[SOLVED] Widgets/system issue after initial boot. Logout/login helps.

[mellon]

Running PCLinuxOS 32bits with KDE desktop on PC with Nvidia GT520 card and Samsung Syncmaster PX2370 monitor.

I have a single desktop using 4 activities; two op them containing widgets.

What I have noticed recently is that the display of the widgets after initial boot is distorted.
E.g. a calculator widget does no longer have button style keys but just a bunch of dotted-line type of rectangles. The widget bar with the tool icon, the resize icon and the X-icon has a dotted frame line and the bar appears to be empty. The icons can be clicked though, so they are there, but not visible.  This is also immediately the case when I add a new widget.

I also notice that the systemtray does not show the Kmix icon, but if I click the space where it should be, the screen opens.  

In addition the net_applet icon and the dropbox icon also are no longer visible and there is no holding space so they are not in the systemtray. But dropbox and net_applet are running.

If see the same effect if I switch the desktop-theme. The immediate switch seems to restore everything, but a reboot will make the widgets go weird again.

Logout/login
The odd thing is that if I do a logout and login, all widgets are restored back to ok and the kmix icon is again visible and everything stays ok. I still miss the net_applet and dropbox icons though; despite that both are set up to launch at start up.

Has anyone an idea why the initially display of the widgets and system tray after boot is so different compared to the display after logout/login. The process from login screen to KDE desktop is not that different; or is it?

Does anyone notice the same kind of disturbances?

I also appreciate any help on getting the dropbox and net_applet back in the systemtray.

p.s. Session Management login setting is set to Start with empty session. That was already the setting before the display issue started. I have no idea when this issue first started.

regards
Mellon

[menotu]

I also appreciate any help on getting the dropbox and net_applet back in the systemtray.

You've checked System Tray Settings for Display / Entries, mellon  ?

[mellon]

Yes I did. They were not there.

I was meanwhile able to restore Dropbox. Added it as a program to the Configure You Desktop - System Administration - Startup and Shutdown -Autostart section.

Net_applet is starting up but there is no icon in the systray. If I kill the net_applet pid and then run it from the menu the icon it is back in the systray. But after a reboot it is gone despite the option to launch at startup tick off.

The widgets give more concern; simply cannot understand why they look weird after initial login and ok after a logout/login.  It is just the widgets and the kmix icon in the systray that are affected.

Could it be the Nvidia driver? What driver do I actually need for the GT520. I have now set it up with the GeForce 400 series. The pcc centre indicates "Module: ‎Card:NVIDIA cards not working with nv". I have no idea what that means. If I specificy nv as xserver then X will not start until I delete xorg.conf and setup the GeForce 400 again.

Mellon

[Just17]

Have you tried a different user account to see if the problem is user account related or system wide?

[Old-Polack]

mellon:

Use the nvidia current driver by selecting 6100 and newer when setting up the video card in PCC.

[mellon]

Ok, switched to the 6100 driver. Still need the dkms-nvidia-current it seems.

Widgets are still distorted.  I may have found a cause, but I have no idea how to fix it.

During the reboot I waited a bit longer at the login screen before keying in my password. Suddenly the startup sound erupted from my speakers while I was still looking at the login screen. I changed the login option to failsafe.
Below my signature is the output from a ps -A after the login.

I have a startkde as PID 3234 and 4058 and plasma-desktop appears at 3440 and 4224. Compared this with my laptop. That shows only one of each.

It looks like an autologin without getting to the desktop?? But I have never switched Autologin on and I checked that the settings are still off. 

By the way, the xsession-errors file is 15k full . I list a few lines of that file below the ps -A output. Just in case.

Any ideas on how this happened and more important; how do I get the system back to normal.

Mellon

Code: [Select]

