letters, characters look like smashed pixels in window text (quite often)

[Sandor]

I have just upgraded from 1304 to 1310 by upgrade tool. Some letters are not showing in text or just smashed dots, pixels shown. After some time it either sorts itself or I have to scroll the text out of sight and back to solve the issue. It looks like the rendering of the text is not good. It happens quite often, in any window, both in window title and text area, independent of any program. I have seen it when I browse with firefox but also ubuntu windows like software centre.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 13.10
Package: xorg 1:7.7+1ubuntu5
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.11.0-9.16-generic 3.11.2
Uname: Linux 3.11.0-9-generic x86_64
.tmp.unity.support.test.0:

ApportVersion: 2.12.5-0ubuntu1
Architecture: amd64
CompizPlugins: [core,composite,opengl,compiztoolbox,decor,vpswitch,snap,mousepoll,resize,place,move,wall,grid,regex,imgpng,session,gnomecompat,animation,fade,staticswitcher,workarounds,scale,expo,ezoom,dbus]
CompositorRunning: compiz
CompositorUnredirectDriverBlacklist: '(nouveau|Intel).*Mesa 8.0'
CompositorUnredirectFSW: true
Date: Tue Oct 1 16:40:57 2013
DistUpgraded: 2013-09-29 08:50:42,822 DEBUG enabling apt cron job
DistroCodename: saucy
DistroVariant: ubuntu
DkmsStatus:
 virtualbox, 4.2.16, 3.11.0-9-generic, x86_64: installed
 virtualbox, 4.2.16, 3.8.0-31-generic, x86_64: installed
ExtraDebuggingInterest: Yes, if not too technical
GraphicsCard:
 Intel Corporation Mobile 4 Series Chipset Integrated Graphics Controller [8086:2a42] (rev 07) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. Device [1043:1862]
   Subsystem: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. Device [1043:1862]
InstallationDate: Installed on 2013-04-23 (160 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 13.04 "Raring Ringtail" - Release amd64 (20130420)
MachineType: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. UL30A
MarkForUpload: True
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.11.0-9-generic root=UUID=20adce5a-5384-4f57-8041-642feefdfd76 ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
SourcePackage: xorg
Symptom: display
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to saucy on 2013-09-29 (2 days ago)
dmi.bios.date: 08/20/2009
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: 206
dmi.board.asset.tag: ATN12345678901234567
dmi.board.name: UL30A
dmi.board.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer Inc.
dmi.board.version: 1.0
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: ATN12345678901234567
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer Inc.
dmi.chassis.version: 1.0
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvr206:bd08/20/2009:svnASUSTeKComputerInc.:pnUL30A:pvr1.0:rvnASUSTeKComputerInc.:rnUL30A:rvr1.0:cvnASUSTeKComputerInc.:ct10:cvr1.0:
dmi.product.name: UL30A
dmi.product.version: 1.0
dmi.sys.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer Inc.
version.compiz: compiz 1:0.9.10+13.10.20130927.1-0ubuntu1
version.ia32-libs: ia32-libs N/A
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.46-1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 9.2-1ubuntu2
version.libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental: libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental N/A
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 9.2-1ubuntu2
version.xserver-xorg-core: xserver-xorg-core 2:1.14.2.901-2ubuntu6
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev 1:2.7.3-0ubuntu3.1
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:7.2.0-0ubuntu9
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.21.14-4ubuntu4
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:1.0.9-2ubuntu1
xserver.bootTime: Tue Oct 1 15:51:53 2013
xserver.configfile: default
xserver.errors:

xserver.logfile: /var/log/Xorg.0.log
xserver.outputs:
 product id 4140
 vendor AUO
xserver.version: 2:1.14.2.901-2ubuntu6

[Quinn Balazs (qbalazs)]

Would you mind getting a screen grab of this issue the next time it happens, and posting it here as an attachment?

[Sandor (msanca)]

here is a screen capture of the issue. it is hard to catch it though, it sorts itself as soon as the screen updates with the next task. I have circled the area where it occured. hope it helps.

[Sandor (msanca)]

Here is another one at line: Autopilot test (s) is missing. it happens just as I type sometimes but corrects straight away in a flash.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Sandor, this bug was reported a while ago and there hasn't been any activity in it recently. We were wondering if this is still an issue? If so, could you please test for this with the latest development release of Ubuntu? ISO images are available from http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/daily-live/current/ .

If it remains an issue, could you please run the following command in the development release from a Terminal (Applications->Accessories->Terminal), as it will automatically gather and attach updated debug information to this report:

apport-collect -p xserver-xorg-video-intel REPLACE-WITH-BUG-NUMBER

Please note, given that the information from the prior release is already available, doing this on a release prior to the development one would not be helpful.

Thank you for your understanding.

Helpful bug reporting tips:
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ReportingBugs