[radeon] Mouse pointer randomly disappears - other mouse operations still work

[Kendall Paix]

The mouse pointer randomly dissappears (same behavior in ubuntu 20.04 LTS and ubuntu 20.10).
When this occurs all other mouse operations still function
- left/right click
- scroll wheel
- mouse position still moves

Just the actual mouse pointer not visible.
Only way to resolve is to restart the machine.
Tried numerous ways to restart the mouse driver but nothing else successful

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 20.04
Package: xorg 1:7.7+19ubuntu14
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.8.0-59.66~20.04.1-generic 5.8.18
Uname: Linux 5.8.0-59-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu27.18
Architecture: amd64
BootLog: Error: [Errno 13] Permission denied: '/var/log/boot.log'
CasperMD5CheckResult: skip
CompositorRunning: None
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
Date: Sat Jul 10 14:45:22 2021
DistUpgraded: Fresh install
DistroCodename: focal
DistroVariant: ubuntu
ExtraDebuggingInterest: Yes
GraphicsCard:
 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] RV730/M96-XT [Mobility Radeon HD 4670] [1002:9488] (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: Apple Inc. RV730/M96-XT [Mobility Radeon HD 4670] [106b:00b6]
InstallationDate: Installed on 2021-07-05 (4 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 20.04.2.0 LTS "Focal Fossa" - Release amd64 (20210209.1)
MachineType: Apple Inc. iMac10,1
ProcKernelCmdLine: ro root=UUID=30ee9195-f382-4721-8655-6933b38f1842 initrd=boot\initrd.img-5.8.0-59-generic
SourcePackage: xorg
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 06/14/2019
dmi.bios.release: 0.1
dmi.bios.vendor: Apple Inc.
dmi.bios.version: 215.0.0.0.0
dmi.board.asset.tag: Base Board Asset Tag
dmi.board.name: Mac-F2268DC8
dmi.board.vendor: Apple Inc.
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: Asset Tag#
dmi.chassis.type: 13
dmi.chassis.vendor: Apple Inc.
dmi.chassis.version: Mac-F2268DC8
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAppleInc.:bvr215.0.0.0.0:bd06/14/2019:br0.1:svnAppleInc.:pniMac10,1:pvr1.0:rvnAppleInc.:rnMac-F2268DC8:rvr:cvnAppleInc.:ct13:cvrMac-F2268DC8:
dmi.product.family: Mac
dmi.product.name: iMac10,1
dmi.product.sku: System SKU#
dmi.product.version: 1.0
dmi.sys.vendor: Apple Inc.
version.compiz: compiz N/A
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.102-1ubuntu1~20.04.1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 20.2.6-0ubuntu0.20.04.1
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx N/A
version.xserver-xorg-core: xserver-xorg-core 2:1.20.9-2ubuntu1.2~20.04.2
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)]

I wonder if this is related to bug 1935885...

[Kendall Paix (kennygpx)]

Are there any tests I can do?

Tried a few different blue tooth mouses - same result.
Slowed the mouse speed, changed screen resolution - same result.
Can't find a pattern as to what triggers this - sometimes heavy usage, some times very little.

I'm happy to run any diagnostics - if we can't resolve this I will have to look at getting a different hardware but would like to keep using this if we can resolve it.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Yes. Please try logging into 'Ubuntu on Wayland' and tell us if it hits the same issue eventually.

More interruptive but also useful to know, please try other desktop environments like:

  sudo apt install unity-session
  sudo apt install xfce4-session
  sudo apt install cinnamon-session

and then you can select which one on the login screen.

[Kendall Paix (kennygpx)]

Issue occurred with:
Ubuntu on Wayland
GNOME on Xorg
Ubuntu

Will now test unity-session, xfce4-session, cinnamon-session

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Reassigning since it seems the bug is at least the same in Wayland and Xorg.

[Kendall Paix (kennygpx)]

Also occurred on GNOME (I think this was on wayland also)

unity was limited functionality so didn't try for too long.

Any other suggestions?

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Yes Ubuntu and GNOME sessions are really the same thing, just with different themes.

My only suggestion would be to finish testing:

  sudo apt install unity-session
  sudo apt install xfce4-session
  sudo apt install cinnamon-session

so that we can rule in or out 'mutter' being the cause here, or to see if it's a general graphics driver issue.

[Kendall Paix (kennygpx)]

Issue also occurred on unity-session and xfce4-session

Now testing cinnamon-session (needing to run sudo apt install cinnamon-desktop-environment)

[Kendall Paix (kennygpx)]

Ok - tested all the above an issue occurred on each:
  Ubuntu on Wayland
  GNOME on Xorg
  Ubuntu
  sudo apt install unity-session
  sudo apt install xfce4-session
  sudo apt install cinnamon-session

Any next steps?

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Thanks for that. It would seem the only common factor is the kernel so this is now a kernel bug.

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

This change was made by a bot.

[Andrew Toogood (andrew-toogoods)]

Same here, seems like most apple iMacs running ubuntu have this issue, probably relates to ATI RV730 card.

[Kai-Heng Feng (kaihengfeng)]

Please test latest drm-tip kernel:
https://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/drm-tip/current/

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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