Unity Launcher and window borders missing upon login when using 3 monitors

[Jonathan Brier]

In the past 36 hours an update released broke something. Now I only have the desktop background and icons shown, but no unity launcher or window borders. This is on a 2 GPU system with 3 displays on one card. I noticed in the apport some xserver errors, but don't know if they are relevant to the issue.

To reproduce:
All that is needed to produce this result is to log into the machine with three monitors connected. Note that when two monitors is used, it works correctly.

Expected:
All window elements display such as unity launcher, window

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 13.04
Package: compiz 1:0.9.9~daily13.04.18.1~13.04-0ubuntu1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.8.0-18.28-generic 3.8.6
Uname: Linux 3.8.0-18-generic x86_64
.tmp.unity.support.test.0:

ApportVersion: 2.9.2-0ubuntu8
Architecture: amd64
CompizPlugins: No value set for `/apps/compiz-1/general/screen0/options/active_plugins'
CompositorRunning: None
Date: Thu Apr 18 12:39:45 2013
DistUpgraded: 2013-03-12 02:17:04,856 DEBUG enabling apt cron job
DistroCodename: raring
DistroVariant: ubuntu
EcryptfsInUse: Yes
InstallationDate: Installed on 2012-11-29 (139 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 12.10 "Quantal Quetzal" - Release amd64 (20121017.5)
MachineType: System manufacturer System Product Name
MarkForUpload: True
PackageArchitecture: all
ProcEnviron:
 TERM=xterm
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.8.0-18-generic root=UUID=c4ec6b3f-ea2f-479a-9ad4-f1eab2c84e9c ro crashkernel=384M-2G:64M,2G-:128M quiet splash vt.handoff=7
SourcePackage: compiz
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to raring on 2013-03-12 (37 days ago)
dmi.bios.date: 09/14/2012
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: 2101
dmi.board.asset.tag: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.board.name: Crosshair IV Formula
dmi.board.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer INC.
dmi.board.version: Rev 1.xx
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: Asset-1234567890
dmi.chassis.type: 3
dmi.chassis.vendor: Chassis Manufacture
dmi.chassis.version: Chassis Version
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvr2101:bd09/14/2012:svnSystemmanufacturer:pnSystemProductName:pvrSystemVersion:rvnASUSTeKComputerINC.:rnCrosshairIVFormula:rvrRev1.xx:cvnChassisManufacture:ct3:cvrChassisVersion:
dmi.product.name: System Product Name
dmi.product.version: System Version
dmi.sys.vendor: System manufacturer
version.compiz: compiz 1:0.9.9~daily13.04.18.1~13.04-0ubuntu1
version.ia32-libs: ia32-libs 20090808ubuntu36
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.43-0ubuntu1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 9.1.1-0ubuntu2
version.libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental: libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental N/A
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 9.1.1-0ubuntu2
version.xserver-xorg-core: xserver-xorg-core 2:1.13.3-0ubuntu6
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev 1:2.7.3-0ubuntu2b2
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:7.1.0-0ubuntu2
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.21.6-0ubuntu3
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:1.0.7-0ubuntu1
xserver.bootTime: Thu Apr 18 12:10:10 2013
xserver.configfile: /etc/X11/xorg.conf
xserver.devices:
 input Power Button KEYBOARD, id 6
 input Power Button KEYBOARD, id 7
 input Logitech USB Receiver KEYBOARD, id 8
 input Logitech USB Receiver KEYBOARD, id 9
 input HD Pro Webcam C920 KEYBOARD, id 10
xserver.errors:
 RADEON(G0): [XvMC] Failed to initialize extension.
 RADEON(G1): [XvMC] Failed to initialize extension.
 RADEON(G2): [XvMC] Failed to initialize extension.
xserver.logfile: /var/log/Xorg.0.log
xserver.version: 2:1.13.3-0ubuntu6
xserver.video_driver: radeon

[Jonathan Brier (brierjon)]

Here is a screenshot of the desktop for reference of the missing elements. Missing launcher, window controls, etc. Shown are some terminals, chrome, and gedit all with missing window elements.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[LostinSpacetime (lostinspacetime)]

Same here. After update, compiz crashes after login. When running "unity" from terminal, everything is ok until the unity plugin is loaded.

[Christopher Townsend (townsend)]

Hi Jonathan,

This looks similar to bug #1166765 except that bug (and it's duplicates) were Nvidia based GPU's using the nvidia binary driver. This bug looks to be AMD graphics using the open source radeon driver.

It has been reported that very recent updates may have fixed this. Please try switching to a VT (Ctrl-Alt-F1), logging in, and from there issue:
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

Please report if that fixes this. If not, then try what is suggested here: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/compiz/+bug/1166765/comments/9

Thanks,
Chris

[Jonathan Brier (brierjon)]

Hi Chris,

I tried the
sudo apt-get update and sudo apt-get dist-upgrade which after a reboot did not resolve the issue.

I then tried the instructions in the suggested comment #9. The info suggested and the xsession errors are attached.

