when compiz have enabled gtk-window-decorator libreoffice-calc show transparent window

[spirou]

ubuntu 20.04
Compiz 0.9.14.0
Libreoffice 6.3 from repo
LIbreoffice 6.4 from document fundation

Description:
when compiz have enabled gtk-window-decorator, libreoffice apliction show transparent window

[Gabriel Finkelstein (gabrielfinkelstein)]

Description:
After opening a CSV in Calc (Text import) instead of opening the main Calc window, the space where the window is supposed to be, shows a "frozen" image of whatever was under the window before opening it. Calc menus and buttons still work, but nothing is visible. It'a a bit hard to explain, but the attached video is self explanatory.

The only error I get is:

(soffice:28076): Gtk-WARNING **: 12:06:36.708: infinite surface size not supported

I'm using Ubuntu MATE 18.04
- This happens when using Compiz, but not when using Compton
- This happens in LO 6.2 & 6.3 but not in LO 6.1.5
- This happens when Calc's window starts maximized, but not when it starts unmaximized
- This happens when using libreoffice-gtk3 but not when using libreoffice-gtk2

Steps to Reproduce:
1. Enable Compiz
2. Open a CSV file with Calc
3. Click "OK" on the "Text import" window

Actual Results:
Whatever was on the screen stays frozen, as if it were a static image, and the Calc window were invisible. Moving the mouse around and clicking seems to open Calc menus.

Expected Results:
Calc's main window should open normally

Reproducible: Always

User Profile Reset: Yes

OpenGL enabled: Yes

Additional Info:
Version: 6.3.0.4
Build ID: 1:6.3.0-0ubuntu0.18.04.1~lo2
CPU threads: 4; OS: Linux 4.15; UI render: default; VCL: gtk3;
Locale: es-AR (en_US.UTF-8); UI-Language: en-US
Calc: threaded

[Gabriel Finkelstein (gabrielfinkelstein)]

Created attachment 153353
Reproducing the issue

[JBF (jbf-faure)]

Not reproducible with version 6.3.3.0+ built at home under Ubuntu/Gnome 18.04 x86-64 with GTK3 backend.

Best regards. JBF

[timur (ba.timur)]

You write: 2. Open a CSV file with Calc
But in video you open via double click. Does it also happen with File-Open?
Does it happen with other CSV files or any other files?
How did you install LO 6.2 and 6.3, via PPA or debs?
Seems like some integration issue.

[Gabriel Finkelstein (gabrielfinkelstein)]

(In reply to Timur from comment #3)
> You write: 2. Open a CSV file with Calc
> But in video you open via double click. Does it also happen with File-Open?
If I open Calc and then go to File > Open, the CSV opens correctly. BUT if I leave that file open and open a second file the same way, the issue happens again.

I can also reproduce the issue by opening the CSV through the CLI with the command:
libreoffice aaa.csv

Something else I just discovered: if Calc is already open with a blank spreadsheet, and I open a CSV in the same way as the steps to reproduce, it opens correctly.

> Does it happen with other CSV files or any other files?
It happens with any CSV file.
I have not seen it happen with any other formats. Although CSV is the only one I use that uses the text import feature.

> How did you install LO 6.2 and 6.3, via PPA or debs?
Via PPA: https://launchpad.net/~libreoffice/+archive/ubuntu/ppa

I also experienced this issue when I had Ubuntu 16.04 + Gnome Flashback + Compiz.

I just tested on another machine with Ubuntu MATE 18.04 and a clean Compiz profile, and the issue also happens there.

If it helps, this person also has the same issue (that's me in the answer): https://askubuntu.com/questions/1140156/calc-shows-title-bar-only-when-opening-csv-in-compiz/1141598

[Qa-admin-q (qa-admin-q)]

[Automated Action] NeedInfo-To-Unconfirmed

[Apiuano-lobugs (apiuano-lobugs)]

Not sure if related. Came here because of the "infinite surface size not supported" warning.

I had the similar issues (cinnamon freezes but can move mouse) with a personal python3 (3.6) project using Gtk (3.26.1) in Ubuntu 18.04 (64bit) and there was the same warning. Project was not related to LibreOffice.

I found (my) problem: I had a Gtk.TextView in a Gtk.Box directly and not inside a Gtk.ScrolledWindow. There was no problem for small text, but in big texts the whole system freezes although I could move the mouse.
After I inserted the Gtk.TextView inside a Gtk.ScrolledWindow the problem solved.

Since the report is about a Gtk 3 environment probably there exists something similar. Example: a textview-like widget that tries to occupy more surface than it "can". Or the order in which the widgets "realize" themselves.

(The problem does not exists in my Calc (LO 6.0.7.3). But I also do not use Compiz So this is not a declaration that the problem does not really exist.

