Compiz hangs at first click anywhere on desktop - can work around by deleting .compiz/session/* first.

[phxphun1]

After upgrading from 12.04 to 12.10, I found that once logged in, I can move the mouse around and items highlight as I mouseover them, as well as the launcher seeming to respond appropriately too. Upon first click, however (whether it be on the launcher, taskbar, or even a right-click on the desktop) compiz or unity (inextricably linked now?) hangs. The mouse pointer can be moved about freely, but otherwise no further action is possible.

It occured to me that perhaps the issue was related to some sort of configuration issue - maybe leftover bits from 12.04 confusing 12.10. I tried the guest login, and everything worked flawlessly, possibly confirming my suspicion.

My next step was to delete .compiz/session from my home directory. Upon reboot, everything worked fine again. Problem solved? Apparently not - upon next boot, it hangs again as before. I also find that .compiz/session has been re-created. Deleting it via a terminal session then allowed me to reboot to a working desktop, but only once unless I first delete the contents of .compiz/session

Workaround: As a workaround, I've added a line to /etc/rc.local to delete the contents of .compiz/session at boot time:
     rm /home/my_username/.compiz/session/*

For a more verbose description including troubleshooting steps taken, see:
https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/compiz/+question/211844

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.10
Package: compiz 1:0.9.8.4-0ubuntu3
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.5.0-17.28-generic 3.5.5
Uname: Linux 3.5.0-17-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 304.43 Sun Aug 19 20:14:03 PDT 2012
 GCC version: gcc version 4.7.2 (Ubuntu/Linaro 4.7.2-2ubuntu1)
.tmp.unity.support.test.0:

ApportVersion: 2.6.1-0ubuntu3
Architecture: amd64
CompizPlugins: [core,bailer,detection,composite,opengl,compiztoolbox,decor,resize,regex,animation,mousepoll,imgpng,place,workarounds,move,snap,session,gnomecompat,vpswitch,grid,wall,unitymtgrabhandles,expo,fade,ezoom,scale,unityshell]
CompositorRunning: compiz
Date: Sat Oct 20 19:04:07 2012
DistUpgraded: 2012-10-19 19:43:12,592 DEBUG enabling apt cron job
DistroCodename: quantal
DistroVariant: ubuntu
DkmsStatus: nvidia-current, 304.43, 3.5.0-17-generic, x86_64: installed
GraphicsCard:
 NVIDIA Corporation G98 [GeForce 9300M GS] [10de:06e9] (rev a1) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. U6V laptop [1043:19b2]
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 9.10 "Karmic Koala" - Release amd64 (20091027)
JockeyStatus:
 kmod:nvidia_173_updates - NVIDIA binary Xorg driver, kernel module and VDPAU library (Proprietary, Disabled, Not in use)
 kmod:nvidia_experimental_304 - Experimental NVIDIA binary Xorg driver, kernel module and VDPAU library (Proprietary, Disabled, Not in use)
 kmod:nvidia_current - nvidia_current (Proprietary, Enabled, Not in use)
 kmod:nvidia_current_updates - NVIDIA binary Xorg driver, kernel module and VDPAU library (Proprietary, Disabled, Not in use)
 kmod:nvidia_173 - NVIDIA binary Xorg driver, kernel module and VDPAU library (Proprietary, Disabled, Not in use)
MachineType: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. N80Vb
PackageArchitecture: all
ProcEnviron:
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.5.0-17-generic root=UUID=ef4a6395-a5b7-4895-8772-98d133e2f07c ro quiet splash
SourcePackage: compiz
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to quantal on 2012-10-20 (0 days ago)
dmi.bios.date: 12/05/2008
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: 207
dmi.board.asset.tag: ATN12345678901234567
dmi.board.name: N80Vb
dmi.board.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer Inc.
dmi.board.version: 1.0
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: No Asset Tag
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer Inc.
dmi.chassis.version: 1.0
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvr207:bd12/05/2008:svnASUSTeKComputerInc.:pnN80Vb:pvr1.0:rvnASUSTeKComputerInc.:rnN80Vb:rvr1.0:cvnASUSTeKComputerInc.:ct10:cvr1.0:
dmi.product.name: N80Vb
dmi.product.version: 1.0
dmi.sys.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer Inc.
version.compiz: compiz 1:0.9.8.4-0ubuntu3
version.ia32-libs: ia32-libs 20090808ubuntu36
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 2:1.13.0-0ubuntu6
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev 1:2.7.3-0ubuntu2
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:6.99.99~git20120913.8637f772-0ubuntu1
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.20.9-0ubuntu2
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:1.0.2-0ubuntu3

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Koen Verweij (kfverweij)]

Same problem for me and same workaround works. Is there any information I can provide?

