Unity session results in no desktop and 100% cpu for compiz

[Sean Fitzpatrick]

I applied all the current updates for 11.10 as of 30 minutes ago, which required a system restart. After restarting, I am unable to start a unity session. Opening a virtual terminal shows compiz running with 100% CPU. I tried killing compiz and Xorg (compiz required kill -9) and logging in again, with the same result. I killed X a second time and started a Gnome session instead. (The second time I killed X only, and compiz continued to run with 100% CPU at the login screen (lightdm) and after starting a Gnome session. (In fact the system thought I was running Unity when I ran ubuntu-bug.)

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.10
Package: unity 4.12.0-0ubuntu2
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.0.0-9.15-generic 3.0.3
Uname: Linux 3.0.0-9-generic i686
Architecture: i386
CompizPlugins: [core,bailer,detection,composite,opengl,compiztoolbox,decor,vpswitch,mousepoll,place,session,wall,snap,imgpng,shift,move,gnomecompat,regex,resize,grid,unitymtgrabhandles,animation,fade,scale,workarounds,expo,ezoom,unityshell]
CompositorRunning: None
Date: Fri Sep 2 12:16:11 2011
DistUpgraded: Log time: 2011-08-26 14:53:14.087611
DistroCodename: oneiric
DistroVariant: ubuntu
GraphicsCard:
 Intel Corporation Mobile 945GME Express Integrated Graphics Controller [8086:27ae] (rev 03) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. Device [1043:8340]
   Subsystem: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. Device [1043:8340]
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" - Release i386 (20110427.1)
MachineType: ASUSTeK Computer INC. 1005HA
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.0.0-9-generic root=UUID=e39101ab-f97f-424c-a816-a407b36897a8 ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
SourcePackage: unity
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to oneiric on 2011-08-26 (6 days ago)
dmi.bios.date: 10/16/2009
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: 1102
dmi.board.asset.tag: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.board.name: 1005HA
dmi.board.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer INC.
dmi.board.version: x.xx
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: 0x00000000
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer INC.
dmi.chassis.version: x.x
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvr1102:bd10/16/2009:svnASUSTeKComputerINC.:pn1005HA:pvrx.x:rvnASUSTeKComputerINC.:rn1005HA:rvrx.xx:cvnASUSTeKComputerINC.:ct10:cvrx.x:
dmi.product.name: 1005HA
dmi.product.version: x.x
dmi.sys.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer INC.
version.compiz: compiz 1:0.9.5.92+bzr2791-0ubuntu1
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.26-1ubuntu1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 7.11-0ubuntu3
version.libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental: libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental N/A
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 7.11-0ubuntu3
version.xserver-xorg: xserver-xorg 1:7.6+7ubuntu6
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev 1:2.6.0-1ubuntu13
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:6.14.99~git20110811.g93fc084-0ubuntu1
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.15.901-1ubuntu2
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:0.0.16+git20110411+8378443-1

[Sam_ (and-sam)]

Maybe it's the intel lockup. Bug #824980

[Sean Fitzpatrick (sean-fitzpatrick)]

Maybe. But that bug is a lot older than this problem. With updates current as of last night Unity+Compiz ran with no problems (well, no major ones, anyway). The issue only occurred after applying updates this morning. I could look at the history to see if there's an obvious culprit, although there were something like 74 updates.

[Bilal Shahid (s9iper1)]

yes i also effected by the last day updates and unity is not running,it was about 110mb downloaded,and after restart unity is not running and the processor light was blinking very fast seems that 100%cpu is running
i also confirm this.

[Omer Akram (om26er)]

could anyone try with the latest ISO to check if it works on the LiveCD or try with a new user maybe.

[Bilal Shahid (s9iper1)]

omer akram today i download iso from cd live.ubuntu.com and make a bootable flash and now that problem is solved but there is an other problem that i cant connet with my wireless internet device..i uninstall ubuntu and make a bootable flash again but this problem is present. network problem occur with 11.10
the last problem is solved with me.

[Sean Fitzpatrick (sean-fitzpatrick)]

Omer: with the latest updates my account still will not work, but with a different account I am indeed able to log in. So, presumably there is some setting I've customised to create the problem, but I've no idea what it might be (or why the problem only occurred after Friday's updates). On my account, things fail pretty much completely - it does not even get as far as drawing the wallpaper. The lightdm wallpaper remains, and if I switch to a virtual terminal and then back again, the image of the virtual terminal stays on the screen.
Unity 2D and Gnome Classic (no effects) work, although Gnome Classic is a bit of a mess. I'll see if I can start Gnome shell, but I think I tried that on Friday and failed.

[Sean Fitzpatrick (sean-fitzpatrick)]

OK, Gnome Shell starts, but crashes the second I try to do anything. Gnome Classic (with effects) immediately reverts to fallback mode. I run a couple of screenlets; I disabled these in case that was the culprit. (That turned out to be slightly tricky, since 'Startup Applications' has been removed from the system settings panel. Fortunately, it's still around as a standalone program.)
I guess I could fix things by doing a clean install, but I'm guessing I won't be the only one who tries going the upgrade route.
Right now I can only use Unity 2D or a really buggy Gnome fallback session.

[Sean Fitzpatrick (sean-fitzpatrick)]

Hi Omer,
Things are back up and running after the latest updates. Looking at the changelog for Unity, I think this was almost certainly a case of Bug #839200 - now that I think of it, I did resize the dash before the problem occurred, since it wasn't fitting on my netbook screen. I'll mark this as a duplicate.