[Xiscofauli (xiscofauli)]

Hello Gabriel,
Does it work if you launch LibreOffice from commandline with 'SAL_USE_VCLPLUGIN=gen soffice' ?

[Gabriel Finkelstein (gabrielfinkelstein)]

Hello Xisco,

It does work indeed if I open it with that command

[Imran Iqbal (iqbalmy)]

Same issue here (Ubuntu 19.10) and thanks to @spirou for tracking down that it's `gtk-window-decorator`, since that's enabled me to find a workaround:

* Disable `Window Decoration` using CCSM.
* Open affected documents in LibreOffice.
* Re-enable `Window Decoration`.

This isn't restricted to `gtk-window-decorator`; I've also reproduced this bug using `emerald` as well.

I've found this affects more than just opening `.csv` files; it appears to be anything that involves a LibreOffice dialog. All in all, here are the events where I triggered this issue (all avoided by the workaround):

1. Opening `.csv` files.
2. Opening password protected documents.
3. (An important one) Single/multiple document recovery if LibreOffice crashes or was killed, with or without documents of types 1 & 2.

Using the manual installation debs (from https://downloadarchive.documentfoundation.org/libreoffice/old/) and based on this reference (https://askubuntu.com/questions/1140156/calc-shows-title-bar-only-when-opening-csv-in-compiz), I was able to track down where this bug is first triggered. `6.1.6.3` is the last working version and the first instability occurs in `6.2.0.1`. This continues all the way through to the latest release, `6.4.0.1`.

[Alexnader Karenin (hellkaim)]

Confirm. Running Ubuntu 19.04 Mate. Enabling compiz makes Calc window transparent. With other composite managers all is fine.

[Alexnader Karenin (hellkaim)]

I also tryed to reproduce the bug with 18.04 under xfce4 and compiz. As my libreoffice is Version: 6.0.7.3 - no issues with Calc. Opens like expected. Any requests for logs\dumps are welcome.

[spirou (mariuszperyt-deactivatedaccount)]

For my workaround was to remove libreoffice-gtk3 and install libreoffice-gtk2

[Imran Iqbal (iqbalmy)]

@spirou Excellent, that seems to be holding up at my end, too. Thanks again.

[Xiscofauli (xiscofauli)]

(In reply to Gabriel from comment #8)
> Hello Xisco,
>
> It does work indeed if I open it with that command

The was an issue related to CSV dialog which was recently fixed in LibreOffice 6.3.4
Could you please try with LibreOffice 6.3.4 from https://www.libreoffice.org/download/libreoffice-fresh/ ?
I have set the bug's status to 'NEEDINFO'. Please change it back to 'UNCONFIRMED' if the bug is still present in the latest version.

[Gabriel Finkelstein (gabrielfinkelstein)]

I'm using 6.3.4.2 from the PPA and the issue still occurs.

[Timo-jyrinki+libreoffice (timo-jyrinki+libreoffice)]

Still happens with LibreOffice 6.4.2 from PPA https://launchpad.net/~libreoffice/+archive/ubuntu/libreoffice-6-4

Basically libreoffice --calc works the first time, the second time there's the warning about infinite surface size and static image copied from elsewhere is shown instead of Calc. rm -rf ~/.config/libreoffice and it again works, but only once (just opening, closing and opening again triggers the problem).

Using GNOME Flashback (Compiz) session on Ubuntu 18.04. Maybe easiest to install with: apt install gnome-flashback compiz (need to reboot or restart gdm for new session types to appear)

I can only debug this machine remotely and rarely, and there seems to be variations of this behavior. For example I tried to fix the problem with stock 18.04's LibreOffice (6.0.7) by upgrading to the PPA, and it seemed to fix the problem. It was possible to open many files for some days.

The exact details might be related to the multi monitor setup in use, which display the office opens on, or for example if libreoffice was made full screen or windowed before closing. It's still a mystery how the behavior can be triggered from "outside" LibreOffice ie something changes and then even removing .config/libreoffice does not make it functional anymore for more than one time or anything else that comes to mind.

I've now asked the user to switch to GNOME Flashback (Metacity) instead of Compiz and trying out like that now.

[Ilmari-lauhakangas (ilmari-lauhakangas)]

Multiple confirmations, so setting to NEW. Maybe it will be determined to be NOTOURBUG later.

[Jarosław Rafa (raj001)]

Happens to me in Ubuntu 20.04 with Compiz as well - even filed a separate bug #134615 as I didn't know about this one.

[Jarosław Rafa (raj001)]

*** Bug 134615 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

[Jarosław Rafa (raj001)]

May be related to #125543 ?

[Gabriel Finkelstein (gabrielfinkelstein)]

Could be, but they don't mention anything about the "invisible window", nor that it's specific to Compiz.