[Olivier BOUMATI (oboumati)]

Same problem for me and same workaround works. Is there any information I can provide?

[Olivier BOUMATI (oboumati)]

The /etc/rc.local workaround works only after a reboot.
If I close my session and re-open it, the /etc/rc.local is not executed again, and compiz or unity hangs again.
So, I have added the following line into ~/.profile, which seems to be executed at login time:
    rm -f ~/.compiz/session/*

[Alf Sagen (alfsagen)]

Hello all!
"Executive summary" of the verbose text below:
  * I can confirm the same problem, and also that deleting anything under ~/.compiz*/* resolves my problem temporarily
  * I don't believe it's related to graphics adaptor & drivers, as my Thinkpad T500 with dual graphics has the exact same problem when using the on-board Intel graphics with no proprietary driver.
  * I believe the problem *MIGHT BE* related to systems being upgraded from previous Ubuntu versions
  * It *MIGHT ALSO BE* related to use of CCSM (Compiz Config Settings Manager) and other tools that are tweaking settings and hence possibly causing problems by setting parameters that are not 100% compatible.

I have the exact same problem as you report here! My laptop is a Lenovo Thinkpad T500, pretty "plain & common", I'd say, and Thinkpads also have great Linux support in general. I've got dual graphics consisting of a dedicated ATI Radeon card and an on-motherboard Intel chip. I've configured BIOS to use only the on-board Intel graphics, mainly because the laptop's using less than half the power (really: battery is lasting double the time!), and I don't use any proprietary driver. Still, I'm reproducing the exact problem you're reporting, and my resolution has also been the same :-)

Honestly, I don't think the problem is related to graphics & drivers, but I haven't had the time to do any further debugging. However, I confirm that deleting any directories and files under ~/.compiz*/* is also resolving the problem on my side.

Furthermore, I may add that I'm usually working 1-2 weeks without rebooting my laptop (just closing the lid, making the computer go sleep), and I very rarely have problems even though I every day plug/unplug external monitor at my workplace (no docking, just plain VGA cable plugged/unplugged), and also when I'm using projectors in meeting rooms etc. Even though I used to have more trouble (especially under Ubuntu 11.x series with Unity), 12.10 is rather stabile except for the boot-up problem.

If I'm able to type into a terminal window under Unity after boot, I'm usually able to fix the problem temporarily by performing
  $ compiz --replace &

However, it will crash again, until I first delete the file structure under ~/.compiz*/* and replace compiz again.

If I'm not able to type into a terminal window under Unity (the same tty, normally tty7), the same procedure does NOT work from e.g. tty1 (typically using CTRL+ALT+F1 to fix problem). In this case even the following doesn't help:
  $ killall -9 compiz
  $ DISPLAY=:0.0 compiz --replace &

In these cases, I have 2 options:
  1) sudo shutdown -r now
  2) sudo service lightdm restart

The problem for both alternatives is that any open application under the existing session will be killed as well. (This isn't a huge problem when the compiz/unity crashes just after reboot, but was really annoying when it used to crash in the middle of the day, giving me no alternative but to kill all running applications including a couple of virtual machines under VirtualBox.)

Also, I suspect that our problem is related to systems being upgraded from earlier Ubuntu distros (mine comes from 10.10, as far as ...

[phxphun1 (phxphun1)]

For whatever it's worth, this seems to have been fixed in 13.04 - I just upgraded today and remembered this bug, so I went and rem'd out the workaround I'd added to /etc/rc.local -- (...to delete the contents of .compiz/session at boot time: rm /home/my_username/.compiz/session/*) -- rebooted, and it works just fine - no freezes or hangs.

I figured I'd post about it here so that anyone else who implemented that workaround and has now upgraded to 13.04 can try and see if it is no longer needed on their machine.

[dino99 (9d9)]

That version has reached EOL since a while, so it will not receive update. If that issue still exist, report again using ubuntu-bug.

[Alf Sagen (alfsagen)]

I don't really think this should be set invalid, as it is indeed a real bug in the version for which it is reported.
However, the problem was seemingly fixed long time ago (under 12.10 or 13.04) and is therefore not affecting many users anymore.

Also, I do realise that there might not be any other status with a good fit.