[Fix available] Window manager xfwm 4.13.0 broken after last mesa update

[linxmintq]

After restoring the system to a previous date, and unchecking systemd that is present in the graphical manager, and updating again the system included mesa and other packages, it does not generate for the moment problems.

These are the systemd outputs that are present in the graphical manager without updating.

Code: Select all

$ sudo apt list --upgradable
Listing... Done
libnss-myhostname/bionic-updates 237-3ubuntu10.24 amd64 [upgradeable from: 237-3ubuntu10.23]
libnss-systemd/bionic-updates 237-3ubuntu10.24 amd64 [upgradeable from: 237-3ubuntu10.23]
libpam-systemd/bionic-updates 237-3ubuntu10.24 amd64 [upgradeable from: 237-3ubuntu10.23]
libsystemd0/bionic-updates 237-3ubuntu10.24 amd64 [upgradeable from: 237-3ubuntu10.23]
libudev1/bionic-updates 237-3ubuntu10.24 amd64 [upgradeable from: 237-3ubuntu10.23]
systemd/bionic-updates 237-3ubuntu10.24 amd64 [upgradeable from: 237-3ubuntu10.23]
systemd-sysv/bionic-updates 237-3ubuntu10.24 amd64 [upgradeable from: 237-3ubuntu10.23]
udev/bionic-updates 237-3ubuntu10.24 amd64 [upgradeable from: 237-3ubuntu10.23]
$ 

These are the outputs of packages such as mesa or xfwm4-4.13.0-2, and they were updated without generating problems for the moment.

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$  inxi -Gxx
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel Core Processor Integrated Graphics vendor: Hewlett-Packard 
  driver: i915 v: kernel bus ID: 00:02.0 chip ID: 8086:0046 
  Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.19.6 driver: modesetting unloaded: fbdev,vesa 
  resolution: 1366x768~60Hz 
  OpenGL: renderer: Mesa DRI Intel Ironlake Mobile v: 2.1 Mesa 19.0.2 
  direct render: Yes 
  $ 

And:

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$ sudo apt policy xfwm4
xfwm4:
   Installed: 4.13.0-2~downgrade-4.12.5-1ubuntu0.18.04.1+tara
  Candidat:  4.13.0-2~downgrade-4.12.5-1ubuntu0.18.04.1+tara
  Version table:
 *** 4.13.0-2~downgrade-4.12.5-1ubuntu0.18.04.1+tara 700
        700 http://packages.linuxmint.com tessa/upstream amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
     4.12.5-1ubuntu0.18.04.1 500
        500 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-updates/universe amd64 Packages
     4.12.4-0ubuntu1 500
        500 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic/universe amd64 Packages
$ 

[ajgringo619]

The xfwm4 package wasn't upgraded; it was downgraded from the offending 4.13.3 version. I really don't think systemd has anything to do with this.

[karlchen]

Correct. systemd cannot be held liable for the issues which the mesa update to 19.0.2 introduced, in case it encounters xfwm 4.13.0.
Whoever has bothered to read Clem's posts in this thread knows so.

[pcspecialistpdx]

will that sure made it easy to fix. I booted to the command prompt, then apt update, and then apt upgrade and aside from a little screen tearing, all is well.

[linxmintq]

Correct. systemd cannot be held liable for the issues which the mesa update to 19.0.2 introduced, in case it encounters xfwm 4.13.0.
Whoever has bothered to read Clem's posts in this thread knows so.

Look what Clem said.

OK we know what's going on.

The issue is described at https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+sour ... ug/1835315. The latest MESA update is using LLVM8 and doesn't play nice with some software. We don't really know what else it breaks, but we know it breaks XFWM4 4.13 and doesn't affect XFWM 4.12 on Intel hardware.

Until this is fixed upstream, we're downgrading XFWM4 from version 4.13 to version 4.12 via a package update in Linux Mint 19 and 19.1: xfwm4_4.13.0-2~downgrade-4.12.5-1ubuntu0.18.04.1+tara. This update is live on the main repository and will be live in the mirrors shortly.

Someone tells me that I can update that systemd notification from the graphical manager with the results mentioned above in the terminal?

[Gannet]

I might be wrong, but this may have affected a lot of people who wouldn't know how to boot into a command prompt. In the past Linux Mint has been something people can use without being aware of the operating system. It was impressive how quickly the problem was solved but shouldn't something be posted as news with a link on the Linux home page for those affected.

[karlchen]

Made this thread sticky for the next 7 days.

Amended the title a bit in order to make clear:
+ it affects the xfce desktop only, window manager xfwm 4.13.0
+ trigger: mesa update (19.0.2)
+ software fix is available (through Update Manager: downgrading xfwm 4.13.0 to 4.12.5)

Since yesterday, Update Manager will install the xfwm downgrade together with the mesa update on those machines, where they have not been installed, yet.

[br1anstorm]

I happened across this thread just before running the latest batch of updates from the Update Manager on my Mint 19.1 XFCE system.

I can't pretend to understand 90% of the discussion and troubleshooting in this thread - I'm just glad that there are people with the skills to analyse the problem and to figure out a fix so quickly!

But (as a relatively inexpert user...) I am still slightly uncertain what to do. I'll do a Timeshift snapshot first anyway. But should I

a) sit on my hands for another few days before I run the latest batch of updates..... just to be on the safe side?
b) uncheck the "mesa" and "xfwm4" updates for the moment but run all the others (there seem to be a lot, including a kernel and a bulky update to LibreOffice)? or
c) trust that the solution/workaround devised in the last day or two has been fully stress-tested and that all the updates offered by the Update Manager, including the troublesome two, are now harmless and won't bork my system?

