xscreensaver is choppy on lubuntu 20.04 daily qa-test (flurry)

[Chris Guiver]

Lubuntu 20.04 daily QA-test on
hp dc7700 (c2d-e6320, 5gb, nvidia quadro nvs 290)

Displays have been adjusted to my setup (one above the other) but I doubt this is an issue

I suspended system, waited, pressed ESC to wake & it resumed to xscreensaver, but 'flurry' was chopped and showing white/black patches on display as if glitching... I touched mouse & my session removed.

opened xscreensaver & preview - yep glitch there too... changed to 'fliptext' & no issues, but flurry is very jerky with image switching to almost-blocky-bad-signal (I think it's alternating between showing something else, text; it seems to vary on what I've had on screen before screensaver is loaded & continuing to show xscreensaver..)

attempts to screengrab with delay have failed (just capturing black screen)..

`lshw -C video` reports I'm using nouveau.

This issue may not relate to 'xserver-xorg-video-nouveau', but I suspect it's there. I've performed this test a number of times on various boxes without issue (will do so again once I shutdown this).

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 20.04
Package: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:1.0.16-1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.3.0-18.19-generic 5.3.1
Uname: Linux 5.3.0-18-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu9
Architecture: amd64
BootLog: Error: [Errno 13] Permission denied: '/var/log/boot.log'
CasperVersion: 1.432
CompositorRunning: None
CurrentDesktop: LXQt
Date: Thu Dec 5 04:04:51 2019
DistUpgraded: Fresh install
DistroCodename: focal
DistroVariant: ubuntu
ExtraDebuggingInterest: Yes
GraphicsCard:
 NVIDIA Corporation G86 [Quadro NVS 290] [10de:042f] (rev a1) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: NVIDIA Corporation G86 [Quadro NVS 290] [10de:0492]
LiveMediaBuild: Lubuntu 20.04 LTS "Focal Fossa" - Alpha amd64 (20191204)
MachineType: Hewlett-Packard HP Compaq dc7700 Small Form Factor
ProcKernelCmdLine: file=/cdrom/preseed/username.seed initrd=/casper/initrd quiet splash ---
SourcePackage: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 08/30/2006
dmi.bios.vendor: Hewlett-Packard
dmi.bios.version: 786E1 v01.05
dmi.board.name: 0A54h
dmi.board.vendor: Hewlett-Packard
dmi.chassis.type: 4
dmi.chassis.vendor: Hewlett-Packard
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnHewlett-Packard:bvr786E1v01.05:bd08/30/2006:svnHewlett-Packard:pnHPCompaqdc7700SmallFormFactor:pvr:rvnHewlett-Packard:rn0A54h:rvr:cvnHewlett-Packard:ct4:cvr:
dmi.product.family: 103C_53307F
dmi.product.name: HP Compaq dc7700 Small Form Factor
dmi.product.sku: ET090AV
dmi.sys.vendor: Hewlett-Packard
version.compiz: compiz N/A
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.100-4
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 19.2.4-1ubuntu1
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx N/A
version.xserver-xorg-core: xserver-xorg-core 2:1.20.5+git20191008-0ubuntu1
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev N/A
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:19.1.0-1
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.99.917+git20190815-1
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:1.0.16-1

[Chris Guiver (guiverc)]

I tried to re-create this issue on
dell [optiplex] 780 (c2q-q9400, 8gb, amd/ati cedar radeon hd 5000/6000/7350/8350)
Very different card with two displays, flurry was nice and smooth and I could not rec-reate

I then tried hp 8200 elite sff (i5-2400, 8gb, nvidia quadro 600), but I had a different issue (xscreensaver was nice and smooth, no glitches or jerky behavior; it just happened to cover on a single display)

following are notes from QA-test on hp 8200 :-
chosen as this box shares same displays as hp77700 thus identical setup. it also has nvidia though different card

adjust displays to match setup, make 'my-lower' display default & apply & save as i did before
suspend system, wait (what feels like 15 secs but would be far shorter if timed I bet..), this box wakes on ESC key as hp7700, however xscreensaver is smooth, but hiding only TOP display??? grrr.. https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/xscreensaver/+bug/1814490
wake, load xscreensaver and preview - alas only top screen is hidden (nice smooth flurry) and bottom isn't covered at all..

[Ubuntu QA Website (ubuntuqa)]

This bug has been reported on the Ubuntu ISO testing tracker.

A list of all reports related to this bug can be found here:
http://iso.qa.ubuntu.com/qatracker/reports/bugs/1855220

[Chris Guiver (guiverc)]

I downloading & booted Xubuntu 20.04 daily and played there.
same hp dc7700 (c2d-e6320, 5gb, nvidia quadro nvs 290)
on same box. adding xscreensaver & using 'flurry', I got the same jerky/choppy response here once packages added & running.

I could see the xscreensaver dialog box where I click 'preview' (approx correct position on screen but on wrong display??!!) when it jerked (or I described as black-white-blocky-bad-signal in original post; I'd not use those words now). Yes it's somewhat like a bad signal on tv, but I do get the same response here on Xubuntu 20.04 daily.

[Chris Guiver (guiverc)]

I noticed this effect today on qa-test of lubuntu 20.04 daily on

hp 8200 elite sff (i5-2400, 8gb, nvidia quadro 600)

This is a different box, however on the dc7700 the choppy behavior occurs much of the time (still occurs as I tested on dc7700 earlier today), today on this 8200 box the choppy behavior is far less, and only occasional.

Blank & Cycle are still 10 mins, yet choppy behavior is occurring 3-15 secs (little point counting time on dc7700) so it's less evident, but once you notice it - it sort of stands out here too.

[Chris Guiver (guiverc)]

lubuntu 20.04 daily test (groovy) on
hp dc7700 (c2d-e6320, 5gb, nvidia quadro nvs 290)

today I'm using box all day; it's annoying and looks wrong when the image jerks.. this really is an issue with the video card, however i fear Lubuntu won't look professional with this choice given it misbehaves with this screensaver, and a simple fix could be just using another one...