Status update: the bug keeps happening in LO 7.0.4

[Jarosław Rafa (raj001)]

But the "invisible" window, when unmaximized, turns into zero-size window mentioned in bug 125543. So they may be somehow related. It may be that during opening a CSV file while Calc window is maximized it's size is internally changed to 0 and this causes both the "invisible" window (it somehow still remembers the maximized state, but due to zero size nothing is shown) and the zero size window after unmaximizing.

[Paul Dev (pauldev77)]

The workaround of using "libreoffice-gtk2" provides a part workaround.
No transparent window anymore - but its not possible to fill the screen with the libreoffice application (bottom 10mm or so of screen is blurred/unusable).
When using "libreoffice-gtk3" - can confirm that using marco = no issue, and that ensuring the last window state of the LO application was NOT maximised prevents the issue from occurring.

[Paul Dev (pauldev77)]

REF:
https://askubuntu.com/questions/1140156/calc-shows-title-bar-only-when-opening-csv-in-compiz
https://ubuntu.forumming.com/question/4129/calc-shows-title-bar-only-when-opening-csv-in-compiz
https://<email address hidden>/msg615872.html

[Paul Dev (pauldev77)]

/usr/lib/libreoffice/program/soffice.bin --calc file:////home/paul/Downloads/SampleCSVFile_2kb.csv

(soffice:15606): Gtk-WARNING **: 21:17:49.387: infinite surface size not supported

Open LibreOffice calc, then open file "/home/paul/Downloads/SampleCSVFile_2kb.csv" - resize the window to less than maximum, then repeat using the above command, and it works OK.
Maximise the window, close, then repeat above command - transparent window issue occurs again

[Paul Dev (pauldev77)]

This command also works as a work around
sed -i 's/.*SpreadsheetDocument.*ooSetupFactoryWindowAttributes" oor:op="fuse"><value>/&57,38,1805,980;1;0,0,0,0;<\/value><\/prop><\/item>/g' ~/.config/libreoffice/4/user/registrymodifications.xcu

Replacing the "57,38,1805,980;1;0,0,0,0;" with whatever are good values for your display size as taken from "~/.config/libreoffice/4/user/registrymodifications.xcu" when LibreOffice opens OK.

[Markus Desch (do1fmd)]

I had the same problem with LibreOffice Writer.
With the help of the last post from pauldev77, I could fix it by adding the following line to ~/.config/libreoffice/4/user/registrymodifications.xcu:

<item oor:path="/org.openoffice.Setup/Office/Factories/org.openoffice.Setup:Factory['com.sun.star.text.TextDocument']"><prop oor:name="ooSetupFactoryWindowAttributes" oor:op="fuse"><value>57,38,1805,980;1;0,0,0,0;</value></prop></item>

[Ilmari-lauhakangas (ilmari-lauhakangas)]

*** Bug 138299 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

[Thomas Mayer (thomas303)]

I have Build-ID: 1:6.0.7-0ubuntu0.18.04.11

I can open writer but when opening calc on console, it gives me a

$ libreoffice --calc
Warning: failed to read path from javaldx

(soffice:5005): Gtk-WARNING **: 16:39:12.849: infinite surface size not supported

(soffice:5005): Gtk-WARNING **: 16:39:12.849: infinite surface size not supported

The outcome is that a calc window is not visible but instead, it seems to be a transparent window which still displays its background, e.g. other programs in the background or the desktop.

For no apparent reason I cannot use calc any more. I did not change anything and I did not install updates since it was working the last time.

This is really a showblocker in such an important application. The workarounds described above are not suitable for ordinary users of calc.

I've never seen this before while heavily using ubuntu 18.04 (and its version of calc) since it came out - and theoretically, it still has support for one year.

My expectation would have been that someone posted a link to a libreoffice bug. And once this is fixed, there should be a fix in ubuntu as well.

[Thomas Mayer (thomas303)]

Editing ~/.config/libreoffice/4/user/registrymodifications.xcu did the trick for me as well and calc can be openend as ususual.

In my case, ci copied the resolution value from the TextDocument entry to the SpreadsheetDocument entry.

before:

<item oor:path="/org.openoffice.Setup/Office/Factories/org.openoffice.Setup:Factory['com.sun.star.sheet.SpreadsheetDocument']"><prop oor:name="ooSetupFactoryWindowAttributes" oor:op="fuse"><value>1920,40,717,27;5;1920,40,1920,1040;</value></prop></item>
<item oor:path="/org.openoffice.Setup/Office/Factories/org.openoffice.Setup:Factory['com.sun.star.text.TextDocument']"><prop oor:name="ooSetupFactoryWindowAttributes" oor:op="fuse"><value>1184,40,735,83;5;1920,40,1920,1040;</value></prop></item>

after:

<item oor:path="/org.openoffice.Setup/Office/Factories/org.openoffice.Setup:Factory['com.sun.star.sheet.SpreadsheetDocument']"><prop oor:name="ooSetupFactoryWindowAttributes" oor:op="fuse"><value>1184,40,735,83;5;1920,40,1920,1040;</value></prop></item>
<item oor:path="/org.openoffice.Setup/Office/Factories/org.openoffice.Setup:Factory['com.sun.star.text.TextDocument']"><prop oor:name="ooSetupFactoryWindowAttributes" oor:op="fuse"><value>1184,40,735,83;5;1920,40,1920,1040;</value></prop></item>

Thank you for pointing this out. It really helped me.

