compizConfig crash whole unity by only displaying settings

[Borim]

OS: fresh install of ubuntu 11.10 amd64
netbook: lenovo x121e

I installed the compizConfig manager to customize unity.
But with following steps the whole unity crashs:
1) start compizConfig
2) go to settings (left sidebar)
3) click on profile field

The desktop freeze immediately and after some time all unity bars vanish. Only the running programs are still visible. After some more time the programs can be controlled again and work fine. But Unity keeps vanished.

After a reboot you can login as usual, but you only see a menu bar at the top of the screen. it is the menu from nautilus. with open new window you can bring it to the front. also any other programs can startet with opening a file, which require these.

This state can be left by erasing all config files from gnome and compiz in your home folder. (rm -r .compiz-1 .config .gconf .gnome2)
After a reboot everything works again.

before erasing the config files I created a backup of my whole home directory. if any config files are required I can upload them.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[luca_ing (luca-ingianni)]

I have that same problem on two different machines.

unity --reset doesn't help.

[luca_ing (luca-ingianni)]

I discovered what makes Unity hang:

It turns out there is a file ~/.config/compiz-1/compizconfig/config
Before the problem occurs, it's empty.
After the problem appears, it contains

[general_ubuntu]
profile =

If you delete these lines, Unity works again.

[Juan Carlos Farah (juancarlos-farah)]

I've got the same problem. Did what luca suggested, boot took ages, but Unity was restored. I'm removing compizconfig. Anything else that has to be cleaned up to avoid these crashes?

[Antony John (antojk)]

This method of using compiz settings manager itself is flawed. Since there is a Unity UI Plugin why not convert it to run as preferences setting in the System settings?

[Omer Akram (om26er)]

related to bug 777024

[Alex Baggott (alex-baggott)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug. We have tried to recreate this on the latest release of Ubuntu, but cannot reproduce it. This bug is being marked as Invalid. If you believe the problem to still exist in the latest version of Ubuntu, please comment on why that is the case and change the bug status to NEW.