1 ?        00:00:01 init
    2 ?        00:00:00 kthreadd
    3 ?        00:00:00 ksoftirqd/0
    4 ?        00:00:00 kworker/0:0
    6 ?        00:00:00 migration/0
    7 ?        00:00:00 migration/1
    8 ?        00:00:00 kworker/1:0
    9 ?        00:00:00 ksoftirqd/1
   10 ?        00:00:00 kworker/0:1
   11 ?        00:00:00 migration/2
   12 ?        00:00:00 kworker/2:0
   13 ?        00:00:00 ksoftirqd/2
   14 ?        00:00:00 migration/3
   15 ?        00:00:00 kworker/3:0
   16 ?        00:00:00 ksoftirqd/3
   17 ?        00:00:00 migration/4
   18 ?        00:00:00 kworker/4:0
   19 ?        00:00:00 ksoftirqd/4
   20 ?        00:00:00 migration/5
   22 ?        00:00:00 ksoftirqd/5
   23 ?        00:00:00 migration/6
   25 ?        00:00:00 ksoftirqd/6
   26 ?        00:00:00 migration/7
   28 ?        00:00:00 ksoftirqd/7
   29 ?        00:00:00 khelper
   30 ?        00:00:00 netns
   31 ?        00:00:00 sync_supers
   32 ?        00:00:00 bdi-default
   33 ?        00:00:00 kintegrityd
   34 ?        00:00:00 kblockd
   35 ?        00:00:00 kacpid
   36 ?        00:00:00 kacpi_notify
   37 ?        00:00:00 kacpi_hotplug
   38 ?        00:00:00 md
   39 ?        00:00:00 kswapd0
   40 ?        00:00:00 ksmd
   41 ?        00:00:00 khugepaged
   42 ?        00:00:00 fsnotify_mark
   43 ?        00:00:00 aio                                                                                                                                                   
   44 ?        00:00:00 crypto                                                                                                                                                 
   47 ?        00:00:00 kworker/u:1                                                                                                                                           
   48 ?        00:00:00 kworker/1:1                                                                                                                                           
   49 ?        00:00:00 kpsmoused                                                                                                                                             
   62 ?        00:00:00 khubd                                                                                                                                                 
   69 ?        00:00:00 kworker/2:1                                                                                                                                           
   72 ?        00:00:00 ata_sff                                                                                                                                               
   75 ?        00:00:00 scsi_eh_0
   76 ?        00:00:00 scsi_eh_1
   77 ?        00:00:00 scsi_eh_2
   78 ?        00:00:00 scsi_eh_3
   79 ?        00:00:00 scsi_eh_4
   80 ?        00:00:00 scsi_eh_5
   81 ?        00:00:00 kworker/u:2
   89 ?        00:00:00 scsi_eh_6
   90 ?        00:00:00 kworker/4:1
   92 ?        00:00:00 kworker/6:1
   93 ?        00:00:00 kworker/7:1
   95 ?        00:00:00 jbd2/sda1-8
   96 ?        00:00:00 ext4-dio-unwrit
  151 ?        00:00:00 udevd
  342 ?        00:00:00 cfg80211
  404 ?        00:00:00 scsi_eh_7
  405 ?        00:00:00 usb-storage
  407 ?        00:00:00 scsi_eh_8
  408 ?        00:00:00 usb-storage
  410 ?        00:00:00 scsi_eh_9
  411 ?        00:00:00 usb-storage
  453 ?        00:00:00 kworker/2:2
  557 ?        00:00:00 kworker/3:2
  559 ?        00:00:00 kworker/6:2
  574 ?        00:00:00 kworker/1:2
  575 ?        00:00:00 kworker/1:3
  577 ?        00:00:00 kworker/1:4
  579 ?        00:00:00 kworker/1:5
  786 ?        00:00:00 cupsd
  940 ?        00:00:00 hd-audio1
  945 ?        00:00:00 hd-audio2
 1020 ?        00:00:00 firewire_sbp2
 1066 ?        00:00:00 kworker/0:3
 1096 ?        00:00:00 jbd2/sda5-8
 1097 ?        00:00:00 ext4-dio-unwrit
