Text repaint problems in Emacs

[Øyvind Stegard]

I experience text repaint issues in Emacs when running under Unity.

The following video demonstrates the problem:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWh4kEecVsQ

Text glyphs vanish and reappear in strange ways. Checking option "Force full screen redraws (buffer swap) on repaint" in CCSM makes the problem go away (also shown in video).

The problem does not occur when running Emacs under for instance Openbox. Might be related to compositing and/or nvidia. I experience the problem on two different computers (both Nvidia), although it's easier to reproduce on one of them.

Ubuntu 12.04 x86-64
Nvidia driver 304.64
Unity 5.16.0+bzr2410sruubuntu0+709 (also happens with Unity 5.16.0-0ubuntu1 from precise-updates).
Compiz 1:0.9.7.8+bzr3121-0ubuntu1~test1
Emacs 24.2

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
Package: unity 5.16.0+bzr2410sruubuntu0+709 [origin: LP-PPA-unity-team-sru]
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-33.52-generic 3.2.31
Uname: Linux 3.2.0-33-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
.proc.driver.nvidia.gpus.0: Error: [Errno 21] Er en filkatalog: '/proc/driver/nvidia/gpus/0'
.proc.driver.nvidia.registry: Binary: ""
.proc.driver.nvidia.version:
 NVRM version: NVIDIA UNIX x86_64 Kernel Module 304.64 Tue Oct 30 10:58:20 PDT 2012
 GCC version: gcc version 4.6.3 (Ubuntu/Linaro 4.6.3-1ubuntu5)
.proc.driver.nvidia.warnings.fbdev:
 Your system is not currently configured to drive a VGA console
 on the primary VGA device. The NVIDIA Linux graphics driver
 requires the use of a text-mode VGA console. Use of other console
 drivers including, but not limited to, vesafb, may result in
 corruption and stability problems, and is not supported.
.tmp.unity.support.test.0:

ApportVersion: 2.0.1-0ubuntu15
Architecture: amd64
CompizPlugins: [core,composite,opengl,decor,gnomecompat,imgpng,unitymtgrabhandles,vpswitch,grid,put,place,compiztoolbox,mousepoll,commands,resize,snap,move,regex,wall,session,animation,fade,workarounds,expo,ezoom,scale,unityshell]
CompositorRunning: compiz
CrashDB: unity
Date: Sun Nov 11 14:40:12 2012
DistUpgraded: Fresh install
DistroCodename: precise
DistroVariant: ubuntu
DkmsStatus: nvidia-current, 304.64, 3.2.0-33-generic, x86_64: installed
GraphicsCard:
 NVIDIA Corporation GF108 [GeForce GT 440] [10de:0de0] (rev a1) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. Device [1043:838a]
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 12.04 LTS "Precise Pangolin" - Release amd64 (20120425)
JockeyStatus:
 xorg:nvidia_current - NVIDIA aksellerert grafikkdriver (Merkebeskyttet, Aktiv, I bruk)
 xorg:nvidia_current_updates - NVIDIA accelerated graphics driver (post-release updates) (Merkebeskyttet, Deaktivert, Ikke i bruk)
 xorg:nvidia_experimental_304 - NVIDIA accelerated graphics driver (**experimental** beta) (Merkebeskyttet, Deaktivert, Ikke i bruk)
 xorg:nvidia_experimental_310 - NVIDIA accelerated graphics driver (**experimental** beta) (Merkebeskyttet, Deaktivert, Ikke i bruk)
MachineType: System manufacturer P5E WS Pro
MarkForUpload: True
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-33-generic root=UUID=a1277179-5389-4b3a-8648-0a5c044326b6 ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
SourcePackage: unity
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 05/07/2009
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: 1203
dmi.board.asset.tag: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.board.name: P5E WS Pro
dmi.board.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer INC.
dmi.board.version: Rev 1.xx
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: Asset-1234567890
dmi.chassis.type: 3
dmi.chassis.vendor: Chassis Manufacture
dmi.chassis.version: Chassis Version
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvr1203:bd05/07/2009:svnSystemmanufacturer:pnP5EWSPro:pvrSystemVersion:rvnASUSTeKComputerINC.:rnP5EWSPro:rvrRev1.xx:cvnChassisManufacture:ct3:cvrChassisVersion:
dmi.product.name: P5E WS Pro
dmi.product.version: System Version
dmi.sys.vendor: System manufacturer
version.compiz: compiz 1:0.9.7.8+bzr3121-0ubuntu1~test1
version.ia32-libs: ia32-libs N/A
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.39-0ubuntu1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 9.0-0ubuntu1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental: libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental N/A
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 9.0-0ubuntu1
version.nvidia-graphics-drivers: nvidia-graphics-drivers N/A
version.xserver-xorg-core: xserver-xorg-core 2:1.11.4-0ubuntu10.8
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev 1:2.7.0-0ubuntu1.2
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:6.99.99~git20120913.8637f772-0ubuntu1~precise~xup2
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.19.0-0ubuntu1~xup1
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:1.0.2-0ubuntu3~precise~xup2

[Øyvind Stegard (oyvindstegard)]

I've sent a bug report <email address hidden>, in case it's a driver problem.

[Øyvind Stegard (oyvindstegard)]

Enabling Compiz workaround "Force synchronization between X and GLX" does not help either. I got a response from Nvidia about the bug report I sent them, so at least they are aware of it.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Øyvind Stegard (oyvindstegard)]

Looks like this problem only occurs when GPU is at the lowest performance level (Nvidia Powermizer). At that point performance is low enough to trigger some kind of race which causes wacky text rendering.

[aj duncan (a-duncan)]

I have the same problem, but have radeon not nvidia graphics drivers.

Emacs and xemacs both work perfectly with ubuntu classic with no visual effects.

Otherwise both have text repaint/frame refresh problems that make them very difficult to use.

[Øyvind Stegard (oyvindstegard)]

Same problem with nvidia 319.60 on Ubuntu 13.10. Running GPU at full power all the time resolves the issues.

[fcole90 (fcole90)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug. We have tried to recreate this on the latest release of Ubuntu and cannot reproduce it. This bug is being marked as Invalid. If you believe the problem to still exist in the latest version of Ubuntu please comment on why that is the case and change the bug status to NEW.