Window List Invisibility Issue (Programs Disappear And Come Back Randomly)

[DevFred]

Binary package hint: gnome-panel

Every now and then the applications opened that appear in my window list on my gnome panel simply become invisible.

To fix this I have to open a new window or close a window so it "refreshes" and shows everything again.
This happens quite frequently, and quite randomly, and is very frustrating, I want this fixed badly.

I included some screenshots of when it is normal, and when it happens.

I also notice that sometimes it takes the window list a second or so to refresh. For example, if I would open Firefox it would take a second or two
for window list to display Firefox on itself, same when closing, this doesn't happen all the time though.

[Sebastien Bacher (seb128)]

Thank you for your bug. The description is not really clear, could you give some easy steps to trigger the issue? Do you use the desktop effects option? Does it happen without using it?

[Pedro Villavicencio (pedro)]

We are closing this bug report because it lacks the information we need to investigate the problem, as described in the previous comments. Please reopen it if you can give us the missing information, and don't hesitate to submit bug reports in the future. To reopen the bug report you can click on the current status, under the Status column, and change the Status back to "New". Thanks again!.

[Akdo (menoft)]

Hi same problem, it happens only when expand is disable in panel proprieties ( where window list applet is ) .

You can reproduce it :

Enable compiz ,

Disable Expand in panel proprieties ( where window list applet is )

alt+f2 , enable run in terminal , paste this :

echo -e "This is a bug ! \nlook window list, it disappear" && sleep 10

This bug appear if you open and closing often DIFFERENT windows.

[Akdo (menoft)]

precision

[Pedro Villavicencio (pedro)]

As said this needs to be forwarded upstream by someone having the issue, that's not reproducible here, for instructions on how to forward the bug upstream please have a look to https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bugs/Upstream/GNOME ; thanks in advance.

[Akdo (menoft)]

OK I'll do it.

[Martin Mai (mrkanister-deactivatedaccount-deactivatedaccount)]

I was able to reproduce this and gave detailed information in the other bug which is now marked as a duplicate. I think it would have been better to mark this one as the duplicate, wouldn't it?

[Martin Mai (mrkanister-deactivatedaccount-deactivatedaccount)]

mirage already reported this upstream. Linking the bug here.

[Akdo (menoft)]

this problem persist on jaunty with compiz !

[Charnjit SiNGH (webdevhud)]

This bug happens to me ALL the time. At LEAST 30 times per day.
I average 40 new windows per hour! (of course I close a lot too). I always mostly have 15+ windows open. Mostly...

My Panels are both auto-hidden, and expand-disabled (variable width).

Was using Intrepid x64, Compiz Fusion, Cube Plugin (+ Rotate Cube) (3-face) - ALWAYS had problems
Then upgraded to Jaunty x64, Compiz Fusion, Cube Plugin (+ Rotate Cube) (3-face) - ALWAYS had problems
Then Jaunty x64, Compiz Fusion, Desktop Wall, & Expo Plugin (4-Desks) - ALWAYS have problems

This *only* occurs when switching view points (desktops).

I've noticed, it takes about half a second for the windows (on the panel of the desktop I just switched to), to be 'rendered' or displayed. I can see this as it takes about half a second for the 1px visible line (of the 'off-screen' hidden panel) to resize itself to the number of windows open on the desktop I switch to.
So, i've noticed that to prevent the bug from occuring, I MUST wait that half a second BEFORE accessing my panel (i.e. making it slide up from auto-hide). This way, the error almost NEVER occurs.

If however I switch desktops like a crazy person (I'm always flying), & then try to access/pull up the panel from auto-hide almost immediately, or if I'm already moused on the panel (it's visible) when I make the switch to another desktop, the error occurs 80% of the time! So, it's VERY Reproduce-able!

My silly workaround is a combination of the half-second wait as explained above, & as I always have Amarok running, I press Ctrl+P to bring up Amarok, then wait half a second to render the new panel, then Ctrl+P again to make Amarok disappear, and a final half-second wait to render a new panel again. This trick works 98% of the time! Again, controlled manipulation of the bug.

*** I just made a screenshot of this bug on demand - it took me less than 2 SECONDS to reproduce! (mouse was over panel, changed desktop with keyboard, then INSTANTLY changed back to the same desktop - & the panel was never refreshed ***
*** Also note, that in order to cover up sensitive data on my Desktop (I'm paranoid), I made 4 attempts to create the perfect screenshot! EACH time I could instantly reproduce this at will, as I know 100% how to make it happen. So yeah - it happens a lot ***

So, it's REAL! I've given all the instructions to reproduce, & play with the bug. Please help us with our infestation!

Thanx!

^_^

[Charnjit SiNGH (webdevhud)]

Wow - okay, I just attached the wrong screenshot - I must look like a total dummy, especially after typing all of that...

Here is the correct screenshot:

[myxiplx (myxiplx)]

Is this the right place to report that I also see this problem? I see notes that it has been reported upstream, but I don't see any link to where I could comment.

I've been experiencing this problem regularly. I have a non-expanded bottom panel, with desktop effects enabled, and multiple desktops. The window list often stops updating, sometimes on one desktop, sometimes on a couple.

The workaround I've been using is to switch to a desktop with a non-frozen window list. That seems to wake it up again and gets the other desktops working.

[Ralemy (reza.alemy)]

same problem here, on two different machines. very annoying :(

[aztektum (mehlert)]

Similar issue here, though I use Windows Selector and don't have a "task bar". Running Lucid beta 2 but this has been an issue for a few releases. Applications that are open will not show in the list, minimized or not.

I can't seem to take a screenshot of the list when it's being viewed, but right now I have Tbird 3, Terminal, Google Chrome and an email I'm editing open. All but Terminal are minimized. Terminal is maximized and only Google Chrome and the email I'm writing show up in the list. No entry for Terminal or Thunderbird.

It's been worse, sometimes I will have 12 or so windows open, all in various states of maximized/minimized and only 1 or 2 show up.

[Vinod Kumar Dahiya (vinod)]

It seems to be problem with gnome-panel when desktop effects enabled.

Everything works ok when panel is expended or desktop effects disabled.

[Tobias (ulbricht-tobias)]

I am running maverick and this is still an open bug.

Indeed I have no problems when desktop effects are disabled.

(It does not matter to me, if the panel is expanded or not.)

I use the window selector applet and the list gets smaller, just clicking by two times on the selector.
Then the list stays this size until I change manually to some other window.

But there is some pattern that might help triage the bug:
* the list is a list of minimized and open windows.
* the second time I let me show the list, it is shrunk.
* it always shrinks from the top of the list to the window that was minimized last (exluding this one, so the lately minimized window is still visible)

thus: if the last window I minimize is the first in the list, the bug is "gone" :)

Maybe the code assumes that minimized windows jump to the first position in the queue of windows or upon minimization some counter/pointer gets reset to start with the minimized window.

maybe some other people affected can check if my observation is true at their computer.

I can try to help more, if you tell me how.