[gm45] emerald hangs after lucid upgrade

[Tiede]

Binary package hint: xserver-xorg-video-intel

This bug is also manifested in other ways, but this is by far the most noticeable.
It probably is not a DRI issue, since update5 fixed the disabled DRI from update3.
I am not quite sure what exactly is wrong, but ever since I upgraded from Karmic to Lucid, desktop effects took a dive, and the system reverted to using metacity. (in other words, this could be seen as a regression, since it worked fine it Karmic)
compiz --replace flickers for about half a second and "tries" to do something, but I am left with no window borders, and then the screen reverts back to metacity about another half-second or so later. This is what pointed me to check directly with emerald.
emerald --replace does not do anything, it just hangs there. No output, no information whatsoever, no trace of anything in the logs.
Running emerald by itself with no other WM already running results in the same behavior, so I can't blame metacity for this.

Arguably, this could also be a bug against emerald, since it does not "do anything" but that's a judgment I don't feel qualified to make.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.04
Package: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.9.1-3ubuntu5
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.32-22.33-generic 2.6.32.11+drm33.2
Uname: Linux 2.6.32-22-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: wl
Architecture: amd64
CheckboxSubmission: 9dd458ed6872a10e9468e88d81f07dba
CheckboxSystem: 7b2e8f62efb0ed074fb65a9cb4a3d5c0
Date: Tue May 11 19:22:19 2010
DkmsStatus:
 bcmwl, 5.60.48.36+bdcom, 2.6.32-21-generic, x86_64: built
 bcmwl, 5.60.48.36+bdcom, 2.6.32-22-generic, x86_64: installed
 bcmwl, 5.60.48.36+bdcom, 2.6.31-21-generic, x86_64: built
MachineType: Hewlett-Packard HP ProBook 4510s
ProcCmdLine: root=UUID=9859a7f0-ce42-4079-bafa-e8a62bebb5aa ro quiet splash
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=fr_FR:fr:en_GB:en
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 LANG=fr_FR.utf8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: xserver-xorg-video-intel
dmi.bios.date: 04/03/2009
dmi.bios.vendor: Hewlett-Packard
dmi.bios.version: 68PZI Ver. F.03
dmi.board.name: 3072
dmi.board.vendor: Hewlett-Packard
dmi.board.version: KBC Version 24.0B
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: CNU919271S
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: Hewlett-Packard
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnHewlett-Packard:bvr68PZIVer.F.03:bd04/03/2009:svnHewlett-Packard:pnHPProBook4510s:pvrF.03:rvnHewlett-Packard:rn3072:rvrKBCVersion24.0B:cvnHewlett-Packard:ct10:cvr:
dmi.product.name: HP ProBook 4510s
dmi.product.version: F.03
dmi.sys.vendor: Hewlett-Packard
system:
 distro: Ubuntu
 codename: lucid
 architecture: x86_64
 kernel: 2.6.32-22-generic

[Tiede (marcarthur)]

Found a workaround that makes it apparent that this bug is related to gnome-appearance-properties...

[Tiede (marcarthur)]

sorry i messed up all the tagging and whatnots, I just learned (right now) how to add another package to a bug report... Did not mean to change it thusly...

Anyways, as I said a moment ago, I have found a workaround that lets me think that the bug is at least partly related with gnome-appearance-properties. I was able to make everything work normally (i.e emerald works and compiz effects work) albeit temporarily, by doing this.

1. Open up a terminal
2. Type emerald
--->nothing happens as emerald just hangs.
3. kill metacity (killall metacity in another terminal would work fine).
4. Launch gnome-appearance-properties (System->Preferences->Appearance)
5. Select the Effects tab and click on Extra.
---> a window pops informing that it is looking for drivers. A short while later, the desktop flickers and everything is normal, with emerald happily humming.

Notes: The previous workaround will NOT work if emerald is not "hanging" in the background. As if Appearances cannot launch it on its own.
The previous workaround will NOT work if metacity composite is enabled. (but I believe this is already a known bug)...
Finally, the workaround is only temporary, as it does not endure after the session is closed. Meaning it must be done each time we log in.
(currently, I am using Alt+F2 to run the commands instead of a terminal, so i don't have to worry about closing anything.)

On another note, this seems to be settings-specific, as another account on the same computer seems to work with metacity just fine without using the aforementioned workaround.

[Chris Coulson (chrisccoulson)]

gnome-control-center has nothing to do with emerald

[Mohamed Amine Ilidrissi (ilidrissi.amine)]

Are you still affected by this bug?

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

We're closing this bug since it is has been some time with no response from the original reporter. However, if the issue still exists please feel free to reopen with the requested information. Also, if you could, please test against the latest development version of Ubuntu, since this confirms the bug is one we may be able to pass upstream for help.