nouveau spits errors and hangs when ubuntu search window is openned

[WGH]

Every time I open that Ubuntu search thing computer starts to lag. Sometimes blurred backdrop disappears, sometimes other random controls turn green (that is, solid rectangle instead of graphics). Computer even completely froze once.

The video adapter is GeForce 8400 GS. Desktop resolution is 1920x1200. I've got an impression that this didn't occur with previous, much smaller screen (the PC is at work, and that monitor got replaced soon after I started to work there). So this might be caused by lack of resources or something.

For instance, Workspace Switched doesn't cause anything, even though it's probably graphics intense, too (tossing 8 full HD images of desktops around, after all)

If I do `tail -f /var/log/syslog', I notice that nouveau spits a lot of errors.
Here is excerpt from the log (the full log is attached):

Oct 17 12:08:34 fiva kernel: [ 3119.929471] nouveau E[ DRM] fail ttm_validate
Oct 17 12:08:34 fiva kernel: [ 3119.929476] nouveau E[ DRM] validate vram_list
Oct 17 12:08:34 fiva kernel: [ 3119.929518] nouveau E[ DRM] validate: -12
Oct 17 12:08:34 fiva kernel: [ 3120.062026] nouveau E[ PGRAPH][0000:01:00.0] TRAP_TPDMA_RT - TP 0 - Unknown fault at address 004ed60000
Oct 17 12:08:34 fiva kernel: [ 3120.062032] nouveau E[ PGRAPH][0000:01:00.0] TRAP_TPDMA_RT - TP 0 - e0c: 00000000, e18: 00000000, e1c: 00000000, e20: 00001100, e24: 00030000
Oct 17 12:08:34 fiva kernel: [ 3120.062036] nouveau E[ PGRAPH][0000:01:00.0] TRAP
Oct 17 12:08:34 fiva kernel: [ 3120.062043] nouveau E[ PGRAPH][0000:01:00.0] ch 4 [0x000fc34000] subc 3 class 0x8297 mthd 0x1b0c data 0x1000f010
Oct 17 12:08:34 fiva kernel: [ 3120.062058] nouveau E[ PFB][0000:01:00.0] trapped write at 0x004ed60000 on channel 0x0000fc34 PGRAPH/PROP/RT0 reason: PAGE_NOT_PRESENT
Oct 17 12:08:34 fiva kernel: [ 3120.062077] nouveau E[ PGRAPH][0000:01:00.0] TRAP_TPDMA_RT - TP 0 - Unknown fault at address 004ed6e400
Oct 17 12:08:34 fiva kernel: [ 3120.062082] nouveau E[ PGRAPH][0000:01:00.0] TRAP_TPDMA_RT - TP 0 - e0c: 00000000, e18: 00000000, e1c: 001000e0, e20: 00001100, e24: 00030000
Oct 17 12:08:34 fiva kernel: [ 3120.062085] nouveau E[ PGRAPH][0000:01:00.0] TRAP
Oct 17 12:08:34 fiva kernel: [ 3120.062090] nouveau E[ PGRAPH][0000:01:00.0] ch 4 [0x000fc34000] subc 3 class 0x8297 mthd 0x1b0c data 0x1000f010
Oct 17 12:08:34 fiva kernel: [ 3120.062098] nouveau E[ PFB][0000:01:00.0] trapped write at 0x004ed77100 on channel 0x0000fc34 PGRAPH/PROP/RT0 reason: PAGE_NOT_PRESENT
Oct 17 12:08:34 fiva kernel: [ 3120.062133] nouveau E[ PGRAPH][0000:01:00.0] TRAP_TPDMA_RT - TP 0 - Unknown fault at address 004ed80500
Oct 17 12:08:34 fiva kernel: [ 3120.062137] nouveau E[ PGRAPH][0000:01:00.0] TRAP_TPDMA_RT - TP 0 - e0c: 00000000, e18: 00000000, e1c: 00140200, e20: 00001100, e24: 00030000
Oct 17 12:08:34 fiva kernel: [ 3120.062140] nouveau E[ PGRAPH][0000:01:00.0] TRAP
Oct 17 12:08:34 fiva kernel: [ 3120.062145] nouveau E[ PGRAPH][0000:01:00.0] ch 4 [0x000fc34000] subc 3 class 0x8297 mthd 0x1b0c data 0x1000f010
Oct 17 12:08:34 fiva kernel: [ 3120.062155] nouveau E[ PFB][0000:01:00.0] trapped write at 0x004ed85500 on channel 0x0000fc34 PGRAPH/PROP/RT0 reason: PAGE_NOT_PRESENT
Oct 17 12:08:34 fiva kernel: [ 3120.080363] nouveau E[ PGRAPH][0000:01:00.0] TRAP_TPDMA_RT - TP 0 - Unknown fault at address 004ed93700
Oct 17 12:08:34 fiva kernel: [ 3120.080367] nouveau E[ PGRAPH][0000:01:00.0] TRAP_TPDMA_RT - TP 0 - e0c: 00000000, e18: 00000000, e1c: 001c0330, e20: 00001100, e24: 00030000
Oct 17 12:08:34 fiva kernel: [ 3120.080369] nouveau E[ PGRAPH][0000:01:00.0] TRAP
Oct 17 12:08:34 fiva kernel: [ 3120.080374] nouveau E[ PGRAPH][0000:01:00.0] ch 4 [0x000fc34000] subc 3 class 0x8297 mthd 0x1b0c data 0x1000f010
Oct 17 12:08:34 fiva kernel: [ 3120.080385] nouveau E[ PFB][0000:01:00.0] trapped write at 0x004ed97400 on channel 0x0000fc34 PGRAPH/PROP/RT0 reason: PAGE_NOT_PRESENT
