[gm45] GUI becomes partially unresponsive

[Dan Krejsa]

Binary package hint: xorg

Starting today, on my updated-today ubuntu 10.04 system, the gnome GUI becomes
partially unresponsive after an uncertain amount of activity. After the problem occurs,

- I cannot move windows or close them by clicking in the window manager decorations (title bar area, X button).
- I can switch between workspaces using the Ctrl-Alt-Left and Ctrl-Alt-Right keyboard shortcuts.
- I can create a new window terminal or close an existing window using keyboard shortcuts. I can
  type and enter commands in the current window.
- I cannot switch between windows using Alt-Tab.
- The mouse moves but most buttons, etc., in the GUI don't work. The mouse scroll wheel does
   however scroll the current gnome-terminal window.

The laptop is a Sony VAIO VGN-Z, which has a kind of wierd dual (Intel or Nvidia) graphics
devices, but I've been using the lucid lynx for some time haven't noticed the problem until
today.

I first noticed the problem when doing some work in a proprietary eclipse-based
development environment. I don't yet know how to reliably reproduce the problem.
As soon as I find a way I'll definitely report it.

A workaround is to kill gnome-session, log in again, and hope the problem doesn't
occur soon.

/var/log/apt/history.log contains the following updates that I did today:

Start-Date: 2010-12-02 10:46:49
Upgrade: libpurple0 (2.6.6-1ubuntu4.1, 2.6.6-1ubuntu4.2), libpurple-bin (2.6.6-1ubuntu4.1, 2.6.6-1ubuntu4.2), linux-headers-2.6.32-26-generic (2.6.32-26.47, 2.6.32-26.48), libpurple-dev (2.6.6-1ubuntu4.1, 2.6.6-1ubuntu4.2), linux-headers-2.6.32-26 (2.6.32-26.47, 2.6.32-26.48), linux-libc-dev (2.6.32-26.47, 2.6.32-26.48), linux-image-2.6.32-26-generic (2.6.32-26.47, 2.6.32-26.48)
End-Date: 2010-12-02 10:48:17

Start-Date: 2010-12-02 11:12:16
Upgrade: bind9-host (9.7.0.dfsg.P1-1, 9.7.0.dfsg.P1-1ubuntu0.1), dnsutils (9.7.0.dfsg.P1-1, 9.7.0.dfsg.P1-1ubuntu0.1), libdns64 (9.7.0.dfsg.P1-1, 9.7.0.dfsg.P1-1ubuntu0.1), icedtea-6-jre-cacao (6b18-1.8.2-4ubuntu2, 6b20-1.9.2-0ubuntu1~10.04.1), openjdk-6-jre-lib (6b18-1.8.2-4ubuntu2, 6b20-1.9.2-0ubuntu1~10.04.1), libisccc60 (9.7.0.dfsg.P1-1, 9.7.0.dfsg.P1-1ubuntu0.1), openjdk-6-jre-headless (6b18-1.8.2-4ubuntu2, 6b20-1.9.2-0ubuntu1~10.04.1), liblwres60 (9.7.0.dfsg.P1-1, 9.7.0.dfsg.P1-1ubuntu0.1), libbind9-60 (9.7.0.dfsg.P1-1, 9.7.0.dfsg.P1-1ubuntu0.1), libisccfg60 (9.7.0.dfsg.P1-1, 9.7.0.dfsg.P1-1ubuntu0.1), libisc60 (9.7.0.dfsg.P1-1, 9.7.0.dfsg.P1-1ubuntu0.1), openjdk-6-jre (6b18-1.8.2-4ubuntu2, 6b20-1.9.2-0ubuntu1~10.04.1), icedtea6-plugin (6b18-1.8.2-4ubuntu2, 6b20-1.9.2-0ubuntu1~10.04.1)
End-Date: 2010-12-02 11:13:02

$ lsb_release -rd
Description: Ubuntu 10.04.1 LTS
Release: 10.04

$ apt-cache policy xorg
xorg:
  Installed: 1:7.5+5ubuntu1
  Candidate: 1:7.5+5ubuntu1
  Version table:
 *** 1:7.5+5ubuntu1 0
        500 http://mirrors.us.kernel.org/ubuntu/ lucid/main Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

$ apt-cache policy compiz-gnome
compiz-gnome:
  Installed: 1:0.8.4-0ubuntu15
  Candidate: 1:0.8.4-0ubuntu15
  Version table:
 *** 1:0.8.4-0ubuntu15 0
        500 http://mirrors.us.kernel.org/ubuntu/ lucid/main Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

