launcher greyed out

[Chris J Arges]

Running with the latest raring release.
Occasionally when running various programs, Unity's launcher will become greyed out.
Attached is a screenshot with the condition.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 13.04
Package: unity 6.12.0daily13.03.25.1-0ubuntu1
Uname: Linux 3.9.0-999-generic x86_64
.tmp.unity.support.test.0:

ApportVersion: 2.9.2-0ubuntu4
Architecture: amd64
CompizPlugins: No value set for `/apps/compiz-1/general/screen0/options/active_plugins'
CompositorRunning: compiz
CompositorUnredirectDriverBlacklist: '(nouveau|Intel).*Mesa 8.0'
CompositorUnredirectFSW: true
Date: Tue Mar 26 21:36:03 2013
DistUpgraded: Fresh install
DistroCodename: raring
DistroVariant: ubuntu
EcryptfsInUse: Yes
GraphicsCard:
 Intel Corporation 2nd Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics Controller [8086:0116] (rev 09) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: Lenovo Device [17aa:21ce]
InstallationDate: Installed on 2013-01-18 (67 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 13.04 "Raring Ringtail" - Alpha amd64+mac (20130106)
MachineType: LENOVO 4177CTO
MarkForUpload: True
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.9.0-999-generic root=UUID=80adf852-4790-46ad-8afa-d0babb6179d6 ro crashkernel=384M-2G:64M,2G-:128M quiet splash vt.handoff=7
SourcePackage: unity
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 11/28/2011
dmi.bios.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.bios.version: 83ET67WW (1.37 )
dmi.board.asset.tag: Not Available
dmi.board.name: 4177CTO
dmi.board.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.board.version: Not Available
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: No Asset Information
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.chassis.version: Not Available
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnLENOVO:bvr83ET67WW(1.37):bd11/28/2011:svnLENOVO:pn4177CTO:pvrThinkPadT420:rvnLENOVO:rn4177CTO:rvrNotAvailable:cvnLENOVO:ct10:cvrNotAvailable:
dmi.product.name: 4177CTO
dmi.product.version: ThinkPad T420
dmi.sys.vendor: LENOVO
version.compiz: compiz 1:0.9.9~daily13.03.25-0ubuntu1
version.ia32-libs: ia32-libs 20090808ubuntu36
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.42-0ubuntu2
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 9.0.3-0ubuntu1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental: libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental N/A
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 9.0.3-0ubuntu1
version.xserver-xorg-core: xserver-xorg-core 2:1.13.3-0ubuntu3
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 2:2.21.5-0ubuntu1
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:1.0.6-0ubuntu4
xserver.bootTime: Tue Mar 26 15:43:57 2013
xserver.configfile: default
xserver.errors: evdev: Yubico Yubico Yubikey II: Unable to open evdev device "/dev/input/event16".
xserver.logfile: /var/log/Xorg.0.log
xserver.version: 2:1.13.3-0ubuntu3
xserver.video_driver: intel

[George Karakostas (gckarakostas)]

As a quick workaround, you can reset the launcher appearance by sliding the icon size in 'Appearance' settings.

[George Karakostas (gckarakostas)]

Also, I may add that this happens when I drag something from a window to another and the mouse crosses (hovers above) the launcher.

[Felipe Castillo (fcastillo.ec)]

@gckarakostas In Ubuntu Saucy, this workaround doesn't work anymore. Sometimes launching an app that isn't on the launcher can reset it, but it's not all the time so I wouldn't consider it a workaround by any means. Hopefully a fix is on the way.
By the way the original report says that an Intel card was being used, in my case, it's an Nvidia card with the latest drivers found in the official Ubuntu repository.

[Ofer Nave (odigity)]

It just happened to me. Clicking the top-left icon (the one that opens the dash, as if you had pressed the Meta key) fixed it. Can't say yet whether it's consistent.

[Jostein (josteinaj)]

Same issue here. Ofer's temporary fix works.

[Wolfen (y-launchpad-q)]

I have noticed that if I drag an email and cross the launcher bar, that the icons all grey out except the trash, they stay greyed out. #5's quick fix sorts it out, for a while...

[Todd (dudemansomebody)]

Ive got the same bug in saucy / 13.10. Doesnt happen very often. Opening the dash from the unity launcher brought the color back as soon as I closed the dash.

[Seth Johnson (sethj)]

I have been unable to reproduce this bug in the latest version of Ubuntu (15.10). If someone still experiencing it could provide some hints towards that end it would be immensely helpful. You don't seem to be able to drag much over the launcher anymore (as George suggested might reproduce it https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/unity/+bug/1160608/comments/3).

[Andrea Azzarone (azzar1)]

Yeah please confirm if you can still reproduce this problem.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for Unity because there has been no activity for 60 days.]