enable compiz alpha blur makes all windows invisible under unity

[ugtar]

Enabling alpha blur via ccsm causes various issues including making all windows invisible. This happens when I use the gaussian blur method. 4xbilinear and mipmap don't cause windows to be invisible, but they do cause various screen artifacts, and instead of alpha blur they result in the area behind being flipped horizontally (and not blurred).

I am using Intel graphics (sandy bridge). Please let me know if I can provide any more info.

$ lsb_release -rd
Description: Ubuntu 12.04 LTS
Release: 12.04

$ apt-cache policy compiz
compiz:
  Installed: 1:0.9.7.6-0ubuntu1
  Candidate: 1:0.9.7.6-0ubuntu1
  Version table:
 *** 1:0.9.7.6-0ubuntu1 0
        500 http://il.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise/main amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

$ lspci
00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation 2nd Generation Core Processor Family DRAM Controller (rev 09)
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation 2nd Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 09)
00:16.0 Communication controller: Intel Corporation 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family MEI Controller #1 (rev 04)
00:19.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corporation 82579LM Gigabit Network Connection (rev 04)
00:1a.0 USB controller: Intel Corporation 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family USB Enhanced Host Controller #2 (rev 04)
00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family High Definition Audio Controller (rev 04)
00:1c.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port 1 (rev b4)
00:1c.1 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port 2 (rev b4)
00:1c.2 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port 3 (rev b4)
00:1c.3 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port 4 (rev b4)
00:1c.5 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port 6 (rev b4)
00:1d.0 USB controller: Intel Corporation 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family USB Enhanced Host Controller #1 (rev 04)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation QM67 Express Chipset Family LPC Controller (rev 04)
00:1f.2 RAID bus controller: Intel Corporation 82801 Mobile SATA Controller [RAID mode] (rev 04)
00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corporation 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family SMBus Controller (rev 04)
02:00.0 Network controller: Intel Corporation Centrino Advanced-N 6205 (rev 34)
0a:00.0 SD Host controller: O2 Micro, Inc. Device 8221 (rev 05)
0a:00.1 Mass storage controller: O2 Micro, Inc. Device 8231 (rev 03)
---
ApportVersion: 2.0.1-0ubuntu7
Architecture: amd64
CompizPlugins: [core,composite,opengl,bicubic,compiztoolbox,decor,move,gnomecompat,extrawm,resize,imgpng,switcher,regex,mousepoll,resizeinfo,snap,place,animation,session,wall,fade,unitymtgrabhandles,workarounds,expo,scale,unityshell]
DistroCodename: precise
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
DistroVariant: ubuntu
EcryptfsInUse: Yes
InstallationMedia:

Package: unity 5.10.0-0ubuntu6
PackageArchitecture: amd64
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-24.37-generic 3.2.14
Tags: precise precise precise precise ubuntu
Uname: Linux 3.2.0-24-generic x86_64
UnreportableReason: Please work this issue through technical support channels first.
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to precise on 2012-04-29 (6 days ago)
UserGroups:

[ugtar (uokrent)]

I just discovered that this only happens when the unity plugin is also running. When I turn off the Unity plugin in ccsm, gaussian blur works as expected, and mipmap and 4xbilinear blur merely do nothing.

[ugtar (uokrent)]

FYI, I think this is a regression. I had the same problem in 11.10, but there was a compiz update at some point that fixed it.

[ugtar (uokrent)]

Here is some more info if it's useful:

$ glxinfo
name of display: :0.0
display: :0 screen: 0
direct rendering: Yes
server glx vendor string: SGI
server glx version string: 1.4
server glx extensions:
    GLX_ARB_multisample, GLX_EXT_import_context, GLX_EXT_texture_from_pixmap,
    GLX_EXT_visual_info, GLX_EXT_visual_rating, GLX_MESA_copy_sub_buffer,
    GLX_OML_swap_method, GLX_SGI_swap_control, GLX_SGIS_multisample,
    GLX_SGIX_fbconfig, GLX_SGIX_pbuffer, GLX_SGIX_visual_select_group,
    GLX_INTEL_swap_event
client glx vendor string: Mesa Project and SGI
client glx version string: 1.4
client glx extensions:
    GLX_ARB_create_context, GLX_ARB_create_context_profile,
    GLX_ARB_get_proc_address, GLX_ARB_multisample, GLX_EXT_import_context,
    GLX_EXT_visual_info, GLX_EXT_visual_rating, GLX_EXT_framebuffer_sRGB,
    GLX_EXT_create_context_es2_profile, GLX_MESA_copy_sub_buffer,
    GLX_MESA_multithread_makecurrent, GLX_MESA_swap_control,
    GLX_OML_swap_method, GLX_OML_sync_control, GLX_SGI_make_current_read,
    GLX_SGI_swap_control, GLX_SGI_video_sync, GLX_SGIS_multisample,
    GLX_SGIX_fbconfig, GLX_SGIX_pbuffer, GLX_SGIX_visual_select_group,
    GLX_EXT_texture_from_pixmap, GLX_INTEL_swap_event
GLX version: 1.4
GLX extensions:
    GLX_ARB_get_proc_address, GLX_ARB_multisample, GLX_EXT_import_context,
    GLX_EXT_visual_info, GLX_EXT_visual_rating, GLX_MESA_copy_sub_buffer,
    GLX_MESA_multithread_makecurrent, GLX_MESA_swap_control,
    GLX_OML_swap_method, GLX_OML_sync_control, GLX_SGI_make_current_read,
    GLX_SGI_swap_control, GLX_SGI_video_sync, GLX_SGIS_multisample,
    GLX_SGIX_fbconfig, GLX_SGIX_pbuffer, GLX_SGIX_visual_select_group,
    GLX_EXT_texture_from_pixmap
OpenGL vendor string: Tungsten Graphics, Inc
OpenGL renderer string: Mesa DRI Intel(R) Sandybridge Mobile
OpenGL version string: 3.0 Mesa 8.0.2
OpenGL shading language version string: 1.30
OpenGL extensions:
    GL_ARB_multisample, GL_EXT_abgr, GL_EXT_bgra, GL_EXT_blend_color,
    GL_EXT_blend_minmax, GL_EXT_blend_subtract, GL_EXT_copy_texture,
    GL_EXT_polygon_offset, GL_EXT_subtexture, GL_EXT_texture_object,
    GL_EXT_vertex_array, GL_EXT_compiled_vertex_array, GL_EXT_texture,
    GL_EXT_texture3D, GL_IBM_rasterpos_clip, GL_ARB_point_parameters,
    GL_EXT_draw_range_elements, GL_EXT_packed_pixels, GL_EXT_point_parameters,
    GL_EXT_rescale_normal, GL_EXT_separate_specular_color,
    GL_EXT_texture_edge_clamp, GL_SGIS_generate_mipmap,
    GL_SGIS_texture_border_clamp, GL_SGIS_texture_edge_clamp,
    GL_SGIS_texture_lod, GL_ARB_framebuffer_sRGB, GL_ARB_multitexture,
    GL_EXT_framebuffer_sRGB, GL_IBM_multimode_draw_arrays,
    GL_IBM_texture_mirrored_repeat, GL_3DFX_texture_compression_FXT1,
    GL_ARB_texture_cube_map, GL_ARB_texture_env_add, GL_ARB_transpose_matrix,
    GL_EXT_blend_func_separate, GL_EXT_fog_coord, GL_EXT_multi_draw_arrays,
    GL_EXT_secondary_color, GL_EXT_texture_env_add,
    GL_EXT_texture_filter_anisotropic, GL_EXT_texture_lod_bias,
    GL_INGR_blend_func_separate, GL_NV_blend_square, GL_NV_light_max_exponent,
    GL_NV_texgen_reflection, GL_NV_texture_env_combine4,
    GL_SUN_multi_draw_arrays, GL...

[ugtar (uokrent)]

apport information

[ugtar (uokrent)]

apport information

[ugtar (uokrent)]

apport information

[ugtar (uokrent)]

Here are some images that better describe the problem... I also updated compiz and unity today, but that didn't solve the problem

$ apt-cache policy compiz
compiz:
  Installed: 1:0.9.7.8-0ubuntu1
  Candidate: 1:0.9.7.8-0ubuntu1

$ apt-cache policy unity
unity:
  Installed: 5.12-0ubuntu1
  Candidate: 5.12-0ubuntu1

[ugtar (uokrent)]

Here you can see the terminal window is completely invisible, and various window parts are not being drawn correctly. In the ccsm window the drop down says mipmap, but it's actually gaussian. If I were to mouse-over the widget it would turn to guassian.

[ugtar (uokrent)]

Here you can see that when I disable the unity plugin, alpha blur starts working as expected. In this case, with gaussian blur.

Is this actually a bug in unity?

[ugtar (uokrent)]

Well, I changed this bug to be against unity because this bug is only present when I have unity enabled. If I just disable unity via ccsm, or use a different window manager with compiz, this bug doesn't appear. That seems to imply that the problem is with unity rather than compiz doesn't it?

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[ugtar (uokrent)]

The last unity update (that went out a couple of days ago -- 5.12-0ubuntu1.1) seems to have fixed this issue for me.

[ugtar (uokrent)]

I closed the bug. If someone else finds my statement to not be true, feel free to re-open.