Oct 17 12:08:35 fiva kernel: [ 3120.249080] nouveau E[ PGRAPH][0000:01:00.0] magic set 0:
Oct 17 12:08:35 fiva kernel: [ 3120.249086] nouveau E[ PGRAPH][0000:01:00.0] 0x00408904: 0x20094c01
Oct 17 12:08:35 fiva kernel: [ 3120.249090] nouveau E[ PGRAPH][0000:01:00.0] 0x00408908: 0x08000400
Oct 17 12:08:35 fiva kernel: [ 3120.249093] nouveau E[ PGRAPH][0000:01:00.0] 0x0040890c: 0x40000432
Oct 17 12:08:35 fiva kernel: [ 3120.249096] nouveau E[ PGRAPH][0000:01:00.0] 0x00408910: 0x04000000
Oct 17 12:08:35 fiva kernel: [ 3120.249100] nouveau E[ PGRAPH][0000:01:00.0] TRAP_TEXTURE - TP0: Unhandled ustatus 0x00000003
Oct 17 12:08:35 fiva kernel: [ 3120.249102] nouveau E[ PGRAPH][0000:01:00.0] TRAP
Oct 17 12:08:35 fiva kernel: [ 3120.249109] nouveau E[ PGRAPH][0000:01:00.0] ch 4 [0x000fc34000] subc 3 class 0x8297 mthd 0x0f04 data 0x00000000
Oct 17 12:08:35 fiva kernel: [ 3120.249118] nouveau E[ PFB][0000:01:00.0] trapped read at 0x0800040000 on channel 0x0000fc34 PGRAPH/TEXTURE/00 reason: PT_NOT_PRESENT
Oct 17 12:08:35 fiva kernel: [ 3120.412063] nouveau E[ PGRAPH][0000:01:00.0] magic set 0:
Oct 17 12:08:35 fiva kernel: [ 3120.412069] nouveau E[ PGRAPH][0000:01:00.0] 0x00408904: 0x20091a01
Oct 17 12:08:35 fiva kernel: [ 3120.412073] nouveau E[ PGRAPH][0000:01:00.0] 0x00408908: 0x08000100
Oct 17 12:08:35 fiva kernel: [ 3120.412077] nouveau E[ PGRAPH][0000:01:00.0] 0x0040890c: 0x40000432
Oct 17 12:08:35 fiva kernel: [ 3120.412080] nouveau E[ PGRAPH][0000:01:00.0] 0x00408910: 0x01000000
Oct 17 12:08:35 fiva kernel: [ 3120.412083] nouveau E[ PGRAPH][0000:01:00.0] TRAP_TEXTURE - TP0: Unhandled ustatus 0x00000003
Oct 17 12:08:35 fiva kernel: [ 3120.412086] nouveau E[ PGRAPH][0000:01:00.0] TRAP
Oct 17 12:08:35 fiva kernel: [ 3120.412092] nouveau E[ PGRAPH][0000:01:00.0] ch 4 [0x000fc34000] subc 3 class 0x8297 mthd 0x0f04 data 0x00000000
Oct 17 12:08:35 fiva kernel: [ 3120.412108] nouveau E[ PFB][0000:01:00.0] trapped read at 0x0800010000 on channel 0x0000fc34 PGRAPH/TEXTURE/00 reason: PT_NOT_PRESENT
Oct 17 12:08:35 fiva kernel: [ 3120.532794] nouveau E[ PGRAPH][0000:01:00.0] magic set 0:
Oct 17 12:08:35 fiva kernel: [ 3120.532800] nouveau E[ PGRAPH][0000:01:00.0] 0x00408904: 0x20082401
Oct 17 12:08:35 fiva kernel: [ 3120.532803] nouveau E[ PGRAPH][0000:01:00.0] 0x00408908: 0x08000400
Oct 17 12:08:35 fiva kernel: [ 3120.532806] nouveau E[ PGRAPH][0000:01:00.0] 0x0040890c: 0x40000432
Oct 17 12:08:35 fiva kernel: [ 3120.532808] nouveau E[ PGRAPH][0000:01:00.0] 0x00408910: 0x04000000
Oct 17 12:08:35 fiva kernel: [ 3120.532811] nouveau E[ PGRAPH][0000:01:00.0] TRAP_TEXTURE - TP0: Unhandled ustatus 0x00000003

[WGH (wgh)]

Disabling background blur with Unity Tweak Tool "fixes" this problem.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[peter swain (swine)]

I was afflicted by a similar rolling-ttm_validate hang, see bug#1434396 comment#25
Solution in my case was 'apt-get install pam-kwallet5'

If this helps here too, then it might be worth looking at how events from multiple displays are handled, when they're actually from a common all-displays client (like the lock screen)

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[penalvch (penalvch)]

WGH, thank you for reporting this and helping make Ubuntu better.

Could you please run the following command once from a terminal by ensuring you have the package xdiagnose installed, and that you click the Yes button for attaching additional debugging information:
apport-collect -p xorg 1240869

When reporting xorg related bugs in the future, please do so via the above method. You can learn more about this functionality at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ReportingBugs.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for xorg (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]