Unity 3D causes video apps to malfunction

[Shock]

I am getting very weird behavior:
  - starting XBMC results in XBMC maxing out one of my cores and the XBMC UI is unresponsive (updates once in several seconds, at best)
  - if XBMC started normally, toggling fullscreen/window mode will make it exhibit the above behavior
  - after toggling fullscreen/window the screen/window will sometime contain garbage
  - TV-MAXE, uses VLC as backend, works normally while not in fullscreen. When I switch it to fullscreen I get a blank screen or a static video frame.
  - totem works normally while not in fullscreen. When I switch it to fullscreen I get a blank screen or a static video frame (usually the video frame is in the top left corner, unresized, and the rest of the screen is blank).

This has been happening from the start on Oneiric with unity and nvidia proprietary drivers from the stock versions up to unity 5.0.0 and nvidia drivers 295.20.

All these apps function properly under Gnome Shell and Unity 2D.
I have run out of ideas on what I can do/try to be able to use Unity 3D and these apps together.

I think there's a good chance this bug might be present in the current development version of unity in precise and would hate it if Precise would be released with this bug still present.
---
.proc.driver.nvidia.gpus.0: Error: [Errno 21] Is a directory: '/proc/driver/nvidia/gpus/0'
.proc.driver.nvidia.registry: Binary: ""
.proc.driver.nvidia.version:
 NVRM version: NVIDIA UNIX x86_64 Kernel Module 295.20 Mon Feb 6 21:07:30 PST 2012
 GCC version: gcc version 4.6.1 (Ubuntu/Linaro 4.6.1-9ubuntu3)
.tmp.unity.support.test.0:

ApportVersion: 1.23-0ubuntu4
Architecture: amd64
CompizPlugins: [core,bailer,detection,composite,opengl,decor,copytex,place,move,snap,commands,imgpng,regex,animation,vpswitch,mousepoll,wall,gnomecompat,workarounds,session,grid,resize,compiztoolbox,expo,fade,ezoom,scale,unityshell]
CompositorRunning: None
DistUpgraded: Log time: 2011-11-22 12:43:23.029973
DistroCodename: oneiric
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.10
DistroVariant: ubuntu
DkmsStatus:
 nvidia-current, 295.20, 3.0.0-16-generic, x86_64: installed
 virtualbox, 4.1.2, 3.0.0-16-generic, x86_64: installed
GraphicsCard:
 nVidia Corporation G73 [GeForce 7600 GT] [10de:0391] (rev a1) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: LeadTek Research Inc. Device [107d:209c]
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.10 "Oneiric Ocelot" - Release amd64 (20111012)
MachineType: System manufacturer System Product Name
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
Package: unity 5.0.0+bzr1879ubuntu0+622
PackageArchitecture: amd64
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/vmlinuz-3.0.0-16-generic root=UUID=bdd0f7f0-e92e-40fb-989d-7daec91beae7 ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.0.0-16.28-generic 3.0.17
Tags: oneiric running-unity oneiric running-unity oneiric running-unity ubuntu
Uname: Linux 3.0.0-16-generic x86_64
UnreportableReason: This is not a genuine Ubuntu package
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to oneiric on 2012-01-30 (15 days ago)
UserGroups: adm admin cdrom dialout lpadmin plugdev sambashare
XorgConf:
 Section "Device"
  Identifier "Default Device"
  Option "NoLogo" "True"
 EndSection
dmi.bios.date: 09/30/2008
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: 1238
dmi.board.asset.tag: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.board.name: P5B-Deluxe
dmi.board.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer INC.
dmi.board.version: Rev 1.xx
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: Asset-1234567890
dmi.chassis.type: 3
dmi.chassis.vendor: Chassis Manufacture
dmi.chassis.version: Chassis Version
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvr1238:bd09/30/2008:svnSystemmanufacturer:pnSystemProductName:pvrSystemVersion:rvnASUSTeKComputerINC.:rnP5B-Deluxe:rvrRev1.xx:cvnChassisManufacture:ct3:cvrChassisVersion:
dmi.product.name: System Product Name
dmi.product.version: System Version
dmi.sys.vendor: System manufacturer
version.compiz: compiz 1:0.9.6+bzr20110929-0ubuntu6.1
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.nvidia-graphics-drivers: nvidia-graphics-drivers N/A
version.xserver-xorg: xserver-xorg 1:7.6+7ubuntu7.1
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 2:2.15.901-1ubuntu2.1
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:0.0.16+git20110411+8378443-1

[Shock (mmiron)]

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[Bilal Akhtar (bilalakhtar)]

Seems like a driver issue to me. Have you tried this with the nouveau driver?

If not, then this could be a bug in Compiz, but that's kinda unlikely because I don't have the same issue here.

[Shock (mmiron)]

I had tried the nuveau driver back when I first encountered the issue but I couldn't use it because subtitles in XBMC would flicker constantly. I'll give it another go (there have been a few updates to XBMC since then) and report back, however using the same nvidia proprietary drivers I haven't encountered the issue in Gnome Shell.

[Shock (mmiron)]

Ok, gave it another try with nouveau -- things are much worse than I remembered.
Versions:
ii libdrm-nouveau1a 2.4.26-1ubuntu1 Userspace interface to nouveau-specific kernel DRM services -- runtime
ii xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:0.0.16+git20110411+837844 X.Org X server -- Nouveau display driver (experimental)

  * nouveau + unity 3d + XBMC:
playing a video: subtitles would flicker, the XBMC HUD would flicker, unity launcher and panel would flicker over the video, parts of the video would flicker, only some parts of the video would update and would switch back and forth between two frames (video buffers?)
exiting full screen: only part of the launcher was rendered (right half) and the screen would be stuck. hit Alt+SysRq+k got a blank screen, Ctrl+Alt+F1 would not give me console (visually) but Ctrl+Alt+Del worked.
  * nouveau + gnome shell + XBMC
playing a video: subtitles would flicker, but less. the XBMC HUD would flicker, but the video played properly.
exiting fullscreen: the screen was stuck displaying the GS top panel and the XBMC window and would not update. the system appeared stuck (NumLk would not toggle) so I did Alt+SysRq+REISUB.

[Sebastien Bacher (seb128)]

Is that still an issue? Some improvements went to compiz this cycle and it should work as well under unity than gnome-shell nowadays, could you check if that's the case?

The bug also seems to mix several issues, you clearly have bugs out of unity since you get system stuck under gnome-shell, could we limit this ticket to unity issues?

[Shock (mmiron)]

Yes, it's still an issue with unity 5.0.0+bzr1879ubuntu0+622 and compiz 1:0.9.6+bzr20110929-0ubuntu6.1.
Are there newer versions to test under oneiric or do I need to install precise to be able to test?

[Sebastien Bacher (seb128)]

it would be better to try on precise though some of the improvements have been uploaded as oneiric stable updates

[Andrea Azzarone (azzar1)]

Is this still an issue?

[Shock (mmiron)]

No, but I've changed computers since then. I don't have the old computer to check. Feel free to close the issue.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for nvidia-graphics-drivers (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for Unity because there has been no activity for 60 days.]

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for unity (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]