Windows creep to another workspace/desktop

[Alan Pope 🍺🐧🐱 🦄]

This has been frustrating me for some time now through 11.10 and now 12.04. I have only now figured out a way to reproduce it.

Simple steps to reproduce.

1. Open an application (eg thunderbird) and move it to the top left hand workspace and maximise it.
2. Open another application (eg terminal) and put it on the bottom left workspace but aligned with the lower right of the desktop.
3. Alt-tab from the terminal to thunderbird (this should switch workspace).
4. Alt-tab back from thunderbird to the terminal.

The terminal window has nudged downwards off the bottom of the lower workspace onto the top workspace. The system doesn't switch workspace but just shows a few lines of the terminal hanging down from the top of the screen, from the workspace 'above' (which is actually below but has wrapped around).

I have attached a bunch of screenshots in a zip file and photos to illustrate this. Interestingly after step 4. I am unable to take a screenshot by right-clicking the shutter icon and choosing 'capture entire screen' because compiz crashes at that point. I don't know if this is related or not. So I had to take photos with my phone. Apologies if they're not great quality, but I think they convey the issue.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
Package: compiz 1:0.9.6+bzr20110929-0ubuntu8
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-7.13-generic 3.2.0-rc7
Uname: Linux 3.2.0-7-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia wl
.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 285.05.09 Fri Sep 23 17:31:57 PDT 2011
 GCC version: gcc version 4.6.2 (Ubuntu/Linaro 4.6.2-9ubuntu1)
.tmp.unity.support.test.0:

ApportVersion: 1.90-0ubuntu1
Architecture: amd64
CompizPlugins: [core,bailer,detection,composite,opengl,compiztoolbox,decor,snap,grid,place,session,move,resize,regex,gnomecompat,imgpng,vpswitch,mousepoll,unitymtgrabhandles,animation,wall,fade,expo,ezoom,scale,unityshell,workarounds]
CompositorRunning: compiz
Date: Wed Jan 11 00:25:02 2012
DistUpgraded: Log time: 2011-12-22 10:48:58.804612
DistroCodename: precise
DistroVariant: ubuntu
GraphicsCard:
 nVidia Corporation Device [10de:08a0] (rev a2) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: Apple Computer Inc. Device [106b:00c2]
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.10 "Oneiric Ocelot" - Beta amd64 (20110901)
JockeyStatus:
 kmod:wl - Broadcom STA proprietary wireless driver (Proprietary, Enabled, In use) [auto-install]
 xorg:nvidia_current - NVIDIA accelerated graphics driver (Proprietary, Enabled, In use)
MachineType: Apple Inc. MacBookPro7,1
PackageArchitecture: all
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-7-generic root=UUID=d9fc020e-1fa2-451d-bc30-b6bcf18e3aa4 ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
SourcePackage: compiz
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to precise on 2011-12-22 (19 days ago)
dmi.bios.date: 06/01/10
dmi.bios.vendor: Apple Inc.
dmi.bios.version: MBP71.88Z.0039.B0B.1006012305
dmi.board.name: Mac-F222BEC8
dmi.board.vendor: Apple Inc.
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: Apple Inc.
dmi.chassis.version: Mac-F222BEC8
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAppleInc.:bvrMBP71.88Z.0039.B0B.1006012305:bd06/01/10:svnAppleInc.:pnMacBookPro7,1:pvr1.0:rvnAppleInc.:rnMac-F222BEC8:rvr:cvnAppleInc.:ct10:cvrMac-F222BEC8:
dmi.product.name: MacBookPro7,1
dmi.product.version: 1.0
dmi.sys.vendor: Apple Inc.
version.compiz: compiz 1:0.9.6+bzr20110929-0ubuntu8
version.ia32-libs: ia32-libs 20090808ubuntu32
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.30-1ubuntu1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 7.11-0ubuntu4
version.libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental: libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental N/A
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 7.11-0ubuntu4
version.nvidia-graphics-drivers: nvidia-graphics-drivers N/A
version.xserver-xorg-core: xserver-xorg-core 2:1.10.4-1ubuntu6
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev 1:2.6.0-1ubuntu13
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:6.14.99~git20110811.g93fc084-0ubuntu1
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.15.901-1ubuntu4
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:0.0.16+git20111201+b5534a1-1

[Alistair Buxton (a-j-buxton)]

see also https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/unity/+bug/791412 and dupes

that's the bug about not switching to the right desktop which this bug triggers

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Daniel Ejsing-Duun (zilvador)]

I've had the same problem. If the windows overlaps another desktop with the smallest bit, it won't change from that desktop to show that window. If the window switcher would only switch to the desktop that contained the center of the window in questions every time, it would work a lot better, I believe.