I assume that this is really a nasty bug. A fix should consider if values smaller than the current screen size are taken when the stored values exceed the screen size.

It does not even make sense to store these value as long as users have multiple monitors with different resolutions. I have 3 monitors whereas 2 of them are via docking station so that they are not there when the laptop is not plugged into the docking station.

It's not just in recent years that screen resolutions can change at any time. This has not been much different 20 years ago.

[Thomas Mayer (thomas303)]

Just for the record:

Build-ID: 1:6.0.7-0ubuntu0.18.04.11

translates into
LibreOffice Version: 6.0.7.3

according LO's about dialog reports.

[Thomas Mayer (thomas303)]

@hellkaim I can confirm that Ubuntu 18.0.4 and LibreOffice Version 6.0.7.3 are affected as well, as described before.

You have described that you have tested to just open calc and it worked. But this test is not suitable because the problem only occurs sporadically.

It was working for me as well yesterday (and for several years). But today, it was not working any more. For no apparent reason.

[Thomas Mayer (thomas303)]

May be related: https://bugs.documentfoundation.org/show_bug.cgi?id=126886

[Thomas-mayer (thomas-mayer)]

I can confirm this issue for

Ubuntu 18.04 up-to-date
Kernel: Linux lat61 5.4.0-109-generic #123~18.04.1-Ubuntu SMP Fri Apr 8 09:48:52 UTC 2022 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

LO Build-ID: 1:6.0.7-0ubuntu0.18.04.11
LibreOffice Version: 6.0.7.3

With

metacity 1:3.28.0-1ubuntu0.1
compiz 1:0.9.13.1+18.04.20180302-0ubuntu1

Please have a look at: https://bugs.launchpad.net/unity-linux/+source/libreoffice/+bug/1854183

The bug is confirmed by multiple users and e.g. calc not showing up (while writer does work) occurs sporadically, when ~/.config/libreoffice/4/user/registrymodifications.xcu has values which lead to the problem.

To work around this problem, I had to edit this file for calc to work again. In my case, I copied the resolution value from the TextDocument entry to the SpreadsheetDocument entry.

before:

<item oor:path="/org.openoffice.Setup/Office/Factories/org.openoffice.Setup:Factory['com.sun.star.sheet.SpreadsheetDocument']"><prop oor:name="ooSetupFactoryWindowAttributes" oor:op="fuse"><value>1920,40,717,27;5;1920,40,1920,1040;</value></prop></item>
<item oor:path="/org.openoffice.Setup/Office/Factories/org.openoffice.Setup:Factory['com.sun.star.text.TextDocument']"><prop oor:name="ooSetupFactoryWindowAttributes" oor:op="fuse"><value>1184,40,735,83;5;1920,40,1920,1040;</value></prop></item>

after:

<item oor:path="/org.openoffice.Setup/Office/Factories/org.openoffice.Setup:Factory['com.sun.star.sheet.SpreadsheetDocument']"><prop oor:name="ooSetupFactoryWindowAttributes" oor:op="fuse"><value>1184,40,735,83;5;1920,40,1920,1040;</value></prop></item>
<item oor:path="/org.openoffice.Setup/Office/Factories/org.openoffice.Setup:Factory['com.sun.star.text.TextDocument']"><prop oor:name="ooSetupFactoryWindowAttributes" oor:op="fuse"><value>1184,40,735,83;5;1920,40,1920,1040;</value></prop></item>

The bug seems to be that resolution values are stored in ~/.config/libreoffice/4/user/registrymodifications.xcu which then lead to the "infinite surface size not supported" warning (and calc not showing up).

In my case, an (up to) three monitor setup with multiple resulutions (or usable resolutions because of the bars for one main screen) might have triggered this whole issue from one day to the other and for no apparent reason.

[smurf (luca-dgh)]

Hi!
I'm affected from this bug as well on Ubuntu 20.04, Libreoffice 7.3.4.2
I was trying to change the XCU file as Thomas-mayer posted in post #36, but I'm getting in trouble because I can't find the string to replace in my config file.
I'm using Mate desktop, Pluma editor. I tried to find various partial part of the string, but no results.
Anyone can help me please?