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Bullseye: random X freezes when opening settings windows

Graphical Environments, Managers, Multimedia & Desktop questions.
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noober1983
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Bullseye: random X freezes when opening settings windows

#1 Post by noober1983 »

Hi all.

I run Debian Bullseye (testing) on an Asus TP201SA (full output of inxi -Fx here). I've been having trouble with strange, apparently random and nearly impossible to diagnose X-session freezes. I run XFCE 4.14. The freezes are just of X, because I can change to a login terminal and kill the session there. The mouse is responsive during these freezes, and I can execute commands via Alt+F2+command, and they run, but the screen is frozen and unchanging.

I followed the instructions here (which are for Ubuntu, but mutatis mutandis) and I got the output of dmesg, the Xorg.0.log file and the output of cat /sys/kernel/debug/dri/0/i915_error_state5; I cannot seem to find any hint of X/xfdesktop/xfwm/xfce error in those files. I have noticed, however -several times-, the following sort of errors on `.xsession-errors`: `xfwm4: Fatal IO error 4 (Interrupted system call) on X server :0.0.` A search on that error got me to this question on SE], but it remains unanswered; other results suggest that it is an issue of drivers missing; whenever I upgrade that laptop I get many warnings of missing firmwaare after the initramfs building stage:

Code: Select all

    W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/i915/icl_dmc_ver1_09.bin for module i915
    W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/i915/tgl_dmc_ver2_04.bin for module i915
    W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/i915/skl_huc_2.0.0.bin for module i915
    W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/i915/bxt_huc_2.0.0.bin for module i915
    W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/i915/kbl_huc_4.0.0.bin for module i915
    W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/i915/glk_huc_4.0.0.bin for module i915
    W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/i915/kbl_huc_4.0.0.bin for module i915
    W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/i915/cml_huc_4.0.0.bin for module i915
    W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/i915/cml_guc_33.0.0.bin for module i915
    W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/i915/icl_huc_9.0.0.bin for module i915
    W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/i915/ehl_huc_9.0.0.bin for module i915
    W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/i915/ehl_guc_33.0.4.bin for module i915
    W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/i915/tgl_huc_7.0.3.bin for module i915
    W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/i915/tgl_guc_35.2.0.bin for module i915
I get these warnings as well in this laptop (specs), also running Buster+XFCE, but here these X freezes don't happen.

I've noticed that these crashes usually happen under two non-exclusive conditions:
  • 1. Running a settings window (`xfce4-appearance-settings`, `xfwm4-settings`, the Settings dialog of TeXstudio (which is Qt, not gtk), etc.).

    2. Running Firefox and load a "heavy" page, such as Facebook.
Anything else I can do without trouble; even having Rhythmbox playing while using GIMP causes no such freezes.

I almost always have the following running: a terminal window with 3 tabs and an instance of qpdfview with at least 3 PDF files open. As I said at the beginning, I can switch to a login terminal and sometimes killing the running instances of `xfwm4` or `xfdesktop` unfreeze the screen, but not always; I usually have to reboot. If I don't do any of the 2 things in the list above, I can work without these annoying freezes, but sometimes it is unavoidable to do at least one (opening a link or reconfiguring TeXstudio, for instance).

I'd really appreciate any ideas on how to properly diagnose what causes these freezes, because I'm lost at trying to figure them out. Thanks!
Last edited by noober1983 on 2020-07-28 03:53, edited 2 times in total.

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Head_on_a_Stick
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Re: Buster: random X freezes when opening settings windows

#2 Post by Head_on_a_Stick »

I'm not downloading any of those files but you could try installing the firmware (if your hardware actually needs it) or try the Intel DDX driver (if you're not already using it, if you are already using it then try the modesetting DDX driver instead).

Also check the systemd journal for relevant errors.
deadbang

noober1983
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Re: Buster: random X freezes when opening settings windows

#3 Post by noober1983 »

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:I'm not downloading any of those files but you could try installing the firmware (if your hardware actually needs it) or try the Intel DDX driver (if you're not already using it, if you are already using it then try the modesetting DDX driver instead).

Also check the systemd journal for relevant errors.
I already downloaded the firmware from here, extracted to the appropriate location, ran update-initramfs -u and rebooted; just a few minutes into my session I ran qpdfview and the session froze.

I will give the DDX driver a try, but please help me understand something: if I have a lot of warnings about possible missing firmware and only one of those binary files corresponds to my actual graphics card, how do I find out which one it is?

Thanks!
Quid non intellegas aut tace aut disce.

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Re: Buster: random X freezes when opening settings windows

#4 Post by Head_on_a_Stick »

noober1983 wrote:if I have a lot of warnings about possible missing firmware and only one of those binary files corresponds to my actual graphics card, how do I find out which one it is?

Code: Select all

# dmesg | grep firmware
deadbang

noober1983
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Re: Buster: random X freezes when opening settings windows

#5 Post by noober1983 »

Apparently the problem is compositing; I was running my XFCE with Compton because of a few bugs with XFWM, but now I disabled it and this system runs without puzzling freezes. I do not consider the issue solved because I'd really like to have screen compositing (for transparent terminals, for example). So if it was the compositor, what should I do?

It's been quite a while since my last post and I apologise, I've been busy.

Thanks!!!!
Quid non intellegas aut tace aut disce.

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Re: Buster: random X freezes when opening settings windows

#6 Post by cuckooflew »

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:
noober1983 wrote:if I have a lot of warnings about possible missing firmware and only one of those binary files corresponds to my actual graphics card, how do I find out which one it is?

Code: Select all

# dmesg | grep firmware
Please Read What we expect you have already Done
Search Engines know a lot, and
"If God had wanted computers to work all the time, He wouldn't have invented RESET buttons"
and
Just say NO to help vampires!

noober1983
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Re: Buster: random X freezes when opening settings windows

#7 Post by noober1983 »

False positive!