The active plugins are as follows:
['core', 'composite', 'opengl', 'decor', 'vpswitch', 'grid', 'compiztoolbox', 'place', 'imgpng', 'snap', 'copytex', 'gnomecompat', 'regex', 'resize', 'mousepoll', 'animation', 'unitymtgrabhandles', 'expo', 'move', 'session', 'wall', 'ezoom', 'workarounds', 'fade', 'scale', 'unityshell']

I rebooted after the gsettings reset. So far no change in the behavior reported.

There is a compiz crash on upon startup (not every time), but the count value for each crash has not been higher than 1 each time that I've observed the report on the crash. These compiz crashes never open a browser to report a new issue. I have not seen a related bug listed in the collected information.

[Jonathan Brier (brierjon)]

After some testing I discovered that the issue only appears for a 3 screen configuration. My machine has a 2 dvi and 1 displayport to dvi connection on one of the two gpu's card. Upon unplugging any 1 of the connections the unity launcher and bars reappear. Only when all 3 are plugged into to the card does the unity launcher and borders disappear.

Upon replugging in the 3rd monitor the launcher and borders disappear.

[Christopher Townsend (townsend)]

Hi Jonathan,

Thanks for the additional info. So it seems something does not liking your 3 monitor setup. I noticed you are using the open source radeon driver. Have you tried the fglrx binary driver? Perhaps there is better multi monitor support in that driver.

I'm going to modify the bug headline and description to better describe that this issue is caused by having three monitors connected. I'll also look through more of the attached log files.

Please let me know the results when using the fglrx driver.

Thanks,
Chris

[Christopher Townsend (townsend)]

Also, if there is a crash file in /var/crash for this issue, then you may be able to upload it here using apport-bug.

You could try apport-bug /var/crash/name_of_crash_file.crash.

[Jonathan Brier (brierjon)]

I never have good luck with flgrx nor flgrx-updated binary. I just tried the flgrx binary via the other drivers in other software sources.

With the flgrx I only get mirroring available only due to "The selected configuration for displays could not be applied required virtual size does not fit available size: requested=(5760, 1080), minimum=(320, 200), maximum=(1920, 1920)" (I believe this may be an xorg config issue?)

Also using the flgrx driver check_gl_texture_size crashed with SIGSEV (crashed & reported) and "unsupported hardware" watermark showed on the bottom right corner of the screen.

The issue of the radeon drivers appeared only after the mesa 9.1 upgrade. Up until then the 3 monitor setup was working just fine on the open source drivers. On 12.04 using xorg-edgers the radeon worked fine, but flgrx had the issue above too. I have not used xorg-edgers ppa in a few months nor after the 13.04 upgrade.

All crash reports show uploaded status so it is reported somewhere on Launchpad based on the apport retracing, but not bug is provided that I can see. I've uploaded the xsession errors for the flgrx attempt.

Let me know if anything else will be helpful.

[Christopher Townsend (townsend)]

Well, I'm surprised the fglrx binary driver performs so poorly with this card. From your logs you pseted, you have an HD5970 which has been around for a few years now and why it complains about "Unsupported Hardware" is beyond me! Anyways, thnaks for trying that.

I'm inclined to think that this is due to something in the graphics drier stack and not Unity/Compiz at this point, but we don't have definitive proof. It's interesting that this showed up at the mesa 9.1 upgrade and it's worth some investigation into that package.

[Christopher Townsend (townsend)]

On or around April 17, a new version of mesa (9.1.1-0ubuntu1) was released which pulled in a pretty big upstream mesa release. I'm thinking this could be a source of the issue here, so I'm going to open up a mesa package task on this bug in the hopes that someone familiar with the mesa workings can take a look at this bug.

[Jonathan Brier (brierjon)]

Per an IRC recommendation: I was told to run a backtrace on compiz and try downgrading to mesa 9.0.3.

I have yet to understand the downgrade path - I have yet to test 9.0.3 after the 9.1 upgrade and 3 screen issue began. 9.0.3 worked fine before 9.1 became the latest package.

I attempted a backtrace of compiz using the instructions (https://wiki.ubuntu.com/DebuggingCompiz), but I am not sure if it was successful. I added the debug symbols for packages currently used by my system. After launching gdb and setting the logging on and "run" all screens only display the background and cursor. I did not get to run "thread apply all bt full" or "set logging off" commands as the terminal disappeared. I did type these command incase the commands would run, but not sure if the output is what is expected from a backtrace.

See the attached "compiz backtrace"

[Jonathan Brier (brierjon)]

Downgraded to mesa package 9.0.3 and Unity and the launchers appeared as expected.

Upon upgrading to the 9.1.1 package from 9.0.3 the reported issue of missing border and unity once again appeared.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Jonathan Brier (brierjon)]

Now working with 3.8.0-27-generic kernel (possibly earlier, but first test in a while)

[Jonathan Brier (brierjon)]

Made an edit for 3 screen arrangement in catalyst control center and hit apply which solved the ability to display the 3 screens since the selection in the display settings of Ubuntu would not set 3 screens.

Reverted to xorg driver and all borders now appear. Not sure what the cause was or if this is a stumbled on fix, but it is working as of the latest kernel 3.8.0-27.40 and this display configuration activity.