sometimes GNOME screen lock fails to unlock after password entered

[Patrik Nilsson]

When unlocking GNOME Shell after the screen is locked, sometimes you can type your password, but the rotating-pause-animation never stops and the screen is never unlocked. You can cancel this with the button and usually you can get passed the screen lock on the second attempt.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.04
Package: gnome-screensaver (not installed)
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.13.0-12.32-generic 3.13.4
Uname: Linux 3.13.0-12-generic i686
NonfreeKernelModules: wl
ApportVersion: 2.13.2-0ubuntu5
Architecture: i386
Date: Wed Feb 26 17:54:36 2014
InstallationDate: Installed on 2014-02-26 (0 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu-GNOME 14.04 "Trusty Tahr" - Alpha i386 (20140226)
SourcePackage: gnome-screensaver
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

[amjjawad  (amjjawad)]

Hi,

Thank you for reporting this bug to make Ubuntu even better.

I have failed so far to re-produce this bug. Every time my Ubuntu GNOME Trusty Tahr system goes to Screen Saver mode, I can re-login very normally without any issue at all.

I just tested on Ubuntu GNOME Trusty Tahr 20140226 - i386 but as stated, no success to re-produce this one.

[amjjawad  (amjjawad)]

Sorry, I meant the lock screen!

[Erick Brunzell (lbsolost)]

I recently was trying to train some friends to install and/or upgrade Ubuntu GNOME and most of them got confused when the "screensaver/lock-screen" window appeared - enough so that they'd assume the installation or upgrade was frozen so they'd do a hard reset :^(

I know that it's only necessary to press Esc but those who are not aware of that will be tempted to do a hard reset ......... this is NOT good!

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Ubuntu QA Website (ubuntuqa)]

This bug has been reported on the Ubuntu ISO testing tracker.

A list of all reports related to this bug can be found here:
http://iso.qa.ubuntu.com/qatracker/reports/bugs/1285258

[Erick Brunzell (lbsolost)]

I reported this on the iso tracker because I feel it's not just enough to know that a user must press Esc to view the progress of the installation.

New users need to be alerted regarding what needs to be done.

[Alberto Salvia Novella (es20490446e)]

It renders the system temporarily or permanently unusable.

[Fabi Arce Jofré (farcejofre)]

In my case, the lock screen fails to let me log in when entering the correct password, so I have to restart the computer to gain access again. I understand this is a similar bug. I've just upgraded from Saucy to Trusty.

[Paul Mackinney (sq-paul)]

I've seen this for a couple of days, Today's update, 2014-06-06 didn't help.
$ uname -a
Linux ws6 3.13.0-24-generic #47-Ubuntu SMP Fri May 2 23:30:00 UTC 2014 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

My experience:
1. On a dual display system with the sreensaver active, I move the mouse and the screensaver clears.
2. Whichever screen the mouse pointer is on gets the password dialog box.
3. I click in the dialog box, but typing doesn't enter bullets, I don't get the blinking text cursor in the dialog.
4. Sometimes after moving the mouse to the other screen I could enter my password. More often, I have to hit Ctrl-Alt-F1 to get tty1, which works, then then pkill X, losing any unsaved work. I suspect that I may just be impatient, but for now I've disabled locking.

[normandrobert (sub1)]

Screen saver unresponsive for me has well on occasion. When unresponsive, nothing further can be done to restore normal behaviour. I just kill gnome-session from a terminal and login fresh. Happened 5 times in ten days. Switched from 12.04 to 14.04 ~10 days ago, no problems before that.

Two screen setup, nfs mounted filesystem for locked-out account. Using proprietary nvdia driver installed via apt-get. Home still mounted ok when I log in in other ways.

[BoZ (boz-ubuntuoneleavemealone)]

Hi, same issue here, I cannot unlock gnome-screen-saver (Ubuntu 14.04.1).
It might be related to my dual screen setup (with nvidia drivers): when I move the mouse, the screen where I have the mouse shows my background for a second and then turn black again.
Ctrl+F1 ; killall gnome-screensaver ; Ctrl+F7 to get back to my session.
xscreensave works OK.
I can give you more specific details about my setup, just ask.

BoZ

[Alberto Salvia Novella (es20490446e)]

Please:
1. Report this bug to <https://bugzilla.gnome.org/>.
2. Paste the new report URL here.
3. Set this bug status back to "confirmed".

Thank you.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Alberto Salvia Novella (es20490446e)]

@ Divya Shettar

If you really want to fix this bug yourself, feel free to assign it to you again.

[hsg (hsg)]

Not sure if this is the same bug but, on 16.04.1, if the screen saver kicks and I don't type the correct password within three tries, I am no longer allowed to type in, I see a spinning wheel that never stops even after many minutes, and I end up having to reboot the machine to recover control. This is quite frustrating.

