skype (and others) cause complete crash of xorg on startup/IO activity

[Jim Cheetham]

Binary package hint: xorg

Starting skype from the command-line causes Xorg to immediately crash & exit on this machine. In more detail, it seems like any GUI IO on the skype application is actually what causes the crash, as it is sometimes possible for gnome-session to start the app at login time, and the status bar icon shows the successful connection attempts; however moving the mouse pointer over that icon (this should generate a popup notification from the app) causes a crash after a small delay.

When starting from the command-line the new window is focused, which seems to be enough to trigger the crash immediately.

This is not skype-specific, I noticed similar behaviour from Opera (but have not experimented with reproducing this yet).

apport didn't seem to record skype as a problem application, so I've attached a gdb session of Xorg.

As you can see from the attached Xorg.conf, I have 4 monitors attached to two linked Radeon 4670 cards (linked with CrossFireX hardware option), using the radeon driver and ZaphodHeads to separate the two DVI ports per card, and Xinerama to assemble the desktop.

I'm running a gnome session with XMonad as the window manager; this also happens when the default gnome-wm is used as the window manager.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.10
Package: xorg 1:7.5+6ubuntu3
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.35-22.33-generic 2.6.35.4
Uname: Linux 2.6.35-22-generic x86_64
Architecture: amd64
DRM.card0.9.pin_DIN.1:
 status: disconnected
 enabled: disabled
 dpms: On
 modes:
 edid-base64:
DRM.card1.9.pin_DIN.2:
 status: disconnected
 enabled: disabled
 dpms: On
 modes:
 edid-base64:
Date: Mon Oct 11 10:55:46 2010
DkmsStatus:
 virtualbox-ose, 3.2.8, 2.6.32-25-generic, x86_64: installed
 virtualbox-ose, 3.2.8, 2.6.35-22-generic, x86_64: installed
EcryptfsInUse: Yes
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 10.04.1 LTS "Lucid Lynx" - Release amd64 (20100816.1)
MachineType: MSI MS-7640
ProcCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.35-22-generic root=/dev/mapper/rootA-lv ro quiet splash
ProcEnviron:
 PATH=(custom, user)
 LANG=en_NZ.utf8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: xorg
Xrandr:
 Error: command ['xrandr', '--verbose'] failed with exit code 1: Xlib: extension "RANDR" missing on display ":0.0".
 RandR extension missing
dmi.bios.date: 05/18/2010
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: V1.6
dmi.board.asset.tag: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.board.name: 890FXA-GD70 (MS-7640)
dmi.board.vendor: MSI
dmi.board.version: 1.0
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.chassis.type: 3
dmi.chassis.vendor: MSI
dmi.chassis.version: 1.0
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvrV1.6:bd05/18/2010:svnMSI:pnMS-7640:pvr1.0:rvnMSI:rn890FXA-GD70(MS-7640):rvr1.0:cvnMSI:ct3:cvr1.0:
dmi.product.name: MS-7640
dmi.product.version: 1.0
dmi.sys.vendor: MSI
glxinfo: Error: [Errno 2] No such file or directory
system:
 distro: Ubuntu
 codename: maverick
 architecture: x86_64
 kernel: 2.6.35-22-generic

[Jim Cheetham (jim.cheetham)]

I also have an strace output of a crashing Skype invocation, which seems to indicate a problem writing to the X socket. This probably isn't unexpected ...

3067 socket(PF_FILE, SOCK_STREAM|SOCK_CLOEXEC, 0) = 7
3067 connect(7, {sa_family=AF_FILE, path=@"/tmp/.X11-unix/X0"}, 20) = 0
...
3067 <... poll resumed> ) = 1 ([{fd=7, revents=POLLIN|POLLHUP}])
3067 read(7, "", 4096) = 0
3067 write(2, "<unknown>: Fatal IO error 11 (Re"..., 82) = 82

[Jim Cheetham (jim.cheetham)]

The xorg.conf has the device option
        Option "EnablePageFlip" "off"

set, I added this because of a similar-sounding bug #481669, but it had no effect one way or another ... :-)

[Jim Cheetham (jim.cheetham)]

Also happens for KeepassX -- perhaps related to #647845 ?