I just restarted from another freeze; this time it occurred because I was loading a "heavy" website. Compositor is off.

I have "dmesged" and grepped for firmware, but nothing relevant to the graphics appear:

Code: Select all

dmesg | grep firmware
[    0.137276] Spectre V2 : Enabling Restricted Speculation for firmware calls
[   20.804420] platform regulatory.0: firmware: direct-loading firmware regulatory.db
[   20.982808] platform regulatory.0: firmware: direct-loading firmware regulatory.db.p7s
[   22.326793] ath10k_pci 0000:02:00.0: firmware: failed to load ath10k/pre-cal-pci-0000:02:00.0.bin (-2)
[   22.326802] firmware_class: See https://wiki.debian.org/Firmware for information about missing firmware
[   22.326930] ath10k_pci 0000:02:00.0: firmware: failed to load ath10k/cal-pci-0000:02:00.0.bin (-2)
[   22.562349] ath10k_pci 0000:02:00.0: firmware: direct-loading firmware ath10k/QCA9377/hw1.0/firmware-6.bin
[   22.566598] ath10k_pci 0000:02:00.0: firmware ver WLAN.TF.2.1-00021-QCARMSWP-1 api 6 features wowlan,ignore-otp crc32 42e41877
[   22.685251] ath10k_pci 0000:02:00.0: firmware: direct-loading firmware ath10k/QCA9377/hw1.0/board-2.bin
Any ideas? I have none anymore. :(
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Re: Buster: random X freezes when opening settings windows

#8 Post by Head_on_a_Stick »

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:try the Intel DDX driver (if you're not already using it, if you are already using it then try the modesetting DDX driver instead)
And there's also picom.
deadbang

noober1983
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Re: Buster: random X freezes when opening settings windows

#9 Post by noober1983 »

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:
Head_on_a_Stick wrote:try the Intel DDX driver (if you're not already using it, if you are already using it then try the modesetting DDX driver instead)
And there's also picom.
I've searched for this DDX driver but I cannot seem to find it, other than installing xserver-xorg-video-intel which is installed:

Code: Select all

apt-cache policy xserver-xorg-video-intel 
xserver-xorg-video-intel:
  Installed: 2:2.99.917+git20200714-1
  Candidate: 2:2.99.917+git20200714-1
  Version table:
 *** 2:2.99.917+git20200714-1 500
        500 http://deb.debian.org/debian testing/main amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
I'll try the picom compositor, but as I pointed out, it wasn't really compositing, it's something else which I don't know how to diagnose; as I said in my previous posts, there is very little information on the logs; I'm currently trying a search for this error I got:

Code: Select all

[Jul27 11:00] i915 0000:00:02.0: GPU HANG: ecode 8:1:85dffffb, in Xorg [670]
I found this bug report: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+sour ... ug/1868551. I haven't figured out if it applies to me nor whether or not it is solved.

I apologise if this seems like a waste of time for the more experienced users, but I really want to learn something new and I don't have a clue of where to start, except here. Thanks.
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Re: Buster: random X freezes when opening settings windows

#10 Post by Head_on_a_Stick »

noober1983 wrote:I've searched for this DDX driver but I cannot seem to find it, other than installing xserver-xorg-video-intel which is installed
That's the DDX driver, you need to enable it with an X.Org configuration file: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/In ... figuration
deadbang

noober1983
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Re: Bullseye: random X freezes when opening settings windows

#11 Post by noober1983 »

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:
noober1983 wrote:I've searched for this DDX driver but I cannot seem to find it, other than installing xserver-xorg-video-intel which is installed
That's the DDX driver, you need to enable it with an X.Org configuration file: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/In ... figuration
I created the file as per the instructions in that page, here's its contents:

Code: Select all

Section "Device"
    Identifier "Intel Graphics"
    Driver "intel"
    Option "AccelMethod" "UXA"
EndSection
The option "AccelMethod" is suggested here. I rebooted and 2 minutes into my system, it hung again (this time, when moving a firefox window with a blank page, nothing else loaded nor loading).

EDIT: when I switched to XFWM, each X hang is "new", in the sense that doing what hung the system previously doesn't freeze it; it happens when I do any of the things listed in my first post (open a "heavy" page on firefox, opening a settings window, switching workspaces or windows too quickly, etc.), but not with the last cause of the freeze. This really is puzzling to me; I use Testing on another laptop and this doesn't happen; admittedly, it is better graphics-wise (it has a proper i915 GPU; this one has some "generic" card, according to inxi:

Code: Select all

inxi -Gxx
Graphics:  Device-1: Intel Atom/Celeron/Pentium Processor x5-E8000/J3xxx/N3xxx Integrated 
           Graphics 
           vendor: ASUSTeK driver: i915 v: kernel bus ID: 00:02.0 chip ID: 8086:22b1 
           Device-2: Realtek USB2.0 VGA UVC WebCam type: USB driver: uvcvideo bus ID: 1-3:2 
           chip ID: 0bda:57e6 
           Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.8 driver: intel resolution: 1366x768~60Hz s-dpi: 96 
           OpenGL: renderer: Mesa DRI Intel HD Graphics 405 (BSW) v: 4.6 Mesa 20.1.2 
           compat-v: 3.0 direct render: Yes 
Please help! :(
Quid non intellegas aut tace aut disce.

noober1983
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Re: Bullseye: random X freezes when opening settings windows

#12 Post by noober1983 »

I commented my issue here: https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/drm/inte ... login-pane; it is a bug report on freedesktop.org's GitLab.

Please, any help or pointers will be highly appreciated! Thanks!
Quid non intellegas aut tace aut disce.

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