Unity is not aware of open applications

[fcole90]

At login, Unity doesn't recognise the open apps. It looks like some level of communications is missing.

When I say that it doesn't recognise open apps I mean:
 - missing appmenu of the application
 - missing icon highlight in the launcher
 - missing icon focus in the launcher

Instead the combo Super + W shows all the windows, so I assume it aware of the open apps.

I can workaround the situation by resetting unity from the terminal (just running 'unity'), which makes everything work again.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 16.04
Package: unity 7.4.0+16.04.20160715-0ubuntu1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.4.0-31.50-generic 4.4.13
Uname: Linux 4.4.0-31-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia_uvm nvidia_modeset nvidia
.proc.driver.nvidia.gpus.0000.01.00.0: Error: [Errno 21] Is a directory: '/proc/driver/nvidia/gpus/0000:01:00.0'
.proc.driver.nvidia.registry: Binary: ""
.proc.driver.nvidia.version:
 NVRM version: NVIDIA UNIX x86_64 Kernel Module 361.45.18 Tue Jun 21 18:27:52 PDT 2016
 GCC version: gcc version 5.4.0 20160609 (Ubuntu 5.4.0-6ubuntu1~16.04.1)
.tmp.unity_support_test.0:

ApportVersion: 2.20.1-0ubuntu2.1
Architecture: amd64
BootLog: Ubuntu_LTS: clean, 1048252/20480000 files, 64520971/81919232 blocks
CompizPlugins: No value set for `/apps/compiz-1/general/screen0/options/active_plugins'
CompositorRunning: compiz
CompositorUnredirectDriverBlacklist: '(nouveau|Intel).*Mesa 8.0'
CompositorUnredirectFSW: true
CurrentDesktop: Unity
Date: Tue Aug 9 23:50:53 2016
DistUpgraded: 2016-08-07 01:46:32,452 WARNING no activity on terminal for 300 seconds (Preparing to configure python3-dbus (amd64))
DistroCodename: xenial
DistroVariant: ubuntu
DkmsStatus:
 bbswitch, 0.8, 3.19.0-65-generic, x86_64: installed
 bbswitch, 0.8, 4.4.0-31-generic, x86_64: installed
 nvidia-361, 361.45.18, 3.19.0-65-generic, x86_64: installed
 nvidia-361, 361.45.18, 4.4.0-31-generic, x86_64: installed
EcryptfsInUse: Yes
GraphicsCard:
 Intel Corporation 4th Gen Core Processor Integrated Graphics Controller [8086:0416] (rev 06) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. 4th Gen Core Processor Integrated Graphics Controller [1043:178d]
   Subsystem: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. GM107M [GeForce GTX 850M] [1043:178d]
InstallationDate: Installed on 2016-08-02 (7 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 14.04.4 LTS "Trusty Tahr" - Release amd64 (20160217.1)
Lsusb:
 Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub
 Bus 001 Device 004: ID 0bda:57b4 Realtek Semiconductor Corp.
 Bus 001 Device 002: ID 1d57:0005 Xenta Wireless Receiver (Keyboard and Mouse)
 Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
MachineType: ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. X550JK
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-31-generic root=UUID=35ffa5c6-747b-48ed-8546-3701daed4a97 ro nouveau.modeset=0 quiet splash acpi_backlight=native acpi_osi=
SourcePackage: unity
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to xenial on 2016-08-06 (2 days ago)
dmi.bios.date: 10/08/2014
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: X550JK.303
dmi.board.asset.tag: ATN12345678901234567
dmi.board.name: X550JK
dmi.board.vendor: ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC.
dmi.board.version: 1.0
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: No Asset Tag
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC.
dmi.chassis.version: 1.0
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvrX550JK.303:bd10/08/2014:svnASUSTeKCOMPUTERINC.:pnX550JK:pvr1.0:rvnASUSTeKCOMPUTERINC.:rnX550JK:rvr1.0:cvnASUSTeKCOMPUTERINC.:ct10:cvr1.0:
dmi.product.name: X550JK
dmi.product.version: 1.0
dmi.sys.vendor: ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC.
upstart.unity-panel-service.log:
 (unity-panel-service:4509): GLib-GIO-CRITICAL **: g_dbus_proxy_call_sync_internal: assertion 'G_IS_DBUS_PROXY (proxy)' failed

 ** (unity-panel-service:4509): WARNING **: Failed to get active window:

 (unity-panel-service:4509): GLib-CRITICAL **: g_error_free: assertion 'error != NULL' failed
version.compiz: compiz 1:0.9.12.2+16.04.20160714-0ubuntu1
version.ia32-libs: ia32-libs N/A
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.67-1ubuntu0.16.04.1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 11.2.0-1ubuntu2.1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental: libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental N/A
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 11.2.0-1ubuntu2.1
version.nvidia-graphics-drivers: nvidia-graphics-drivers-* N/A
version.xserver-xorg-core: xserver-xorg-core 2:1.18.3-1ubuntu2.3
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev 1:2.10.1-1ubuntu2
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:7.7.0-1
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.99.917+git20160325-1ubuntu1
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:1.0.12-1build2
xserver.bootTime: Tue Aug 9 20:34:04 2016
xserver.configfile: /etc/X11/xorg.conf
xserver.errors:

xserver.logfile: /var/log/Xorg.0.log
xserver.version: 2:1.18.3-1ubuntu2.3

[fcole90 (fcole90)]

From the screenshot you can see that gnome-terminal and firefox are open but unity does not display anything to hint this. Furthermore, clicking on the firefox icon opens a new firefox window, like it does when it's closed.

[fcole90 (fcole90)]

After resetting unity, this is what I see, which I consider to be the correct behaviour.

[Khurshid Alam (khurshid-alam)]

If restarting fixes the issue then it's not a bug. It's just that unity services may not started properly before.

[fcole90 (fcole90)]

Probably it's a bug in the starting mechanism then..