The whole window manager sometimes freezes when switching workspaces or when opening the workspace switcher

[RK]

After starting to use Oneiric, I have noticed that the window manager system "freezes" from time to time when switching workspaces or when opening the workspace switcher. The window almost switches to the other workspace, before the whole screen freezes. I can't exactly replicate the exact time when this happens. It has also happened when opening the workspace switcher, and (I think) when using the "circle application switcher" from the Compiz plugin. I can still move the mouse and hear sound from the speakers, but I can't interact with anything on screen. I can still access the "tty terminals" with ctrl+alt+F2 (for example), and kill the X process (/usr/run/X :0 ... a relatively long string with "auth", "something/lightdm/something" and so on) to go back to the login screen.

It looks like the animation or drawing of the windows stops too early, and the desktop is then noninteractive. It might happen more frequently when the system has a high CPU load. I did not notice these problems when using Natty and Gnome2.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.10
Package: unity 4.22.0-0ubuntu3
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.0.0-12.20-generic 3.0.4
Uname: Linux 3.0.0-12-generic x86_64
.tmp.unity.support.test.0:

ApportVersion: 1.23-0ubuntu3
Architecture: amd64
CompizPlugins: [core,bailer,detection,composite,opengl,decor,compiztoolbox,place,move,grid,vpswitch,imgpng,ring,mousepoll,regex,snap,resize,gnomecompat,session,unitymtgrabhandles,animation,expo,wall,workarounds,ezoom,fade,scale,unityshell]
CompositorRunning: compiz
Date: Mon Oct 24 11:10:21 2011
DistUpgraded: Log time: 2011-10-14 17:17:03.050443
DistroCodename: oneiric
DistroVariant: ubuntu
DkmsStatus:
 blcr, 0.8.2: added
 virtualbox, 4.1.2, 2.6.38-11-generic, x86_64: installed
 virtualbox, 4.1.2, 3.0.0-12-generic, x86_64: installed
GraphicsCard:
 Intel Corporation 82945G/GZ Integrated Graphics Controller [8086:2772] (rev 02) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: Dell Device [1028:01ad]
   Subsystem: Dell Device [1028:01ad]
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" - Release amd64 (20110427.1)
MachineType: Dell Inc. OptiPlex GX620
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=en_US:en
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 LANG=sv_SE.UTF-8
 LC_MESSAGES=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.0.0-12-generic root=UUID=2ab8ed04-99b9-4714-885a-b4b3d5f06c57 ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
SourcePackage: unity
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to oneiric on 2011-10-17 (7 days ago)
dmi.bios.date: 11/30/2006
dmi.bios.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.bios.version: A11
dmi.board.name: 0F8101
dmi.board.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.chassis.type: 15
dmi.chassis.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnDellInc.:bvrA11:bd11/30/2006:svnDellInc.:pnOptiPlexGX620:pvr:rvnDellInc.:rn0F8101:rvr:cvnDellInc.:ct15:cvr:
dmi.product.name: OptiPlex GX620
dmi.sys.vendor: Dell Inc.
version.compiz: compiz 1:0.9.6+bzr20110929-0ubuntu5
version.ia32-libs: ia32-libs 20090808ubuntu26
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+7ubuntu7
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

[Bilal Akhtar (bilalakhtar)]

Do you have the same problems with the latest updates? AFAIK a similar issue was fixed in the latest update.

[Márton Kiss (marton-kiss)]

Bilal, I have same problems with a fully updated Oneiric running on a Dell notebook:
lspci -vv
...
00:02.1 Display controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 945GM/GMS/GME, 943/940GML Express Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 03)
 Subsystem: Dell Device 01d4
 Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx-
 Status: Cap+ 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B+ ParErr- DEVSEL=fast >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR- INTx-
 Latency: 0
 Region 0: Memory at eff80000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=512K]
 Capabilities: [d0] Power Management version 2
  Flags: PMEClk- DSI+ D1- D2- AuxCurrent=0mA PME(D0-,D1-,D2-,D3hot-,D3cold-)
  Status: D0 NoSoftRst- PME-Enable- DSel=0 DScale=0 PME-
...
It seems to be total non-deterministic, so currently I cannot reproduce, but it happens 3-5 times per a work day.

A not too user friendly workaround is switching back to console (Ctrl+Alt+F1), then restart lightdm. It just helps to avoid a full reboot process.

[RK (shandolad)]

Sorry for not replying in a while. I switched to Gnome 3 classic to avoid this problem in unity, and because performance of unity on my computer was a bit sluggish. I therefore have not had opportunity to see if the problem still occurs. However, if Márton still sees it, chances are I would too.

[Márton Kiss (marton-kiss)]

Additional info:
I can experience this bug only with an attached external monitor. When I'm using the notebook as a standalone primary display the freezing never appears.

[RK (shandolad)]

I am wondering if this error could be related to this one: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/compiz/+bug/905343
The problem seems to be somewhat similar, perhaps related to the graphics driver for Intel GMA on-board graphics?

[RK (shandolad)]

I can now confirm that the window manager also crashes when switching workspaces while using Gnome 3 as shell.

[Emmanuel (emmanuel-breton)]

Experiencing same bug on Optiplex GX620 with an Intel i945P chipset, after a full install of ubuntu 12.04 today.

[RK (shandolad)]

Just for the record and potential use of the other people experiencing this issue, XFCE (including the XFCE compositor) works well and is stable on my GX620.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. This particular bug has already been reported and is a duplicate of bug 815996, so it is being marked as such. Please look at the other bug report to see if there is any missing information that you can provide, or to see if there is a workaround for the bug. Additionally, any further discussion regarding the bug should occur in the other report. Feel free to continue to report any other bugs you may find.