appearance Settings. The slight freezes are shown up when trying to move the time slider control in Sceensaver settings App: the moment you move the slider it freezes before or after the time you want. It is necessary to wait quite a few 10's of seconds before readjusting to get the slider exactly right.

[Răzvan Sandu (razvan-sandu)]

Please see bug #566967 too: the two seem to be related...

[Greg (cebif)]

I made the bug disappear by formatting the root partition, not the home partition then reinstalled lucid from a CD. i still retained all my settings but no problems now with Appearance, Visual Affects settings not been remembered after logout/in or reboot.

[Greg (cebif)]

When I said in my last comment that I made the bug disappear. That seems to be a wrong observation or things have changed back for me. Even with formatting just the root partition settings seem to be remembered for only the Extra setting in Visual Effects. When set to None it reverts back to Extra on logout/in or reboot. I could probably try "Remember Currently Running Application" in Startup Applications but should not have to if everything worked properly.

[Greg (cebif)]

With formatting the root partition and clean install of Ubuntu 10.04 lucid there is also still the other problem of screensaver settings short freezes, even more permanent freeze with xscreensaver when doing a preview of lavalight gl screen-saver, or shorter freeze on changing the frame-rate. That is when Visual Effects are set to none. On Normal or Extra there is no problem.
The permanent freeze on pressing preview for lavalight caused the screen to get streaky colored lines. Pressing keyboard buttons or mouse buttons didn't help even after a minute or so. I could use the ctrl alt f1 on the keyboard to logout and had to then use ctrl alt delete to force a reboot. This is also similar in gnome-screensaver.

[David Barth (dbarth)]

Only security issues are now being considered for this release of Compiz (0.8).