[Antoni Aloy (antoni-aloy-gmail)]

Same to me with Skype and VLC, just having the focus the crach X

[Antoni Aloy (antoni-aloy-gmail)]

Sorry I posted too early:

Seme to me with Skype and VLC, just having the focus Skype or VLC crashes the X. I have an nvidia card on a Dell lattiude D820 with one extra screen attached and Xinerama activated.

Running glxgears and after terminating the program gives me also an error, but I don't know if its realted:

XIO: fatal IO error 11 (Resource temporarily unavailable) on X server ":0.0"

[Mario Rezende (mariorez)]

Same to me with Skype: When having the focus Skype crashes the X.
My config:
- Ubuntu 10.10 / 64bit
- Dell Vostro 1520
- Intel Core 2 Duo 2.10GHz
- 4 GB RAM

[Jim Cheetham (jim.cheetham)]

I tested glxgears and glxheads -- in both cases the animation only happened if I was generating mouse or keyboard interrupts in the glxgears window. With keyboard on autorepeat, I got 25.000 FPS from glxgears; mouse interrupts managed to get me to <59 FPS. As soon as interrupts cease, the application pauses.

I removed by Xorg.conf, which results in only two monitors working, but gived me RandR instead of Xinerama.

Skype, Opera and KeePassX all work normally.
glxgears works normally at ~60FPS

[Kris Willis (w-launchpad-kriswillis-com)]

Just realised I commented on the duplicate of this bug, here we go again:

---

I am also experiencing what appears to be the same issue, however not only with Skype and Opera, but also with MusicBrainz Picard, VLC and VirtualBox (non-OSE).

If I launch VLC from the command line with cvlc, the video opens in a window with no sound, but launching standard vlc crashes, apparently when you move the mouse over the VLC GUI. Similarly, I can open VirtualBox, but as soon as I mouse over its GUI the system crashes.

Every time the system crashes, I get kicked back to the GDM login screen.

If there are any logs that would help out, let me know and I'll dig them up.

[Kris Willis (w-launchpad-kriswillis-com)]

Reading the other comments, it is probably relevant to note that I am running 3 monitors via two Nvidia 9600GTs and Xinerama.

[Antonio Bianchi (rantodeifanti)]

I have the same problem with Skype (could not even login), Qtpfsgui, and some other applications.
I have also tried with this:
cd /usr/lib32
sudo chmod ugo-r libpulse.so.0.12.2
sudo chmod ugo-r libpulse-simple.so.0.0.3

found on many forums, but does not work.
Any advise would be helpfull. Thank you very much

Antonio

[Mario Rezende (mariorez)]

It seems the problem is in the "Xinerama".
When using one or two monitors without the "Xinerama" all softwares function normally.
But when I enable the "Xinerama" Skype and VirtualBox crashes my session.
My hardware:
- Ubuntu 10.10 / 64bit
- Dell Vostro 1520
- Intel Core 2 Duo 2.10GHz
- 4 GB RAM
- NVidia GeForce 9300 GS

[Jim Cheetham (jim.cheetham)]

I agree with the Xinerama link, although I don't know what the underlying mechanism is yet. There is also a strong suggestion of a link with QT.

I switched from the radeon to the fglrx drivers, and get equivalent behaviour when running these apps -- Xorg crashes as soon as they get UI events. Other people are seeing similar issues on non-Radeon cards.

Apps that cause the crash :-
VirtualBox OSE
VirtualBox PUEL (via Kris Wilis)
Skype
Opera
KeePassX
VLC
qtpfsgui
picard

[Leo Mata (ragelink)]

I also get this problem with VLC, Skype and Virtualbox OSE...

also when you queue up a new video in XINE it crashes but if you close xine and start one up per every video it works ok.