[NVIDIA] Severe visual distortion in Unity3D, Unity2D and Gnome Shell

[Mike M]

As soon as I log in to the unity desktop I start getting visual distortions when doing anything at all (using ForeFox, navigating menus etc.) sometimes the desktop seems stable for about a minute but it soon degrades. Please see attached screenshot.

Description: Ubuntu Natty (development branch)
Release: 11.04

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.04
Package: xorg 1:7.6+4ubuntu3
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.38-8.41-generic 2.6.38.2
Uname: Linux 2.6.38-8-generic i686
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
.proc.driver.nvidia.gpus.0: Error: [Errno 21] Is a directory: '/proc/driver/nvidia/gpus/0'
.proc.driver.nvidia.registry: Binary: ""
.proc.driver.nvidia.version:
 NVRM version: NVIDIA UNIX x86 Kernel Module 270.30 Fri Feb 25 14:34:41 PST 2011
 GCC version: gcc version 4.5.2 (Ubuntu/Linaro 4.5.2-8ubuntu1)
Architecture: i386
CompizPlugins: [core,bailer,detection,composite,opengl,decor,mousepoll,vpswitch,regex,animation,snap,expo,move,compiztoolbox,place,grid,imgpng,gnomecompat,wall,ezoom,workarounds,staticswitcher,resize,fade,unitymtgrabhandles,scale,session,unityshell]
CompositorRunning: compiz
Date: Mon Apr 11 13:30:20 2011
DistUpgraded: Log time: 2011-04-06 17:52:02.070318
DistroCodename: natty
DistroVariant: ubuntu
DkmsStatus:
 virtualbox-ose, 4.0.4, 2.6.38-8-generic, i686: installed
 nvidia-current, 270.30, 2.6.38-8-generic, i686: installed
GraphicsCard:
 nVidia Corporation G71 [GeForce 7900 GS] [10de:0292] (rev a1) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: nVidia Corporation Device [10de:0370]
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 10.04.1 LTS "Lucid Lynx" - Release i386 (20100816.1)
JockeyStatus: xorg:nvidia_current - NVIDIA accelerated graphics driver (Proprietary, Enabled, In use)
MachineType: Dell Inc. Dell DXP051
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=en_GB:en
 LANG=en_GB.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.38-8-generic root=UUID=14f24cd1-39c4-4d42-87db-631dfb942d87 ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
Renderer: Unknown
SourcePackage: xorg
Symptom: display
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to natty on 2011-04-06 (4 days ago)
dmi.bios.date: 05/30/2006
dmi.bios.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.bios.version: A05
dmi.board.name: 0FJ030
dmi.board.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.chassis.type: 7
dmi.chassis.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnDellInc.:bvrA05:bd05/30/2006:svnDellInc.:pnDellDXP051:pvr:rvnDellInc.:rn0FJ030:rvr:cvnDellInc.:ct7:cvr:
dmi.product.name: Dell DXP051
dmi.sys.vendor: Dell Inc.
version.compiz: compiz 1:0.9.4+bzr20110407-0ubuntu2
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.23-1ubuntu6
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 7.10.1-0ubuntu3
version.libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental: libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental N/A
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 7.10.1-0ubuntu3
version.nvidia-graphics-drivers: nvidia-graphics-drivers N/A
version.xserver-xorg: xserver-xorg 1:7.6+4ubuntu3
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:6.14.0-0ubuntu4
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.14.0-4ubuntu6
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:0.0.16+git20110107+b795ca6e-0ubuntu6

[Bilal Akhtar (bilalakhtar)]

Seems to be a compiz issue. In the meantime, you can use Unity 2d instead. Install it from software center.

[jhfhlkjlj (fdsuufijjejejejej-deactivatedaccount)]

This actually appears to be a driver issue/xorg issue (though I may be wrong.

Regardless, does this still affect the bug reporter? Is the issue fixed on more recent versions of Ubuntu?

[Mike M (mkmacdonagh)]

Yes it does still happen. It's got a bit better at times and others a little worse. Generally it's fairly stable now until the graphics mode switches (i.e. between normal usage and black screen idle time). I can recover from it by changing the resolution to something and back again or logging out/in

I'm currently running 11.10

[jhfhlkjlj (fdsuufijjejejejej-deactivatedaccount)]

Sorry for the delay. What about if you run Unity 2D or gnome shell?

[jhfhlkjlj (fdsuufijjejejejej-deactivatedaccount)]

Seeing that you have an nvidia 7900 card, you can also try invoking "Additional Drivers" via the dash and activating the nvidia 'post-release updates' and then restart. There are fresher releases of nvidia's drivers out there. I'm running the same drivers you are on Oneiric as well (albeit with a gtx560) with no problems :/.

[Mike M (mkmacdonagh)]

I'm currently running the latest nvidia drivers (290.10) from the nvidia site. The problem still occurs in gnome shell and unity 2d, in fact it even happened when I tried KDE desktop :S

[jhfhlkjlj (fdsuufijjejejejej-deactivatedaccount)]

This is very suspicious. This is not a window manager issue, then.

What if you removed the nvidia driver (via "additional drivers") completely so that you use the open-source drivers instead? Does the issue pursue? If so, does this issue affect windows/another OS?

[bugbot (bugbot)]

We're closing this bug since there has not been a response from the original reporter. However, the issue still exists please feel free to reopen with the requested information. If you're not the original reporter, we'd prefer you file a new bug report.

Some tips:

  * Report X.org bugs via the command: `ubuntu-bug xorg`

  * Test against the latest development Ubuntu. http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/daily-live/
    Bugs marked as affecting the development version tend to get priority attention.

  * The `xdiagnose` utility has functionality for enabling debugging and
    analyzing a few common X problems.

  * Tag your bugs with the Ubuntu versions you have reproduced the issue in.

  * See https://wiki.ubuntu.com/X/Reporting for tips on writing good bug reports.

[Mike M (mkmacdonagh)]

Sorry for the delay but I think I've finally got to the bottom of this issue... It was a dieing graphics card. The problem only manifested when using 3D features which is why it started when I used Unity instead of gnome but the problem happened on all graphics accelerated functions, including when trying the same things in a dual boot windows install. Changing the graphics card has fixed all of the problems. Apparently this is fairly widely experienced problem with Nvidia GeForce 7900 GS cards.

Thanks all for your patience and help.