compiz crashed with SIGSEGV in g_type_check_instance_is_a() from unity::launcher::BamfLauncherIcon::UpdateIconGeometries() from unity::launcher::BamfLauncherIcon::UpdateDesktopQuickList()

[Colan Schwartz]

These types of crashes usually happen shortly after logging in, but in this case, it happened much later. Crashing early doesn't seem to happen with debugging info turned on, as it was for this issue.

For more details on this type of crash, please see bug #750386.

WORKAROUND: For some of us, this is caused by a corrupt .config/dconf/user file in our home directories. Try removing this file, and report back. Be warned, however, that by removing this file, you will lose many of your desktop environment configuration settings. If this is a concern, rename it and keep it around in case contents of the file are salvageable.

ProblemType: Crash
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.10
Package: unity 6.12.0-0ubuntu0.2
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.5.0-21.32-generic 3.5.7.1
Uname: Linux 3.5.0-21-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.6.1-0ubuntu9
Architecture: amd64
CrashCounter: 1
Date: Sat Jan 5 16:05:46 2013
EcryptfsInUse: Yes
ExecutablePath: /usr/bin/compiz
InstallationDate: Installed on 2010-10-11 (817 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 10.10 "Maverick Meerkat" - Release amd64 (20101007)
MarkForUpload: True
ProcCmdline: compiz --replace
ProcEnviron:
 TERM=linux
 PATH=(custom, user)
 XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
 LANG=en_CA.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/zsh
SegvAnalysis:
 Segfault happened at: 0x7f5669ac469c <g_type_check_instance_is_a+60>: testb $0x4,0x16(%rdi)
 PC (0x7f5669ac469c) ok
 source "$0x4" ok
 destination "0x16(%rdi)" (0x567006f73980046) not located in a known VMA region (needed writable region)!
SegvReason: writing unknown VMA
Signal: 11
SourcePackage: unity
StacktraceTop:
 g_type_check_instance_is_a () from /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libgobject-2.0.so.0
 unity::launcher::BamfLauncherIcon::UpdateIconGeometries(std::vector<nux::Point3D<float>, std::allocator<nux::Point3D<float> > >) () from /usr/lib/compiz/libunityshell.so
 unity::launcher::BamfLauncherIcon::UpdateDesktopQuickList() () from /usr/lib/compiz/libunityshell.so
 ?? ()
Title: compiz crashed with SIGSEGV in g_type_check_instance_is_a()
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to quantal on 2012-10-27 (69 days ago)
UserGroups: adm admin cdrom dialout lp lpadmin netdev plugdev sambashare whoopsie

[Apport retracing service (apport)]

StacktraceSource:
 #0 0x00007f5669ac469c in g_type_check_instance_is_a (type_instance=<optimized out>, iface_type=<optimized out>) at /build/buildd/glib2.0-2.34.1/./gobject/gtype.c:3964
   [Error: /build/buildd/glib2.0-2.34.1/./gobject/gtype.c was not found in source tree]
 #1 0x00007f565bc713d6 in unity::launcher::BamfLauncherIcon::UpdateIconGeometries(std::vector<nux::Point3D<float>, std::allocator<nux::Point3D<float> > >) () from /tmp/apport_sandbox_Bj6or7/usr/lib/compiz/libunityshell.so
 #2 0x00007f565bc72002 in unity::launcher::BamfLauncherIcon::UpdateDesktopQuickList() () from /tmp/apport_sandbox_Bj6or7/usr/lib/compiz/libunityshell.so
 #3 0x0000000000000000 in ?? ()
StacktraceTop:
 g_type_check_instance_is_a (type_instance=<optimized out>, iface_type=<optimized out>) at /build/buildd/glib2.0-2.34.1/./gobject/gtype.c:3964
 unity::launcher::BamfLauncherIcon::UpdateIconGeometries(std::vector<nux::Point3D<float>, std::allocator<nux::Point3D<float> > >) () from /tmp/apport_sandbox_Bj6or7/usr/lib/compiz/libunityshell.so
 unity::launcher::BamfLauncherIcon::UpdateDesktopQuickList() () from /tmp/apport_sandbox_Bj6or7/usr/lib/compiz/libunityshell.so
 ?? ()

[Andrea Azzarone (azzar1)]

The stackstrace is incomplete.

