LMDE - Gnome Panel disappears and appears repeatedly

[phollox]

I was using my browser (firefox), and suddenly the gnome panel started to flash, disappearing and appearing again. The panel started to do this, and the mouse icon turns into the idle symbol (the circle with something spinning on it).
I open a console, and do

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sudo killall gnome-panel
gnome-panel

but after initiating again the gnome-panel process, it does not appear

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(gnome-panel:18901): Gdk-WARNING **: /build/buildd-gtk+2.0_2.20.1-2-i386-TNeM25/gtk+2.0-2.20.1/gdk/x11/gdkdrawable-x11.c:952 drawable is not a pixmap or window
Segmentation fault

I tried an update and then reboot

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sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade
sudo reboot

but after the reboot, the problem persist.
I am using LMDE. If this were Windows, I would think that I have a virus.
Any help is appreciated. If you need the output of any command, please, let me know.
Thanks,

[Silent Warrior]

If you're using anything but the "official" Debian or Mint repositories (Debian Testing isn't very official, I guess), open Synaptic and see what versions of gnome-panel you have available. The Gdk-warning looks to my untrained eye like you have a version of... uh... something... Now I'm getting uncertain.
Hm... How about uninstalling package 'buildd', and reinstalling gtk+ and gnome-panel? If that solves it, you could maybe consider a more careful configuration of buildd if you need it for something.

[Oscar799]

Moved here from Newbie Questions

[kwevej]

looks like an gtk issue ... they got it at Arch as well
http://archbang.47.forumer.com/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=410

And a "solution" here.
https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?pid=837599

It crashes with certain themes...

[kwevej]

Ok, so I've found, that it is realted to Mint-X icons.
I had the same crashes with cairo-dock .. Now, when using a different icon set, it's ok.

[phollox]

looks like an gtk issue ... they got it at Arch as well
http://archbang.47.forumer.com/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=410

And a "solution" here.
https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?pid=837599

It crashes with certain themes...

I followed these instructions. Then I uninstalled all of the additional themes I previously installed, and then took a really simple (and ugly) theme. It stop crashing. Then I selected the standard clearlooks, and it worked for a couple of days. Now, it started again to crash and reinitiate repeatedly, but eventually it comes back. I reinstalled gtk2-engines

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sudo aptitude reinstall gtk2-engines

I will see how it turned during the next days. I it didn't work, I'll try the solution you posted kwevej. Thanks for your help

[phollox]

Still getting the same error in ~/.xsession-errors

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Gdk-WARNING **: /build/buildd-gtk+2.0_2.20.1-2-i386-TNeM25/gtk+2.0-2.20.1/gdk/x11/gdkdrawable-x11.c:952 drawable is not a pixmap or window

I don't know what is Gdk, or buildd

[phollox]

I added an additional panel at the top of the screen, to verify the behavior of this error. Both panel crashes at the same time, and generates only one entry at ~/.xsession-errors
I know that is something with GTK+, related wih the themes. It is not critical, but it is annoying. I would like to fix it without reinstalling. That solution is sooo Windows...

[Silent Warrior]

Have you tried a different version of the gtk-libraries? (libgtk2[etc] in Synaptic, Force version something or other.) If this nets you a ton of warnings about removing all sorts of things, you could still go ahead - IF YOU MAKE NOTE OF WHAT GOES AND PUT IT BACK ASAP. (Do try for a version that doesn't demand the version of libgtk you're having problems with, though.) I don't recommend you try this, but it's an option.

[phollox]

No. My computer is enough broken... I will reinstall Mint as soon as I can (after the end of the semester). And I would never try to install a different theme. Don't know what I did, and don't know how o fix it

[phollox]

Ok. After one month, and with the final exams approaching, I didn't reinstall the LMDE. The crashing keep annoying me during this time. I don't know why I decided to remove from my panel the clock applet, and it solved the problem. No more crash and respawn. But now I don't have a clock on my panel