[MrEen]

Hi br1anstorm.

I'm on 18.3 Xfce were this issue doesn't exist, but if your updates have 4.13.0-2~downgrade-4.12.5-1ubuntu0.18.04.1+tara as the version for xfwm4, then you should be good to apply everything.

[pcspecialistpdx]

Even with the temporary fix, my system has frozen up a few times. I never had this problem before.

[pcspecialistpdx]

But (as a relatively inexpert user...) I am still slightly uncertain what to do. I'll do a Timeshift snapshot first anyway. But should I

a) sit on my hands for another few days before I run the latest batch of updates..... just to be on the safe side?
b) uncheck the "mesa" and "xfwm4" updates for the moment but run all the others (there seem to be a lot, including a kernel and a bulky update to LibreOffice)? or
c) trust that the solution/workaround devised in the last day or two has been fully stress-tested and that all the updates offered by the Update Manager, including the troublesome two, are now harmless and won't bork my system?

My advice would be to do all the updates EXCEPT mesa and xfwm4. That's what I did on my test machine and wish I had done on my daily driver. The mesa update is the problem one and there's no need to do the xfwm4 fix if you don't have the mesa update. xfwm4 4.13.0 is better than the 4.12.5 temporary fix.

[Pheeble]

I have xfwm 4.13.0-2~downgrade-4.12.5-1ubuntu0.18.04.1+tara on my desktop pc following an update in Mint Update Manager.

Now I can't get any windows to display on my third monitor. I've restarted the computer, checked the logs, etc. to no avail.

The mouse cursor is visible, but any windows on that monitor are completely invisible. I can use use the 'Move' keyboard shortcut to drag them onto a different monitor where they display without a problem. Using the mouse to drag a window onto the third monitor results in any part of the window on the third monitor being hidden.

The Display settings and Nvidia settings are all configured correctly as they have always been. There is no issue with the first and second monitors, only the third.

Any idea how to fix this? I use all 3 monitors routinely, so this is a significant problem for me.

[Pheeble]

I have xfwm 4.13.0-2~downgrade-4.12.5-1ubuntu0.18.04.1+tara on my desktop pc following an update in Mint Update Manager.

Now I can't get any windows to display on my third monitor. I've restarted the computer, checked the logs, etc. to no avail.

Typical. Two minutes after posting this I stumbled onto a solution.

I had 'Desktop Settings' configured to 'Xfwm4 + Compositing'.

I tried switching to 'Xfwm4'. No difference.

Then I tried 'Xfwm4 + Compton'. Still no difference.

Then I switched back to 'Xfwm4 + Compositing'. Suddenly windows are displayed on the third monitor again.

It seems something - presumably a config setting somewhere - needed to be reset by disabling and then re-enabling 'Xfwm4 + Compositing'.

Let's hope that fixed it

[fooster]

I'm not entirely sure how fixed all this actually is. I too got the MESA 19 update along with the XFCE downgrade, so I didn't encounter all the big problems people have reported. However, there was a significant drop in display quality that I noticed immediately after installing MESA 19. Horizontal scrolling was choppy, and vertical scrolling made text wavy. Videos were also choppy, especially when there was fast horizontal movement. It looked like the lower part of the screen was lagging behind the top part, so it looked like a choppy mess. Moving windows around was also choppy, with the edges of the windows creating a zig-zag effect when they moved. I have an Intel HD 620 GPU on my HP250-G6 Notebook (Intel i7 processor) running Mint 19 XFCE. I used Timeshift to get it back to MESA 18 and all was fine again. I would suggest there's more wrong with MESA 19 than just the XFCE problem.

[mire000]

Why do they downgrading to 4.12? This version have problem with screen tearing, and now i have this problem.
On 4.13 there's no problem with screen tearing at all. I don't know what this fix does with mesa, but this only broke my experience. I wil do TimeShift.

[Pheeble]

Typical. Two minutes after posting this I stumbled onto a solution.

It seems I spoke too soon.

After a reboot the problem returned - windows on my third monitor are not displayed. Apparently the 'solution' is not permanent.

Following further testing, It appears that the way to temporarily fix my multi-monitor issue is to switch Desktop Settings to 'Xfwm4 + Compton' then back to 'Xfwm4 + Compositing'.

Waiting for a permanent fix.

[pcspecialistpdx]

It's a temporary "fix" until there's an updated 4.13 that plays nicely with the latest mesa or a mesa update that plays nicely with 4.13.

I personally would have preferred a mesa rollback but that wouldn't have been as easy or quick a temporary fix.

Why do they downgrading to 4.12? This version have problem with screen tearing, and now i have this problem.
On 4.13 there's no problem with screen tearing at all. I don't know what this fix does with mesa, but this only broke my experience. I wil do TimeShift.

[Gualicho32]

Okay, I blacklisted Mesa and xfwm4. Now it wants to install additional packages with those names on them. Which updates are dependent on those? I'd like to blacklist them too.

[clem]

Related:

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+sour ... ug/1835520
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+sour ... ug/1835622
https://bugzilla.xfce.org/show_bug.cgi?id=15684

Thanks @monsta

[electric]

I too have a broken window manager. Running mint 18 on an acer desktop. just waiting on a fix.