gtk+2.0 update 2.23.3-1ubuntu2 update triggers repeated gdm greeter crashes

[Andy Whitcroft]

Upgrade on/after 2010-12-23 10:00 onwards:

On reboot the gdm greeter repeatedly crashes showing and hiding (flashing) as a white rectangle. The renders machines unusable for graphical login.

Minimal workaround whilst it is being investigated:

  wget http://launchpadlibrarian.net/60749844/libgtk2.0-bin_2.23.2-0ubuntu4_all.deb
  sudo dpkg -i libgtk2.0-bin_2.23.2-0ubuntu4_all.deb
  sudo restart gdm

Original WORK AROUND

I managed to get my machine working again by downgrading gtk+2.0 and gtk+3.0 to their previous versions.

I did the following:

1) Switch to VT#1
2) login
3) run service gdm stop
4) cd to /var/cache/apt/archives and downgrade your packages to the previous versions
5) run service gdm start

Lots of confirmations on Ubuntu Forums, first report 10 hours ago:

  "Natty gives me a white flashing login box"
  http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=10272367

[Harry (harry33)]

I have also problems with this latest GTK+2.0_2.23.3-1ubuntu2.
GDM works fine, but certain applets became invisible:
- clock
- notification area
- trash.

Downgrading GTK+2.0 to version 2.23.2-0ubuntu4 did fix this.
I did not have to downgrade the new GTK+3.0 packages.

See bug #693758

[Andy Whitcroft (apw)]

I have heard rumours that the gtk+3.0 packages are missing some essential .po files, but I have not verified this is the issue in this case.

[Tobias Wolf (towolf)]

When you run startx to circumvent gdm you get a desktop but you can’t start gnome-settings-daemon.

It fails with Gdk-CRITICAL **: IA_gdk_window_add_filter: assertion `window = NULL || GDK_IS_WINDOW (window)' failed

[Harry (harry33)]

Well, installing libgtk2.0_2.23.3-1ubuntu2 packages I get the following error:

Unpacking replacement libgtk2.0-bin ...
Processing triggers for man-db ...
Gdk-CRITICAL **: IA__gdk_window_add_filter: assertion `window == NULL || GDK_IS_WINDOW (window)' failed at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/FrontEnd/Gnome.pm line 97.
Gdk-CRITICAL **: IA__gdk_window_add_filter: assertion `window == NULL || GDK_IS_WINDOW (window)' failed at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/FrontEnd/Gnome.pm line 103.

[Harry (harry33)]

Andy
Does this bug still affect you if you reinstall the new GTK+3.0_2.91.7-1ubuntu1 packages, but not GTK+2.0_2.23.3-1ubuntu2 packages?

[Paul Sladen (sladen)]

Haven't confirmed that it definitely is Gtk+ yet (haven't found a combination that I can successfully roll back to). Total package delta attached.

[Harry (harry33)]

So Paul, did you downgrade the following packages to the version 2.23.2_0ubuntu4 yet?
I think that will solve the issue.

Packages:
gir1.2-gtk-2.0
gtk2-engines-pixbuf
libgail18
libgail-common (if installed)
libgtk2.0-0
libgtk2.0-bin
libgtk2.0-common

[Paul Sladen (sladen)]

Not completely:
ii gir1.2-gtk-2.0 2.23.3-1ubuntu2
ii gtk2-engines-pixbuf 2.23.3-1ubuntu2
ii libgail-common 2.23.3-1ubuntu2
ii libgail18 2.23.3-1ubuntu2
ii libgtk2.0-0 2.23.3-1ubuntu2
ii libgtk2.0-bin 2.23.2-0ubuntu4
ii libgtk2.0-common 2.23.2-0ubuntu4

Let me try the full set.

[Paul Sladen (sladen)]

From:

  https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gtk+2.0/2.23.2-0ubuntu4/+build/2099882

Grabbing:

  http://launchpadlibrarian.net/60749853/gir1.2-gtk-2.0_2.23.2-0ubuntu4_i386.deb
  http://launchpadlibrarian.net/60749852/gtk2-engines-pixbuf_2.23.2-0ubuntu4_i386.deb
  http://launchpadlibrarian.net/60749855/libgail-common_2.23.2-0ubuntu4_i386.deb
  http://launchpadlibrarian.net/60749854/libgail18_2.23.2-0ubuntu4_i386.deb
  http://launchpadlibrarian.net/60749847/libgtk2.0-0_2.23.2-0ubuntu4_i386.deb
  http://launchpadlibrarian.net/60749844/libgtk2.0-bin_2.23.2-0ubuntu4_all.deb
  http://launchpadlibrarian.net/60749843/libgtk2.0-common_2.23.2-0ubuntu4_all.deb

[Paul Sladen (sladen)]

From testing it is only necessary to:

  wget http://launchpadlibrarian.net/60749844/libgtk2.0-bin_2.23.2-0ubuntu4_all.deb
  sudo dpkg -i libgtk2.0-bin_2.23.2-0ubuntu4_all.deb

[Fabio Marconi (fabiomarconi)]

just updated, but not affected.

[Harry (harry33)]

There is new version (2.23.3-1ubuntu3) building right now.
It should fix this.
Here is the link:
https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/natty/+source/gtk+2.0/2.23.3-1ubuntu3

[Bilal Akhtar (bilalakhtar)]

Robert seems to have worked around the problem by uploading version
2.32.2-0ubuntu4 of gtk+2.0 again.

gtk+2.0 (2.23.3.is.2.23.2-0ubuntu1) natty; urgency=low

  * Downgrade to older 2.32.2-0ubuntu4 version for now, there are still
    problems being reported
  * debian/control:
    - Build-depend on gobject-introspection 0.10.0-0ubuntu3 as the previous
      version has problems

 affects ubuntu/gtk+2.0
 status fixreleased