Wallpaper does not resize correctly when adding external display

[Andreas Büsching]

When I add a second (external) display to my laptop (Dell Latitude) the wallpaper/background is not resized correctly.

1. just an internal display with a resolution of 1366x768
2. adding an external display with a full HD resolution

Adding the external display results in
- the wallper is shown in the upper left corner of the external display (probably with the resolution of the internal display.
- The rest of the screen is filled with random segments of windows that have been shown at these positions before
- the internal display does not show any wallpaper (completely black)

Additionally it looks like the left side panels (one for internal and one for external) are drawn over each other on the external display. See attachment Auswal_001.png

Deactivating the internal display does not change anything

Locking the screen shows a correctly resized wallpaper in the background.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 16.10
Package: xorg 1:7.7+13ubuntu4
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.8.0-22.24-generic 4.8.0
Uname: Linux 4.8.0-22-generic x86_64
.tmp.unity_support_test.0:

ApportVersion: 2.20.3-0ubuntu8
Architecture: amd64
BootLog: /dev/sda6: clean, 1281257/10911744 files, 22096310/43622400 blocks
CompizPlugins: No value set for `/apps/compiz-1/general/screen0/options/active_plugins'
CompositorRunning: compiz
CompositorUnredirectDriverBlacklist: '(nouveau|Intel).*Mesa 8.0'
CompositorUnredirectFSW: true
CurrentDesktop: Unity
Date: Mon Oct 17 20:23:39 2016
DistUpgraded: Fresh install
DistroCodename: yakkety
DistroVariant: ubuntu
DkmsStatus:
 virtualbox, 5.1.6, 4.8.0-21-generic, x86_64: installed
 virtualbox, 5.1.6, 4.8.0-22-generic, x86_64: installed
EcryptfsInUse: Yes
ExtraDebuggingInterest: Yes
GraphicsCard:
 Intel Corporation 2nd Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics Controller [8086:0126] (rev 09) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: Dell 2nd Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics Controller [1028:04a9]
InstallationDate: Installed on 2013-11-10 (1072 days ago)
InstallationMedia: elementary OS 0.2 "Luna" - Stable amd64 (20130810)
MachineType: Dell Inc. Latitude E6220
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-4.8.0-22-generic root=UUID=f1d78d25-23cf-4217-9db2-0750a8eb2b53 ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
SourcePackage: xorg
Symptom: display
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 05/17/2012
dmi.bios.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.bios.version: A08
dmi.board.name: 0R97MN
dmi.board.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.board.version: A00
dmi.chassis.type: 9
dmi.chassis.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnDellInc.:bvrA08:bd05/17/2012:svnDellInc.:pnLatitudeE6220:pvr01:rvnDellInc.:rn0R97MN:rvrA00:cvnDellInc.:ct9:cvr:
dmi.product.name: Latitude E6220
dmi.product.version: 01
dmi.sys.vendor: Dell Inc.
version.compiz: compiz 1:0.9.13.0+16.10.20160818.2-0ubuntu2
version.ia32-libs: ia32-libs N/A
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.70-1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 12.0.3-1ubuntu2
version.libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental: libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental N/A
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 12.0.3-1ubuntu2
version.xserver-xorg-core: xserver-xorg-core 2:1.18.4-1ubuntu6
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev 1:2.10.2-1ubuntu1
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:7.7.1-1
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.99.917+git20160706-1ubuntu1
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:1.0.12-2

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[groucho (grouchomarx-fr)]

I think I have the same bug with Ubuntu 16.10.
16.04 was fine.

Additionally, setting a new wallpaper is a bit slow. The new wallpaper appears after a delay of 2 seconds without any special effect (no fading in/out).

Graphics card : Intel HD graphics.

[Timo Aaltonen (tjaalton)]

probably a dupe of https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/mesa/+bug/1626935

[Andreas Büsching (crunchy)]

I'm not sure if it is a dupe. I do not see a flickering on the internal display. ... and I'm using VGA ;-)

But I think the source of the problem might be the same (unity/compiz)

[groucho (grouchomarx-fr)]

I am also using VGA and don't have any detection problems.

I don't know if I have the same issue as OP though.

Here is a picture of my issue (attachment).

[Andreas Büsching (crunchy)]

I just found some log messages from Unity panel service in /var/log/syslog. I've no clue if they are related to the problem, but maybe ...

Oct 19 21:43:58 bbc-000098 unity-panel-ser[4339]: Sync failed, now we've got extra layout nodes.
Oct 19 21:45:29 bbc-000098 unity-panel-ser[4339]: message repeated 8537 times: [ Sync failed, now we've got extra layout nodes.]

[Andreas Büsching (crunchy)]

It looks like it is related to the positions of the two displays to each other. I normally like the internal display to be below the external one. By default it tries to layout the display next to each other. When adding the external display I can see the wallpaper twice on the external display. On the left the small one that should probably be shown on the internal display and on the right side the large one that should normally be used for the external display. After a few moments the large one is shown on the exeternal display and the internal display has a black background. When I switch to the virtual desktop on the right side I do see the small wallpaper in the top left corner surrounded by the flickering.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Thank you for reporting this bug to Ubuntu.
Ubuntu 16.10 (yakkety) reached end-of-life on July 20, 2017.

See this document for currently supported Ubuntu releases:
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Releases

We appreciate that this bug may be old and you might not be interested in discussing it any more. But if you are then please upgrade to the latest Ubuntu version and re-test. If you then find the bug is still present in the newer Ubuntu version, please add a comment here telling us which new version it is in and change the bug status to Confirmed.