switching external monitors impossible

[Dvir Volk]

after upgrading to 12.04 I've encountered the following problem with gnome3 desktop:

I have 2 screens for my laptop (dell xps502z), one at home and one at work. they have different resolutions, and both connected via the mini-displayPort socket (the hdmi socket on this dell doesn't work due to Nvidia Optimus crap).

When moving from one monitor to the other, the monitor doesn't get a signal. Opening the display manager shows the screen blackened, and trying to enable it brings about the following error:

GDBus.Error:org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.UnknownMethod: No such interface `org.gnome.SettingsDaemon.XRANDR_2' on object at path /org/gnome/SettingsDaemon/XRANDR

restarting X11 solves this, but of course means I have to exit any open window, and reconfigure my dual monitor layout each time. this was 100% fine in 11.10.

this happens when moving from either screen to the other.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
Package: xorg 1:7.6+12ubuntu1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-23.36-generic 3.2.14
Uname: Linux 3.2.0-23-generic x86_64
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_64 Kernel Module 295.40 Thu Apr 5 21:37:00 PDT 2012
 GCC version: gcc version 4.6.3 (Ubuntu/Linaro 4.6.3-1ubuntu5)
.tmp.unity.support.test.0:

ApportVersion: 2.0.1-0ubuntu7
Architecture: amd64
CompizPlugins: [core,composite,opengl,compiztoolbox,decor,vpswitch,snap,mousepoll,resize,place,move,wall,grid,regex,imgpng,session,gnomecompat,animation,fade,unitymtgrabhandles,workarounds,scale,expo,ezoom,unityshell]
CompositorRunning: None
Date: Sun May 6 09:44:35 2012
DistUpgraded: 2012-04-26 20:34:17,071 DEBUG enabling apt cron job
DistroCodename: precise
DistroVariant: ubuntu
ExtraDebuggingInterest: Yes, if not too technical
GraphicsCard:
 Intel Corporation 2nd Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics Controller [8086:0126] (rev 09) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: Dell Device [1028:050e]
 NVIDIA Corporation GF108 [GeForce GT 540M] [10de:0df4] (rev a1) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: Dell Device [1028:050e]
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" - Release amd64 (20110427.1)
MachineType: Dell Inc. Dell System XPS L502X
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-23-generic root=UUID=dfe5ec0d-3e6c-49ab-9149-ba8b2c9217f2 ro quiet splash elevator=deadline vt.handoff=7
SourcePackage: xorg
Symptom: display
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to precise on 2012-04-26 (9 days ago)
dmi.bios.date: 02/15/2011
dmi.bios.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.bios.version: A01
dmi.board.asset.tag: Base Board Asset Tag
dmi.board.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.chassis.type: 8
dmi.chassis.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.chassis.version: 0.1
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnDellInc.:bvrA01:bd02/15/2011:svnDellInc.:pnDellSystemXPSL502X:pvr:rvnDellInc.:rn:rvr:cvnDellInc.:ct8:cvr0.1:
dmi.product.name: Dell System XPS L502X
dmi.sys.vendor: Dell Inc.
version.compiz: compiz 1:0.9.7.6-0ubuntu1
version.ia32-libs: ia32-libs 20090808ubuntu35
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.32-1ubuntu1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 8.0.2-0ubuntu3
version.libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental: libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental 8.0.2-0ubuntu3
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 8.0.2-0ubuntu3
version.nvidia-graphics-drivers: nvidia-graphics-drivers N/A
version.xserver-xorg-core: xserver-xorg-core 2:1.11.4-0ubuntu10.1
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev 1:2.7.0-0ubuntu1
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:6.14.99~git20111219.aacbd629-0ubuntu2
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.17.0-1ubuntu4
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau N/A

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Maraschin (carlo-maraschin)]

This was working fine until Monday... today when I tried to login my configuration with two monitors will only show them as mirror and will not let me to set another way... here is the error message I get when I try to change it...

GDBus.Error:org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.UnknownMethod: No such interface `org.gnome.SettingsDaemon.XRANDR_2' on object at path /org/gnome/SettingsDaemon/XRANDR

[Claude Durocher (claude-durocher)]

I do have the same problem but this happens only on some computer (HP for instance). This is caused by the gnome settings daemon that crashes when the user logs in :

kernel: [ 63.358948] gnome-settings-[2697]: segfault at 8 ip b5bc514c sp bfa389d0 error 4 in libpower.so[b5bb5000+18000]

Removing the library that crashes gnome-settings is a workaround (in my case /usr/lib/gnome-settings-daemon-3.0/libpower.so). I'm not sure if it's related to bug 971353.

I also noticed that the original admin account on the workstation don't experience the crash.

[Claude Durocher (claude-durocher)]

After more testing, this happens on different computers sot it's not related to a specific board.

[Claude Durocher (claude-d)]

Did some more testing : it only happens on the first login after boot. On subsequent login, gnome-settings don't crash and dual monitor configuration is ok.

[William Ting (wting)]

Unlike ClaudeD, logging out and back in does not resolve the issue.

System:
- Ubuntu 12.04.1
- Intel 4500MHD
- Latitude E6500

[Claude Durocher (claude-durocher)]

I think I narrowed down the problem:

1-computer boots
2-networking starts
3-user login
4-networkmanager restarts networking
5-dbus is also restarted because of NM
6-gnome-settings-daemon crashes in libpower.so because dbus is absent
7-No such interface `org.gnome.SettingsDaemon.XRANDR_2' is generated

This is random suggesting a timing issue.

[Claude Durocher (claude-durocher)]

I think we have a workaround : disable screen dim as it has problems (sometimes) with external monitors. Simply run this for each user :

gsettings set org.gnome.settings-daemon.plugins.power idle-dim-battery false

[Brian Murray (brian-murray)]

I have removed the tag regression-update from this bug report as the tag should be used for a regression which happened when installing a package from the -updates repository. This tag is used by the Stable Release Updates team to watch for regressions in packages from -updates and inappropriate usage of this tag makes it harder to find this category of regression. Thanks for your understanding. To learn more about how we use tags you may want to review http://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bugs/Tags.

[Chris Wilson (ickle)]

It would be prudent to first repeat the test on raring. Then grab the output of xrandr before, after unplugging, and then after plugging back in.

[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.