$ apt-cache policy compiz
compiz:
  Installed: 1:0.8.4-0ubuntu15
  Candidate: 1:0.8.4-0ubuntu15
  Version table:
 *** 1:0.8.4-0ubuntu15 0
        500 http://mirrors.us.kernel.org/ubuntu/ lucid/main Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.04
Package: xorg 1:7.5+5ubuntu1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.32-26.48-generic 2.6.32.24+drm33.11
Uname: Linux 2.6.32-26-generic x86_64
Architecture: amd64
Date: Thu Dec 2 15:20:25 2010
DkmsStatus: Error: [Errno 2] No such file or directory
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 9.10 "Karmic Koala" - Release amd64 (20091027)
MachineType: Sony Corporation VGNZ890F
PccardctlIdent:
 Socket 0:
   no product info available
PccardctlStatus:
 Socket 0:
   no card
ProcCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-26-generic root=UUID=97c61c01-7cdf-453a-b17e-8103033f29a3 ro splash quiet splash
ProcEnviron:
 SHELL=/bin/bash
 PATH=(custom, user)
 LANG=en_US.utf8
SourcePackage: xorg
Symptom: display
dmi.bios.date: 08/18/2009
dmi.bios.vendor: INSYDE
dmi.bios.version: R5030M3
dmi.board.asset.tag: N/A
dmi.board.name: VAIO
dmi.board.vendor: Sony Corporation
dmi.board.version: N/A
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: N/A
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: Sony Corporation
dmi.chassis.version: N/A
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnINSYDE:bvrR5030M3:bd08/18/2009:svnSonyCorporation:pnVGNZ890F:pvrA222FTBK:rvnSonyCorporation:rnVAIO:rvrN/A:cvnSonyCorporation:ct10:cvrN/A:
dmi.product.name: VGNZ890F
dmi.product.version: A222FTBK
dmi.sys.vendor: Sony Corporation
system:
 distro: Ubuntu
 codename: lucid
 architecture: x86_64
 kernel: 2.6.32-26-generic

[lspci]
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: Intel Corporation Mobile 4 Series Chipset Integrated Graphics Controller [8086:2a42] (rev 07)
     Subsystem: Sony Corporation Device [104d:9025]
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: nVidia Corporation G98 [GeForce 9300M GS] [10de:06e5] (rev a1)
     Subsystem: Sony Corporation Device [104d:9025]

[amondo (amondo)]

I have the exact same problem on 10.04 after performing the latest update-manager update.

The problem is that desktop becomes unresponsive. Clicking on a window does not change focus to that window. Window manager buttons do not respond. Not possible to move windows around. Button widgets in applications do not respond to clicks. Not possible to ALT+TAB or to focus on the GNOME panel.

The problem occurs with or without Compiz enabled. So not Compiz-specific.

Using Synaptic's history, I managed to track down the updated packages (attached). Unfortunately none of them look like specifically X related updates.

My current theory is that it might be Firefox related, interacting with something else I am running.

[amondo (amondo)]

...and that Screenlets update is another worry, maybe more than the Firefox update.

[clark3934 (clark3934)]

I think I have this same bug. I originally suspected that it had something to do with chrome, since it always seemed to occur when I was browsing the net, but after reading your report, I now think the more likely candidate is eclipse, since I've always had eclipse open when the bug occurs. Perhaps the bug is caused by switching back and forth between workspaces using Ctrl-Alt-Left and Ctrl-Alt-Right (something I do often)? I suspect eclipse + switching workspaces may be occasionally breaking whatever handles window focus.

I have reproduced this bug on two machines, both of which were using eclipse at the time. I can usually fix the problem by closing chrome (and any other programs, except for eclipse) using Alt-F4, but I'm not sure if that always works.

Here's some basic information on one of the machines, a Lenovo T500 Thinkpad:

$ lsb_release -rd
Description: Ubuntu 10.10
Release: 10.10

$ apt-cache policy xorg
xorg:
  Installed: 1:7.5+6ubuntu3
  Candidate: 1:7.5+6ubuntu3
  Version table:
 *** 1:7.5+6ubuntu3 0
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ maverick/main amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

$ apt-cache policy compiz-gnome
compiz-gnome:
  Installed: 1:0.8.6-0ubuntu9.1
  Candidate: 1:0.8.6-0ubuntu9.1
  Version table:
 *** 1:0.8.6-0ubuntu9.1 0
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ maverick-updates/main amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
     1:0.8.6-0ubuntu9 0
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ maverick/main amd64 Packages

$ apt-cache policy compiz
compiz:
  Installed: 1:0.8.6-0ubuntu9.1
  Candidate: 1:0.8.6-0ubuntu9.1
  Version table:
 *** 1:0.8.6-0ubuntu9.1 0
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ maverick-updates/main amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
     1:0.8.6-0ubuntu9 0
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ maverick/main amd64 Packages

$ uname -a
Linux clark-laptop 2.6.35-24-generic #42-Ubuntu SMP Thu Dec 2 02:41:37 UTC 2010 x86_64 GNU/Linux

I've had this bug crop up while running both the integrated (Intel) and discrete (ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3650) graphics cards on my laptop, well as when using my desktop's Nvidia card, so I don't think it's related to any graphics driver. I also don't think it's related to compiz, since I've been able to reproduce this bug using metacity.

Let me know if I need to post any more information!

[Chris Wilson (ickle)]

No idea. Can you please try to reproduce on the current development stack (raring)?

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for xserver-xorg-video-intel (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]