Broken panel and launcher - all black

[Sam_]

Since latest update 2018-02-15 (apt-history attached) all symbols at the launcher and Unity dash are black. (screenshot)
All other applications and menues are fine, also the menues from unity-panel-service are ok.
Changing the theme didn't help, restart of desktop or computer also didn't help.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 16.04
Package: unity 7.4.5+16.04.20171201.3
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.13.0-32.35~16.04.1-generic 4.13.13
Uname: Linux 4.13.0-32-generic x86_64
.tmp.unity_support_test.0:

ApportVersion: 2.20.1-0ubuntu2.15
Architecture: amd64
CompizPlugins: [core,composite,opengl,imgjpeg,decor,regex,text,move,winrules,compiztoolbox,mousepoll,vpswitch,gnomecompat,obs,imgpng,grid,cube,place,resize,commands,ring,workarounds,scale,screenshot,expo,rotate,ezoom,unitymtgrabhandles,unityshell]
CompositorRunning: compiz
CompositorUnredirectDriverBlacklist: '(nouveau|Intel).*Mesa 8.0'
CompositorUnredirectFSW: true
CurrentDesktop: Unity
Date: Tue Feb 20 15:29:39 2018
DistUpgraded: 2016-08-01 14:42:41,957 DEBUG icon theme changed, re-reading
DistroCodename: xenial
DistroVariant: ubuntu
GraphicsCard:
 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] RV710 [Radeon HD 4350/4550] [1002:954f] (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: PC Partner Limited / Sapphire Technology RV710 [Radeon HD 4350/4550] [174b:174b]
InstallationDate: Installed on 2012-02-05 (2207 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 12.04 LTS "Precise Pangolin" - Alpha amd64 (20120204)
MachineType: System manufacturer System Product Name
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-4.13.0-32-generic root=UUID=b3e26f93-613b-48e8-96d7-9c8854fe670c ro
SourcePackage: unity
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to xenial on 2016-08-01 (568 days ago)
dmi.bios.date: 07/30/2009
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: 0305
dmi.board.asset.tag: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.board.name: P5QLD PRO
dmi.board.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer INC.
dmi.board.version: Rev X.0x
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: Asset-1234567890
dmi.chassis.type: 3
dmi.chassis.vendor: Chassis Manufacture
dmi.chassis.version: Chassis Version
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvr0305:bd07/30/2009:svnSystemmanufacturer:pnSystemProductName:pvrSystemVersion:rvnASUSTeKComputerINC.:rnP5QLDPRO:rvrRevX.0x:cvnChassisManufacture:ct3:cvrChassisVersion:
dmi.product.family: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.product.name: System Product Name
dmi.product.version: System Version
dmi.sys.vendor: System manufacturer
version.compiz: compiz 1:0.9.12.3+16.04.20171116-0ubuntu1
version.ia32-libs: ia32-libs N/A
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.83-1~16.04.1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 17.2.8-0ubuntu0~16.04.1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental: libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental N/A
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 17.2.8-0ubuntu0~16.04.1
version.xserver-xorg-core: xserver-xorg-core N/A
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev N/A
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati N/A
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel N/A
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau N/A
xserver.bootTime: Tue Feb 20 15:27:07 2018
xserver.configfile: default
xserver.devices:
 input Power Button KEYBOARD, id 6
 input Power Button KEYBOARD, id 7
 input Logitech Logitech Illuminated Keyboard KEYBOARD, id 8
 input Logitech Logitech Illuminated Keyboard KEYBOARD, id 9
 input Logitech USB-PS/2 Optical Mouse MOUSE, id 10
xserver.errors:

xserver.logfile: /var/log/Xorg.0.log
xserver.version: 2:1.19.5-0ubuntu2~16.04.1
xserver.video_driver: radeon

[Khurshid Alam (khurshid-alam)]

I can't reproduce it. It seems some sort of graphics driver issue. Which icon theme are you using?

[Sam_ (and-sam)]

Thanks for the reply, icon theme is awoken, but that doesn't matter I've tested others and nothing changed. Actually the issues only ocur with Unity parts, for example also the logout, shutdown dialogs are puzzled black and white. But Nautilus and other applications are looking fine.