[Sushmita (sush-patil-mita)]

nope its not the same bug

On Thu, Sep 15, 2016 at 8:23 AM, hsg <email address hidden> wrote:

> Not sure if this is the same bug but, on 16.04.1, if the screen saver
> kicks and I don't type the correct password within three tries, I am no
> longer allowed to type in, I see a spinning wheel that never stops even
> after many minutes, and I end up having to reboot the machine to recover
> control. This is quite frustrating.
>
> --
> You received this bug notification because you are a bug assignee.
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1285258
>
> Title:
> failing to unlock screensaver
>
> Status in Ubuntu GNOME:
> New
> Status in gnome-shell package in Ubuntu:
> Incomplete
>
> Bug description:
> There seem to be two distinct errors when unlocking gnome-screensaver.
> Both prevents you from logging in. The first is the most serious.
>
> 1) When I move the mouse, the lock screen appears. Whatever I type it
> only activates the top right menu. I'm completely unable to login. I
> used power button to restart the computer.
>
> 2) Most common is that you can type your password, but the rotating-
> pause-animation never stops. You can cancel this with the button and
> usually you can get passed the screensave on the second attempt.
>
> ProblemType: Bug
> DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.04
> Package: gnome-screensaver (not installed)
> ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.13.0-12.32-generic 3.13.4
> Uname: Linux 3.13.0-12-generic i686
> NonfreeKernelModules: wl
> ApportVersion: 2.13.2-0ubuntu5
> Architecture: i386
> Date: Wed Feb 26 17:54:36 2014
> InstallationDate: Installed on 2014-02-26 (0 days ago)
> InstallationMedia: Ubuntu-GNOME 14.04 "Trusty Tahr" - Alpha i386
> (20140226)
> SourcePackage: gnome-screensaver
> UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
>
> To manage notifications about this bug go to:
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu-gnome/+bug/1285258/+subscriptions
>

[endees (kevlon)]

I had this issues with experimental 17.04 on a motion computing device.This Slate has a Wacom pen display, the input with osd works without attached keyboard, no problem with 16.04 16.10 so far
but after installing 17.04 and the first time the lock screen appeared i couldnt unlock with my password. There was no osd input so i had to use an external usb keyboard.when entered password it put it back to lock screen again, needed to power off

[Jeremy Bicha (jbicha)]

Ok, I'm focusing this bug on only one issue since that issue is still a problem with 17.04.

Patrick or anyone, if you're still experiencing the other issue, please file a new bug. "1) When I move the mouse, the lock screen appears. Whatever I type it only activates the top right menu. I'm completely unable to login. I used power button to restart the computer."

endees, please file a new bug for that issue.

[Patrik Nilsson (nipatriknilsson)]

I haven't seen this bug for very long, but I have a suspicion of what it is.

Now-a-days I use SSD-drives. They are much faster than HDDs. Although, if I run Virtualbox or dd it takes several seconds to unlock the screensaver. I suspect that the screensaver is trying to reach a library or data in the file system on the harddisk and is prevented to do this when other disk operations pending. Sometimes I wait until operation is finished.

HDDs are slower and you need to wait a bit longer.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

If your system is frozen on resume/unlock, please see bug 1262201.

[Patrik Nilsson (nipatriknilsson)]

My system is responsive in the sense: If I move the mouse pointer, the pointer moves.

[Jeremy Bicha (jbicha)]

I experience this bug some times too. The system isn't frozen; it's just that the unlock operation either gets "stuck" or maybe it just takes a very long time. I reported the issue to GNOME recently at
https://bugzilla.gnome.org/782619

[Almas (almasd)]

I can't login when I changed keyboard layout from English US.

If I lock screen with English layout then I could login in.

It seems language changer doesn't work on Unlock screen.

I clicked [Switch user...] button and default login works OK.

Ubuntu 16.04
GNOME Shell 3.18.5

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Almas: Please see bug 1652618 instead.

[Sangwoo Joh (john-duck)]

Ubuntu 16.04, GNOME shell 3.18.5

I have the same issue. I often meet this issue when I unlock the screen before the black screen returns to the original screen. In short, when I unlock it very quickly, this issue happened.

Screen is successfully unlocked, but the only thing I get is a single mouse pointer and black screen. I can move my mouse, but nothing is on the screen but black.

[Alan Welsh (itsallenergy)]

I've been experiencing this problem for several months. The lock screen appears, but the keyboard doesn't respond. Sometimes I can type a few characters in the password field before it stops responding. I can move my mouse and click the button on the top right of the screen to re-lock and try again. Eventually it works.

gnome shell: 3.26.2
gdm: 3.26.2.1