ubuntu groovy desktop, change screen position and lost background, then background went low-signal blotchy tv like

[Chris Guiver]

Ubuntu groovy QA-test (live)

I changed screen setup to match my setup (2x 1920x1080 displays one above the other, the default-right got moved to above my other monitor). On doing this screen background disappeared and became black.

On using system, background changes from all BLACK to blocky-low-signal digital-tv like blocks that is unusable for reading detail on screen, but it seems to return to all black in time (or with use)

I can change wallpapers and that appears to work correctly at least for a time, the new wallpaper will disappear (again with time or use) and wallpaper goes dead-black again (though primary screen may also have mimimized windows appearing in blocky-low-signal-tv like; not neat and readable but messy & changing.. nice easy black on second monitor)

I've been unable to take screen dumps, not sure why.

/var/crash/ is empty

Minimized windows do not disappear from screen, hitting minimize on a window does nothing (visually). It's these images that appear to become the blocky-blotchety-low-signal background that eventually becomes all black. Once a window was made to minimize, even though image is fully on screen, clicking mouse on visible-window works now like you're clicking background (though minimized window is displayed). If i could get screendumps this effect could be lost.

Currently this report is low quality (can't get screencaptures, no photo), but the behavior differs between my screens. My upper screen is a lot less problematic than my-lower (primary) display.

Opening the menu blackens (completely) the background on lower display (yeah, the older windows that were minimized can be distracting..) and improves usability.

/var/crash now has contents

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ ls -la /var/crash
total 168
drwxrwsrwt 1 root whoopsie 100 Aug 29 01:18 .
drwxr-xr-x 1 root root 160 Aug 28 08:15 ..
-rw-r----- 1 ubuntu whoopsie 164662 Aug 29 01:18 _usr_share_apport_dump_acpi_tables.py.999.crash
-rw-rw-r-- 1 ubuntu whoopsie 0 Aug 29 01:18 _usr_share_apport_dump_acpi_tables.py.999.upload
-rw------- 1 whoopsie whoopsie 37 Aug 29 01:18 _usr_share_apport_dump_acpi_tables.py.999.uploaded

I haven't worked out a pattern on what causes the strange behavior, it's not all the time -- however I can create the worst of it by just changing the screen orientation (even just a little). Do that and any chosen wallpaper is gone, and my background appears to be filled with detail from possibly prior? pages!?? eg. rather than my two screens directly one above the other, I move to top to be slight left/right a little..

As I type this into firefox window (on lp), I'm getting glitches on the background that is somewhat distracting/annoying. I wouldn't use this system as it is.

The issue is likely graphics driver related.. though I've tagged kernel.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 20.10
Package: linux-image-5.4.0-42-generic 5.4.0-42.46
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.4.0-42.46-generic 5.4.44
Uname: Linux 5.4.0-42-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: zfs zunicode zavl icp zcommon znvpair
ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu45
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: ubuntu 4611 F.... pulseaudio
CasperMD5CheckResult: pass
CasperVersion: 1.452
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
Date: Sat Aug 29 01:17:01 2020
IwConfig:
 lo no wireless extensions.

 enp0s25 no wireless extensions.
LiveMediaBuild: Ubuntu 20.10 "Groovy Gorilla" - Alpha amd64 (20200828)
MachineType: Hewlett-Packard HP Compaq dc7700 Small Form Factor
ProcEnviron:
 TERM=xterm-256color
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcFB: 0 nouveaudrmfb
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/casper/vmlinuz file=/cdrom/preseed/username.seed maybe-ubiquity quiet splash ---
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-restricted-modules-5.4.0-42-generic N/A
 linux-backports-modules-5.4.0-42-generic N/A
 linux-firmware 1.190
RfKill:

SourcePackage: linux
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 08/30/2006
dmi.bios.vendor: Hewlett-Packard
dmi.bios.version: 786E1 v01.05
dmi.board.name: 0A54h
dmi.board.vendor: Hewlett-Packard
dmi.chassis.type: 4
dmi.chassis.vendor: Hewlett-Packard
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnHewlett-Packard:bvr786E1v01.05:bd08/30/2006:svnHewlett-Packard:pnHPCompaqdc7700SmallFormFactor:pvr:rvnHewlett-Packard:rn0A54h:rvr:cvnHewlett-Packard:ct4:cvr:
dmi.product.family: 103C_53307F
dmi.product.name: HP Compaq dc7700 Small Form Factor
dmi.product.sku: ET090AV
dmi.sys.vendor: Hewlett-Packard

this is quite probably a duplicate; experienced before I suspect

[Ubuntu Kernel Bot (ubuntu-kernel-bot)]

This change was made by a bot.

[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/1893493

[Chris Guiver (guiverc)]

I just edited the detail on this page, and the background changed to include detail from this page.

On the 'background' is my directory listing of /var/crash that appears above... with red "~" underneath the "drwxr-xr-x" flashing... It's no longer flashing on this page though, as I'm no longer editing the main entry, but writing this comment.

As I copy & pasted the "drwxr-" detail from above; the background I was watching changed to black (it's not all black, other parts of prior firefox windows are still visible on the screen).

Also my description doesn't fit; I now have old windows appearing on my-top (secondary) monitor with the same red "~" flashing under /var/crash detail; did the image just change position when I copy & pasted the "drwxr-" detail??

Ending testing this...

--
Image see https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipOZysaQhwaflltuhGd0SgaNNtbL6-ozqBwF1jHnUpYsFH9yAAncb3CkmYOOfl2iJw?key=NkJKT253S1ZIY2FKOVF0bmRyMHFGc2VrNmhNMFBn

Please note - my top (secondary) monitor should contain only background (no windows); the bit that looks like launchpad is currently readable with red "~" underneath some characters flashing like I was editing this bug report earlier (top display was perfectly black during that edit).

The bottom monitor contains my real firefox display where I'm writing this, plus snippets of earlier firefox windows.. The initial red "~" & scren appeared I started describing was initially visible on what now contains dock top right of bottom display (dock wasn't visible when I was writing, or barely visible anyway; the background ghost-window moved when I copied from the "drwx" up this page...

[Chris Guiver (guiverc)]

Ubuntu groovy (daily 2020-10-16-4) QA-test install on
- hp dc7700 (c2d-e6320, 5gb, nvidia quadro nvs 290)

and post-install I was doing checks to ensure system was steady & good, one of which is to adjust displays to match my setup, and backgrounds disappeared.

This is the same box as the bug was filed against (thru exploration of QA-test reports link in comment #3)

I didn't report this bug in QA-test today, as it's not part of the install QA-test, just stuff I do to validate install afterwards (on login).

Today's can be found at http://iso.qa.ubuntu.com/qatracker/milestones/413/builds/221858/testcases/1300/results/

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Since groovy has reached end-of-life let's use bug 1925279 instead.