Ubuntu
gnome-shell package

Gnome-Shell activities shows black background

Bug #1132033 reported by Britt Yazel
40
This bug affects 8 people
Affects Status Importance Assigned to Milestone
cairo
Unknown
Low
cairo (Ubuntu)
Won't Fix
Undecided
Unassigned
fglrx-installer (Ubuntu)
Won't Fix
Undecided
Unassigned
gnome-shell (Ubuntu)
Won't Fix
Undecided
Unassigned

Bug Description

The Gnome-Shell activities view shows a solid black background while using fglrx in raring. I have found that this solid black background is only when you have "file manager handle the desktop" enabled. If you turn off the file manager handling the desktop, you can then see the background image in the activities view.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 13.04
Package: gnome-shell 3.6.3.1-0ubuntu1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.8.0-7.15-generic 3.8.0
Uname: Linux 3.8.0-7-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: fglrx
ApportVersion: 2.8-0ubuntu4
Architecture: amd64
Date: Fri Feb 22 23:04:29 2013
DisplayManager: gdm
GsettingsChanges:
 b'org.gnome.desktop.interface' b'clock-format' b"'12h'"
 b'org.gnome.desktop.interface' b'clock-show-date' b'true'
 b'org.gnome.desktop.interface' b'font-name' b"'Ubuntu 10'"
 b'org.gnome.desktop.interface' b'monospace-font-name' b"'Ubuntu Mono 11'"
InstallationDate: Installed on 2012-11-24 (91 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu GNOME Remix 12.10 "Quantal Quetzal" - Release amd64(20121023)
MarkForUpload: True
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=en_US:en
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: gnome-shell
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to raring on 2013-02-21 (1 days ago)

Revision history for this message
In , smulverine (smulverine) wrote :

cairo produces a black background (overriding the gnome wallpaper) in the Activities overview in gnome-shell using the proprietary AMD Catalyst fglrx driver.

System information:
Arch Linux, kernel 3.6.4-1
X.Org X Server 1.13.0
cairo 1.12.6-2
gnome-shell 3.6.1
GPU AMD Radeon HD 6450 running catalyst-utils 12.9-0.1

Workarounds:
- Rolling back to cairo 1.12.2-3 fixes the problem using the AMD Catalyst driver.
- Bug can not be reproduced using cairo 1.12.6-2 with the open-source ati driver (1:6.14.6-2).

Revision history for this message
In , Matěj Týč (matej-tyc) wrote :

I experience exactly the same behavior, but with open-source Intel drivers.
I haven't tried to downgrade cairo, though.

I have to add that this occurs only when I tell the file manager to "handle the desktop" using gnome-tweak-tool.

cairo 1.12.8
gnome-shell 3.6.2

Revision history for this message
In , Chris Wilson (ickle) wrote :

Oh if was nautilus:

commit 724c6dfa9521e887682029add879c2fcdd518b14
Author: Chris Wilson <email address hidden>
Date: Fri Nov 2 16:54:46 2012 +0000

    xlib/shm: Need IncludeInferiors when creating the source fallback

    Reported-by: Benjamin Otte <email address hidden>
    Signed-off-by: Chris Wilson <email address hidden>

Revision history for this message
Britt Yazel (bwyazel) wrote :
Revision history for this message
Britt Yazel (bwyazel) wrote :

https://bugs.freedesktop.org/show_bug.cgi?id=56657

This is the upstream bug report for this issue. It appears to be a incompatibily issue with the newer versions of Cairo (1.12.2+) and fglrx.

I do not know if newer version of fglrx fix this cairo issue, as there is still the Radeon 12.10 driver set in the repos on both Ubuntu 12.10 and 13.04.

Revision history for this message
Launchpad Janitor (janitor) wrote :

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

Changed in fglrx-installer (Ubuntu):
status: New → Confirmed
Changed in gnome-shell (Ubuntu):
status: New → Confirmed
Changed in libcairo (Ubuntu):
status: New → Confirmed
Revision history for this message
In , Jammy Zhou (jammy-zhou) wrote :

The problem is still there on my system with cairo 1.12.14-0ubuntu1 on Ubuntu 13.04, and the fix mentioned by Chris is already included.

Revision history for this message
In , Chris Wilson (ickle) wrote :

In which case, your attention should turn towards Catalyst.

Revision history for this message
In , Jammy Zhou (jammy-zhou) wrote :

To make clear, the above commit is the trigger or fix?

Revision history for this message
In , Chris Wilson (ickle) wrote :

It was a fix for a very similar issue with -intel.

Revision history for this message
In , Jammy Zhou (jammy-zhou) wrote :

Thanks for the confirmation. So it should be a different problem for Catalyst.

