Mouse lags during desktop zoom

[jantje dropveter]

After installing ubuntu 20.04, I have an issue with my mouse pointer lagging a lot.

It happens on my trackpad, physical mouse, wacom tablet, and trackpoint.

It's only a graphical issue (ie: The underlying whatever is actually moving. The visible pointer just isn't).

Other mouse moving related actions do not exhibit the same behaviour. Window dragging is smooth. Applications that use custom mouse pointers, such as krita, work smoothly.

The issue persists both on nVidia graphics and intel integrated graphics.

I am using a lenovo thinkpad p50.

The issue persists constantly when I am using the in built laptop screen. However, when I connect a second monitor, it only happens occasionally.

I installed ubuntu 20.04 from a usb drive, keeping my home partition from 18.04.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 20.04
Package: xorg 1:7.7+19ubuntu14
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.4.0-29.33-generic 5.4.30
Uname: Linux 5.4.0-29-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia_modeset nvidia
.proc.driver.nvidia.gpus.0000.01.00.0: Error: [Errno 21] Is a directory: '/proc/driver/nvidia/gpus/0000:01:00.0'
.proc.driver.nvidia.registry: Binary: ""
.proc.driver.nvidia.suspend: suspend hibernate resume
.proc.driver.nvidia.suspend_depth: default modeset uvm
.proc.driver.nvidia.version:
 NVRM version: NVIDIA UNIX x86_64 Kernel Module 440.64 Fri Feb 21 01:17:26 UTC 2020
 GCC version:
ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu27
Architecture: amd64
BootLog: Error: [Errno 13] Permission denied: '/var/log/boot.log'
CasperMD5CheckResult: skip
CompositorRunning: None
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
Date: Sat May 9 01:28:03 2020
DistUpgraded: Fresh install
DistroCodename: focal
DistroVariant: ubuntu
ExtraDebuggingInterest: Yes, if not too technical
GraphicsCard:
 Intel Corporation HD Graphics 530 [8086:191b] (rev 06) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: Lenovo HD Graphics 530 [17aa:222e]
 NVIDIA Corporation GM107GLM [Quadro M1000M] [10de:13b1] (rev a2) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: Lenovo GM107GLM [Quadro M1000M] [17aa:222e]
InstallationDate: Installed on 2020-05-08 (0 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 20.04 LTS "Focal Fossa" - Release amd64 (20200423)
Lsusb:
 Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub
 Bus 001 Device 003: ID 138a:0090 Validity Sensors, Inc. VFS7500 Touch Fingerprint Sensor
 Bus 001 Device 002: ID 04ca:7058 Lite-On Technology Corp. Integrated Camera
 Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Lsusb-t:
 /: Bus 02.Port 1: Dev 1, Class=root_hub, Driver=xhci_hcd/10p, 5000M
 /: Bus 01.Port 1: Dev 1, Class=root_hub, Driver=xhci_hcd/16p, 480M
     |__ Port 8: Dev 2, If 1, Class=Video, Driver=uvcvideo, 480M
     |__ Port 8: Dev 2, If 0, Class=Video, Driver=uvcvideo, 480M
     |__ Port 9: Dev 3, If 0, Class=Vendor Specific Class, Driver=, 12M
MachineType: LENOVO 20EQS2BH00
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-5.4.0-29-generic root=UUID=9eb4b789-a22e-455b-8e8b-19e78e0ef3d6 ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
SourcePackage: xorg
Symptom: display
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 08/28/2019
dmi.bios.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.bios.version: N1EET86W (1.59 )
dmi.board.asset.tag: Not Available
dmi.board.name: 20EQS2BH00
dmi.board.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.board.version: SDK0J40709 WIN
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: No Asset Information
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.chassis.version: None
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnLENOVO:bvrN1EET86W(1.59):bd08/28/2019:svnLENOVO:pn20EQS2BH00:pvrThinkPadP50:rvnLENOVO:rn20EQS2BH00:rvrSDK0J40709WIN:cvnLENOVO:ct10:cvrNone:
dmi.product.family: ThinkPad P50
dmi.product.name: 20EQS2BH00
dmi.product.sku: LENOVO_MT_20EQ_BU_Think_FM_ThinkPad P50
dmi.product.version: ThinkPad P50
dmi.sys.vendor: LENOVO
version.compiz: compiz N/A
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.101-2
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 20.0.4-2ubuntu1
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx N/A
version.nvidia-graphics-drivers: nvidia-graphics-drivers-* N/A
version.xserver-xorg-core: xserver-xorg-core 2:1.20.8-2ubuntu2
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev N/A
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:19.1.0-1
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.99.917+git20200226-1
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:1.0.16-1

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

1. Please explain in more detail what you mean by "lagging".

2. When the Nvidia driver is *not* installed, can you please test to see if logging into 'Ubuntu on Wayland' has the same issue?

3. Do any other (non-GNOME) desktop environments experience the problem?

[jantje dropveter (notnearlynovel)]

@vanvugt
1. By lagging I mean that the cursor doesn't move in a continuous motion. Rather it shows up and stays in spots along the line I move it. Kind of like a video shot at a low framerate but not as consistent. As explained in my original post, it's only a graphical glitch. (e.g: When I try to move the mouse pointer over the left menu in settings, the boxes become highlighted even though the pointer is lagging behind.)

2. The problem persists when using Ubuntu on Wayland after selecting 'intel' mode in 'nVidia X Server settings'. Wayland is unavailable when using nVidia drivers (I think because they only support Xorg?). Notably, there is no issue on the lock screen using either driver.

3. During a quick test with the mate desktop, I experienced no issues.

Other things that might be useful:
I already stated that connecting a second monitor makes things better sometimes. I have now concluded that both connecting and disconnecting can usually fix things, at least temporarily. I have also experienced logging in without issues a few times. Even then, I experience some sporadic lag, but it's quite managable.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

There are some interesting PCI errors in your kernel log, which might be related. But if those are relevant then they would not be fixable in software. So I can't tell if this is a hardware issue, mutter issue, a kernel issue, a libinput issue or a Xorg issue. Please confirm again the problem does occur when you log into 'Ubuntu on Wayland' and run 'xrandr' after doing so. Then paste the output here.

[jantje dropveter (notnearlynovel)]

I haven't gotten around to testing your suggestions yet. I'm quite busy at the moment. However I do think I have found a solution thanks to 'iphipps' at ask ubuntu. Thread: https://askubuntu.com/questions/1237310/laggy-mouse-pointer-in-ubuntu-20-04?noredirect=1#comment2085973_1237310
Disabling 'zoom' from 'universal access' seems to fix the problem.
If you would like me to do any other tests, I'll be happy to help.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

I expect this was fixed in GNOME 42, if not earlier. I remember this bug but cannot reproduce it anymore.