190.32 - the return of the "black window" bug

[AaronP]

These sound like you're running Compiz with the loose binding option and are completely running out of accelerated memory. In its "most desperate for memory" fallback mode, the driver is not able to ensure that changes to your windows from X are propagated to Compiz unless Compiz rebinds the textures, as required by the GLX_EXT_texture_from_pixmap extension. Rebinding all the time is a performance hit, which is why Compiz makes it optional.

Please restart Compiz with strict binding enabled (or loose binding disabled, I can never remember which) and see if that resolves your problem.

[Go7300]

Originally Posted by AaronP

These sound like you're running Compiz with the loose binding option and are completely running out of accelerated memory. In its "most desperate for memory" fallback mode, the driver is not able to ensure that changes to your windows from X are propagated to Compiz unless Compiz rebinds the textures, as required by the GLX_EXT_texture_from_pixmap extension. Rebinding all the time is a performance hit, which is why Compiz makes it optional.

Please restart Compiz with strict binding enabled (or loose binding disabled, I can never remember which) and see if that resolves your problem.

Thanks for the feedback. I still think it's a regression on 190.32 after testing this out. Here's what I did:

1. I reinstalled 190.32 and ran compiz with the default startup options, as follows:

/usr/bin/compiz.real --ignore-desktop-hints --replace --sm-client-id 1010d30c0249edf8ae125253518693545400000042450038 --loose-binding core ccp

After opening 3 evince pdf files, the 3rd one was a black window.

2. I restarted compiz without the --loose-binding option, as follows:

/usr/bin/compiz.real --ignore-desktop-hints --replace --sm-client-id 1054121082f34f240a125253763724129800000113580038 core ccp

Now after opening only two evince windows, I get the 2nd one black.

OK, so it happens faster without --loose-binding, but it doesn't happen at all with nvidia 190.25.

Any other ideas?

[Go7300]

Originally Posted by RoadRunnr

Go7300: i guess you are not running a large dual-screen resolution?

That's right, I just have the laptop 15.5" 1680x1050 panel running.

regards,

[AaronP]

Originally Posted by Go7300

2. I restarted compiz without the --loose-binding option, as follows:

/usr/bin/compiz.real --ignore-desktop-hints --replace --sm-client-id 1054121082f34f240a125253763724129800000113580038 core ccp

Now after opening only two evince windows, I get the 2nd one black.

Thank you, that's an important data point that disproves my theory about this being a loose binding problem. I'll see if I can reproduce your problem here.

[goofy03]

I've post this problem 2 week ago with GeForce Go 7600 i use KDE 4.3 but no more kwin or plasma effect this make it unusable. I often use twinvew but even with just my laptop screen windows get black if i open too much apps.

[tongrider]

I've got same problem, but downgrading to linux kernel 2.6.28 all works fine ...

[Plagman]

Hi,

A regression in the Geforce 6/7 series memory management code has recently been fixed and should solve that problem. The fix will be available in the next 190.xx driver release.

Thanks,
- Pierre-Loup

[pauljohn]

I have nVidia Corporation NV43GL [Quadro FX 540] (rev a2) running Ubuntu 9.04. I had never seen the "black window" bug until I installed the cutting edge test nvidia drivers, 190.36. This is an amd64 kernel/OS.

I have a dual monitor setup using Twinview 2560x1024 and I prefer to use Compiz. I use an array of 8 separate workspaces (call them "desktops" or "viewports"???), each of which has a different wallpaper on the background (Pretty, and it stresses the video memory too!).

I installed those new test versions of nvidia because my system had become incredibly unstable. Firefox would crash at random with mouse movements. I filed a bug report with Nvidia, never heard back about it. I thought the "crash" problem was an nvidia problem, so I was eagerly updating nvidia, only to find no help.

I believe I've found a work around. I downgraded the nvidia drivers to 185.18.36.

The debian packages I have at the moment came from a ppa launchpad test server. (The address is the second one below). I also have tested other packagers who are more-or-less equally mysterious and up to date (or not). In case you want to play too, here's the optional sources I've tried :

$ cat /etc/apt/sources.list.d/nvidia.list
# deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/thefirstm/ppa/ubuntu jaunty main
# deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/thefirstm/ppa/ubuntu jaunty main


deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/nvidia-vdpau/ppa/ubuntu jaunty main
# deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/nvidia-vdpau/ppa/ubuntu jaunty main


# deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/ubuntu-x-swat/x-updates/ubuntu jaunty main
# deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/ubuntu-x-swat/x-updates/ubuntu jaunty main


Then I installed the Compiz that was released last Thursday, 0.8.4. With that combination of X11 drivers and Compiz, I have no more black screens and no more X11 crashes (yet!). THe only hassle is that the Ubuntu packagers are only providing 0.8.4 for Ubuntu 9.10 (Karmic). I believe that is because 9.10 has tighter integration with KDE & Gnome, so if you want to use that, you have to wait. I prefer NOT to link Compiz with the desktop in any way, so I just rebuilt the Compiz packages from the Karmic Compiz website after hacking out the kde parts. (http://packages.ubuntu.com/karmic/compiz)

[jamesjones]

Originally Posted by RoadRunnr

I had what appears to be a variation for the this bug with all 180.xx, 185.xx and 190.xx drivers.

New windows will open, their initial content will be shown, but the application appears to be non responsive to any user actions, until one shrinks the window. At that point it becomes clear that the application actually did respond (i.e. Firefox opened a new tab), but that the actual windows content had not been updated.

The amount of applications and windows required to trigger it varies.

I think this is the symptom AaronP was referring to in his post about trying Compiz strict binding. It's true there was a regression in 190.32 that is now fixed in 190.40, but if you still see these intermittent problems after many windows have been opened, please give strict binding a try.

[tongrider]

Plagman, I finally take time to test the new driver version, actually 190.42.
No more bug now. (Tested with Kernel 2.6.30)

Thank You !