Revision history for this message
In , Magicphenix (magicphenix) wrote :

The issue also can be reproduced on Radeon driver (open-source ati driver 1:7.1.0 ) on my environment.
other system information:
gnome-shell 3.6.3.1
cairo 1.12.14
Xserver 1.13.2

Bug Watch Updater (bug-watch-updater)
Changed in gnome-shell:
importance: Unknown → Low
status: Unknown → Fix Released
Revision history for this message
In , Nilo Redini (n-redini) wrote :

Hello, excuse me for the trivial question but I'm a new arrival, how can I use this fix?
(In reply to comment #2)
> Oh if was nautilus:
>
> commit 724c6dfa9521e887682029add879c2fcdd518b14
> Author: Chris Wilson <email address hidden>
> Date: Fri Nov 2 16:54:46 2012 +0000
>
> xlib/shm: Need IncludeInferiors when creating the source fallback
>
> Reported-by: Benjamin Otte <email address hidden>
> Signed-off-by: Chris Wilson <email address hidden>

Revision history for this message
Jarosław Guza (jarekj83-4) wrote : Re: Gnome-Shell activities shows black background with fglrx in raring

still no background in overview in Ubuntu 13.04 with GS 3.6

Revision history for this message
Jarosław Guza (jarekj83-4) wrote :

with ATI drivers

Revision history for this message
Romano Giannetti (romano-giannetti) wrote :

Same problem, open source intel drivers.
So not fixed (or reintroduced).

summary: - Gnome-Shell activities shows black background with fglrx in raring
+ Gnome-Shell activities shows black background
Revision history for this message
Romano Giannetti (romano-giannetti) wrote :

Changed the title accordingly. If in tweak tools you deselect "file manager handle desktop", you than have the background black all the time (not only in overview).

Revision history for this message
Blaster (holst-niels) wrote :

Latest open source intel drivers: still there.

Revision history for this message
In , Le Gluon Du Net (legluondunet) wrote :

Problem still present in Ubuntu 13.04 with last catalyst driver.

Bug Watch Updater (bug-watch-updater)
Changed in gnome-shell:
status: Fix Released → Confirmed
Revision history for this message
Grzegorz G. (grzesiek1e5) wrote :

Happened to me after using Intel Graphic Drivers Installer 1.0.2, Ubuntu 13.04.

@Romano Giannetti: If in tweak tools you deselect "file manager handle desktop", you then have the background black until you select a different background. After changing background everything should be OK if Nautilus doesn't handle the desktop.

Revision history for this message
In , Le Gluon Du Net (legluondunet) wrote :

For me bug is sgone on Ubuntu 13.10 with catalyst 13.11.

Revision history for this message
mika (mic-schaller) wrote :

ubuntu 14.04, gnome 3.10, no background in overview

(and i don't have neither cairo, neither fglrx installed)

Revision history for this message
Majal (majalmirasol) wrote :

WORKAROUND for me (Ubuntu 14.04.1, Gnome 3.10, vanilla):

After logging in, as expected Overview background is broken, or sometimes Overview BK updates wallpapers but not the main wallpaper. Sometimes, Overview is just black. This is what I do:

In Gnome Tweak Tool → Desktop → Icons on Desktop → Off ... Then, → On. (This is related to Nautilus handling the desktop.)

After the cycle all goes well. That is, until I log out and log in again.

Mathew Hodson (mhodson)
affects: gnome-shell → cairo
affects: libcairo (Ubuntu) → cairo (Ubuntu)
Revision history for this message
Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt) wrote :

Thank you for reporting this bug to Ubuntu.
Ubuntu 13.04 (raring) reached end-of-life on January 27, 2014.

See this document for currently supported Ubuntu releases:
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Releases

We appreciate that this bug may be old and you might not be interested in discussing it any more. But if you are then please upgrade to the latest Ubuntu version and re-test.

Changed in gnome-shell (Ubuntu):
status: Confirmed → Incomplete
Changed in fglrx-installer (Ubuntu):
status: Confirmed → Incomplete
Changed in cairo (Ubuntu):
status: Confirmed → Incomplete
Revision history for this message
In , Gitlab-migration (gitlab-migration) wrote :

-- GitLab Migration Automatic Message --

This bug has been migrated to freedesktop.org's GitLab instance and has been closed from further activity.

You can subscribe and participate further through the new bug through this link to our GitLab instance: https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/cairo/cairo/issues/120.

Bug Watch Updater (bug-watch-updater)
Changed in cairo:
status: Confirmed → Unknown
Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)
Changed in cairo (Ubuntu):
status: Incomplete → Won't Fix
Changed in fglrx-installer (Ubuntu):
status: Incomplete → Won't Fix
Changed in gnome-shell (Ubuntu):
status: Incomplete → Won't Fix
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