There have been updates of radeon driver, unity and compiz, I'm not hundred percent sure, but the broken panel occured after unity and compiz updates.

[Sam_ (and-sam)]

My Notebook has the same unity package version and no graphic issues, but different hardware.
So, your first idea that it is a graphics driver issue seems obvious.

Notebook:
/usr/lib/nux/unity_support_test -p
OpenGL vendor string: Intel Open Source Technology Center
OpenGL renderer string: Mesa DRI Intel(R) HD Graphics 530 (Skylake GT2)
OpenGL version string: 3.0 Mesa 17.2.8

Not software rendered: yes
Not blacklisted: yes
GLX fbconfig: yes
GLX texture from pixmap: yes
GL npot or rect textures: yes
GL vertex program: yes
GL fragment program: yes
GL vertex buffer object: yes
GL framebuffer object: yes
GL version is 1.4+: yes

Unity 3D supported: yes

[Sam_ (and-sam)]

I've tried to assign new to xserver-xorg-video-radeon-hwe-16.04, but it didn't accept.

[Sam_ (and-sam)]

Mmh, no one interested to fix this mess?

[Khurshid Alam (khurshid-alam)]

Newer version Ubuntu doesn't support amd gpu (https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RadeonDriver). Beside It's nor xorg but seems a mesa bug (tearfree bug). Which version have you upgraded from? Can you attach the xorg log?

Workarounds:

Try cleaning files in ~/.config/compiz-1/, ~/.compiz and ~/.cache/compizconfig-1/. But take a backup first.

If that didn't help try downgrading mesa. See https://askubuntu.com/questions/992571/ (Option 2 Downgrade the mesa-packages)

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/ATI has some performance tweaks. You can try those.

[Sam_ (and-sam)]

Khursid, thanks for the reply.
> Newer version Ubuntu doesn't support amd gpu

The link says:
Ubuntu 12.04.5 LTS (Linux kernel 3.13.0), Ubuntu 14.04 LTS and later
For the most recent ATI/AMD graphic cards supported by the Radeon driver, DPM (Dynamic Power Management) should work automatically without additional steps.

Where does it say no support of amd gpu?
And if, would that actually mean one needs to buy a different brand of graphics card?

Referring to bug reports, I experienced no crashes, no segfaults, no compiz issues, nothing disappeared e.g. the launcher, only this broken graphics only on Unity items, as my last screenshot was supposed to show. As mentioned in the opening post, other applications like Nautilus or anything else except Unity items are fine.

Referring to your other suggestions and the link to 'ask ubuntu' these are quote:
"Following info is obsolete"

And this bug report says the mesa issue is fixed.
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/mesa/+bug/1735594

Xorg.log was already attached when uploading the bug report.

In addition the already uploaded file apt-history says:
libegl1-mesa:amd64 (17.2.4-0ubuntu1~16.04.4, 17.2.8-0ubuntu0~16.04.1)

Thank you, but I don't need performance tweaks, I'd rather like this bug to be fixed.
I did not make any changes to my system, only regular updating and it messed up my unity graphics on an LTS - no more no less.

[Sam_ (and-sam)]

I've just received a kernel update and graphics look a bit better.
But as one can see in the unity dash there is the login item upside down in the background.
When I close the dash it is of course not there.

btw. the file size of compiz core.pb are the same in user and guest account.

[Sam_ (and-sam)]

No, that was false hope, after .cache clean up and restart no real change.

[Sam_ (and-sam)]

Issue solved.
Solution:
Open Unity-plugin in CCSM.
Switch from no blur to active blur: the dash is clear - no broken graphics.
Move color from transparent up to 50 percent: all symbols in dash and launcher appear.

@ Khursid, many thanks for your assistance and hints.

[Jan Schürmann (visionfactory.net)]

This isn't fixed in Ubuntu 18.04 with Unity 7!

The Workaround in #14 doesn't really work or fix the problem.

There is no active blur with colouring the dash with average wallpaper color...

[Sam_ (and-sam)]

@ Jan, please open a new bug report
- this bug is done over a year
- Unity isn't the official desktop any more
Thank you.