Can't input text in input fields: ERROR:browser_main_loop.cc(240)] Gdk: gdk_window_set_user_time called on non-toplevel

[Javier]

Can't input text in input fields, the browser shows an error on the console. It makes the browser unusable.

This bug has already been reported here:

https://code.google.com/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=360388

But since this was an update from the ubuntu repos, the relase date is almost here, this is an LTS release and the browser is one of the most used programs, I thought it might be worth creating the bug here as well. Maybe revert to version 33 until this is solve?.

How to reproduce. An up to date Kubuntu 14.04. Launch cromium-browser, go to any web page with a text field and enter text. As soon as the keys are pressed errors appear in the console.

The console output:

chromium-browser
[4870:4870:0415/173903:ERROR:browser_main_loop.cc(240)] Gdk: gdk_window_set_user_time called on non-toplevel

[4870:4870:0415/173908:ERROR:browser_main_loop.cc(240)] Gdk: gdk_window_set_user_time called on non-toplevel

[4870:4870:0415/173908:ERROR:browser_main_loop.cc(240)] Gdk: gdk_window_set_user_time called on non-toplevel

[4870:4870:0415/173908:ERROR:browser_main_loop.cc(240)] Gdk: gdk_window_set_user_time called on non-toplevel

[4870:4870:0415/173908:ERROR:browser_main_loop.cc(240)] Gdk: gdk_window_set_user_time called on non-toplevel

[4870:4870:0415/173909:ERROR:browser_main_loop.cc(240)] Gdk: gdk_window_set_user_time called on non-toplevel

[4870:4870:0415/173909:ERROR:browser_main_loop.cc(240)] Gdk: gdk_window_set_user_time called on non-toplevel

[4870:4870:0415/173909:ERROR:browser_main_loop.cc(240)] Gdk: gdk_window_set_user_time called on non-toplevel

[4870:4870:0415/173909:ERROR:browser_main_loop.cc(240)] Gdk: gdk_window_set_user_time called on non-toplevel

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Darren Peets (dpeets)]

In addition to the message shown above, I also get

[9384:9384:0419/212449:ERROR:CONSOLE(273)] "Uncaught TypeError: undefined is not a function", source: https://apis.google.com/_/scs/abc-static/_/js/k=gapi.gapi.en.wNKQZRCdm0I.O/m=iframes,googleapis_client/rt=j/d=1/rs=AItRSTN5_i0KBm0FLby7W1B4Q5dHsZBNkw (273)

on the console, and can't even enter text in the address bar most of the time.

A browser that does not respond to keyboard input is not useful.

[Javier (javiersmail)]

The problem seems to be cause by enabling the aura interface, as said by the coment #25 https://code.google.com/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=360388#c25.

[Javier (javiersmail)]

A workaround has been provided in the chromium issue: https://code.google.com/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=360388#c52
It worked for me.

[Tong Sun (suntong001)]

Thank you Javier for reporting and digging into it.

It should affect everybody but strangely not much people are complaining about it here. I tried the workaround you pointed out, it only works in the environment that is not expecting ibus inputs. I.e., launching cromium-browser from xterm that does not accept ibus input would work, yet launching cromium-browser from rxvt that does takes ibus inputs would fail, and eventually freeze the whole system.

Although the new google Aura graphics stack is a good thing, I do agree that it's too early for Canonical to enable Aura in Chromium 34 in Ubuntu 14.04, because even the official Google Chrome 34 is released with Aura disabled.

Instead of going 35 (or better? 36), I've concluded that *for me*, the *safest* way is to uninstalled chromium for 14.04 and download chrome from google -- https://www.google.com/chrome/browser/?platform=linux

[RichardNeill (ubuntu-richardneill)]

II also see this bug. It's definitely a problem!

I suspect that the reason relatively few people are complaining is that
(a) The problem is intermittent - the keys come and go, sometimes only a single keystroke is dropped. Sometimes it takes many seconds.
(b) Nobody expects a bug of this type - and who would blame the combination of keyboard + browser + input-field.
(c) Weirdly, the mouse still works, it's just the keyboard.
(d) When the bug occurs, the browser used to report it is broken!

Incidentally, I am submitting this bug by copy-pasting into Chrome: middle-click paste still works.

[RichardNeill (ubuntu-richardneill)]

Sorry, forgot to mention, it affects a clean default install of both Saucy and Utopic (as of 19/Jul/2014)

[Lars Behrens (lars-behrens-u)]

Confirmed on 14.04 64bit, Chromium version 34.0.1847.116 Ubuntu 14.04 aura (260972)

This is bad because Chromium is a much used browser, my users are crying.

[Björn Lindqvist (bjourne)]

First thing I noticed when upgrading to 14.04! What are you guys doing? How the hell can you let such a horrible bug stay unfixed for so long in an LTS release?

[Paul White (paulw2u)]

Upstream bug is showing "Fixed (Closed)" since 2015
No comments here for over four years so closing as fixed.