[Colan Schwartz (colan)]

I doubt I still have the data around, but what else would be required here? I followed Daniel's instructions. The problem is that when run that way, it's unlikely that it will actually crash. I've only been able to do this the one time.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Jorge Juan (jjchico)]

Comming from bug #750386.

Most times I open a session unity crashes inmediatly or after running the first application. "unity --replace" run from the console (Alt-F1) will solve it up to the next session start. When unity is run this way the crash is very unlikely. I am trying tu run unity as Daniel suggested in the old bug:

env MALLOC_CHECK_=3 G_SLICE=always-malloc unity --replace

but I think the idea is to run this right at the place unity is launched at the session start. Do you know which script/config file runs unity in the first place?

[Colan Schwartz (colan)]

Also reporting against System76 as I got this on my Lemur UltraThin (lemu2).

[Joey Stanford (joey)]

I get this as well.

This only happens when Unity with Compiz is running. It doesn't happen when I use gnome-shell, KDE, XFCE, and LXDE.

[Joey Stanford (joey)]

I've run unity --debug with this and I get the following additional errors:

(hand typed since I can't copy & paste it)

nux.gestures_subscription GesturesSubsription.cpp:364
Failed to set Geis subscription configuration com.canonical.oif.rotate.timeout

I get that repeated about 100 times.

[Joey Stanford (joey)]

The other error I seem to be getting is

unity <unknown>:0 Unable to fetch children: No such interface 'org.ayatana.bamf.view' on object path /org/ayatana/bamf/application0x2482ea0

[Joey Stanford (joey)]

I should also note that I was able to fix this on my system76 machine with a complete format and reinstall. The above items are appearing on my zareason box. So this is certainly not vendor dependent.

[Joey Stanford (joey)]

Sorry for the spam but I'm diagnosing this between desktop crashes.

Another piece from unity --debug...

Despite having an Nvidia GeForce 9400 GT (driver 304.51) I see that unity is claiming I'm unsuported and forcing me to opengl.

I then get an error of

/usr/bin/compiz (opengl) - Error: FBO is incomplete: GL::FRAMEBUFFER_UNSUPPORTED (0x8cdd)

I'm using the default (auto) kernel FB and I can run other desktops just fine. Nvidia settings doesn't seem to have a problem.

[Joey Stanford (joey)]

For the record I've also done a unity --distro before attempting unity --debug

[Joey Stanford (joey)]

I'm also seeing several lines of

Stream error: Too large

[Joey Stanford (joey)]

I spent some time troubleshooting with Canonical support and while I still have this problem I was able to lesson it's probability of occurrence slightly.

I've done:
* unity --distro
* unity --reset-icons
* used jocket-text to list and purge all active NVIDIA drivers
* used apt-get to purge any lingering NVIDIA items
* used .xsession-errors to resolve a number of start-up issues

[Joey Stanford (joey)]

fyi, I fixed this by removing .config/dconf/user

[Colan Schwartz (colan)]

@Joey: Thanks so much for digging into this. I'm confirming that it worked for me as well. I updated the ticket description.

[Jorge Juan (jjchico)]

Removing .config/dconf/user also worked for me (so far).

[Ian Santopietro (isantop)]

Since this isn't a System76-specific issue, I'm marking this Invalid against System76.

[Will Cooke (willcooke)]

Sorry folks, but as part of the bug clean up ahead of 16.04 I'm marking this as invalid because it affects an Ubuntu release which is now unsupported. If you can still recreate this bug in a supported release please do open a new bug and we can triage it for consideration in the 16.04 development cycle.