 1100 ?        00:00:00 mount.ntfs-3g
 1103 ?        00:00:00 mount.ntfs-3g
 1106 ?        00:00:00 mount.ntfs-3g
 1109 ?        00:00:00 mount.ntfs-3g
 1112 ?        00:00:00 mount.ntfs-3g
 1115 ?        00:00:00 mount.ntfs-3g
 1118 ?        00:00:00 mount.ntfs-3g
 1121 ?        00:00:00 mount.ntfs-3g
 1679 ?        00:00:00 flush-8:0
 1912 ?        00:00:00 atd
 1932 ?        00:00:00 syslogd
 1933 ?        00:00:00 rpcbind
 1955 ?        00:00:00 acpid
 1967 ?        00:00:00 xinetd
 1976 ?        00:00:00 rpc.statd
 1979 ?        00:00:00 irqbalance
 2000 ?        00:00:00 kauditd
 2017 ?        00:00:00 rpciod
 2023 ?        00:00:00 klogd
 2088 ?        00:00:00 iprt
 2119 ?        00:00:00 crond
 2170 ?        00:00:00 nfsiod
 2223 ?        00:00:00 rpc.idmapd
 2242 ?        00:00:00 dbus-daemon
 2244 ?        00:00:00 uuidd
 2275 ?        00:00:00 hald
 2279 ?        00:00:00 console-kit-dae
 2368 ?        00:00:00 polkitd
 2391 ?        00:00:00 hald-runner
 2494 ?        00:00:00 ifplugd
 2554 ?        00:00:00 hald-addon-inpu
 2560 ?        00:00:00 hald-addon-rfki
 2561 ?        00:00:00 hald-addon-leds
 2582 ?        00:00:00 hald-addon-stor
 2583 ?        00:00:00 hald-addon-stor
 2584 ?        00:00:00 hald-addon-stor
 2585 ?        00:00:00 hald-addon-stor
 2586 ?        00:00:00 hald-addon-stor
 2615 ?        00:00:00 hald-addon-stor
 2618 ?        00:00:00 hald-addon-acpi
 2821 ?        00:00:00 dhclient
 2976 ?        00:00:00 cupsd
 3037 ?        00:00:00 nscd
 3060 ?        00:00:00 nfsv4.0-svc
 3063 ?        00:00:00 avahi-daemon
 3064 ?        00:00:00 avahi-daemon
 3066 ?        00:00:00 xfs
 3071 ?        00:00:00 gpg-agent
 3104 ?        00:00:00 kdm
 3127 ?        00:00:00 Xvnc
 3133 ?        00:00:00 ck-xinit-sessio
 3164 ?        00:00:00 dbus-launch
 3165 ?        00:00:00 dbus-daemon
 3212 ?        00:00:00 udevd
 3213 ?        00:00:00 udevd
 3216 ?        00:00:00 ck-xinit-sessio <defunct>
 3223 ?        00:00:00 ck-xinit-sessio <defunct>
 3234 ?        00:00:00 startkde
 3237 ?        00:00:00 s2u
 3241 ?        00:00:00 mount.nfs
 3296 ?        00:00:00 sshd
 3301 ?        00:00:00 snmpd
 3305 ?        00:00:00 saslauthd
 3311 ?        00:00:00 saslauthd
 3312 ?        00:00:00 saslauthd
 3313 ?        00:00:00 saslauthd
 3314 ?        00:00:00 saslauthd
 3341 ?        00:00:00 kworker/3:3
 3348 ?        00:00:00 kworker/0:4
 3383 ?        00:00:00 kdeinit4
 3384 ?        00:00:00 klauncher
 3385 ?        00:00:00 mount.nfs
 3386 tty1     00:00:00 mingetty
 3387 tty2     00:00:00 mingetty
 3388 tty3     00:00:00 mingetty
 3389 tty4     00:00:00 mingetty
 3390 tty5     00:00:00 mingetty
 3391 tty6     00:00:00 mingetty
 3394 ?        00:00:00 kded4
 3419 ?        00:00:00 gam_server
 3421 ?        00:00:00 kworker/5:2
 3426 ?        00:00:00 kwrapper4
 3427 ?        00:00:00 ksmserver
 3429 ?        00:00:00 kglobalaccel
 3431 ?        00:00:00 kwin
 3433 ?        00:00:00 kactivitymanage
 3438 ?        00:00:01 knotify4
 3440 ?        00:00:19 plasma-desktop
 3444 ?        00:00:00 kuiserver
 3452 ?        00:00:00 ksysguardd
 3461 ?        00:00:00 akonadi_control
 3463 ?        00:00:00 akonadiserver
 3465 ?        00:00:00 mysqld
 3494 ?        00:00:00 kio_http_cache_
 3505 ?        00:00:00 kworker/5:3
 3513 ?        00:00:00 dropbox
 3514 ?        00:00:00 pam-panel-icon
 3515 ?        00:00:01 dropbox
 3521 ?        00:00:00 polkit-kde-auth
 3522 ?        00:00:00 krunner
 3523 ?        00:00:00 python
 3524 ?        00:00:01 net_applet
 3531 ?        00:00:00 kmix
 3535 ?        00:00:00 pam_timestamp_c
 3541 ?        00:00:00 klipper
 3547 ?        00:00:00 xsettings-kde
 3562 ?        00:00:00 xbindkeys
 3589 ?        00:00:00 gconfd-2
 3914 ?        00:00:00 kworker/0:6
 3994 tty7     00:00:12 X
 3998 ?        00:00:00 kdm
 4058 ?        00:00:00 startkde
 4123 ?        00:00:00 dbus-launch
 4124 ?        00:00:00 dbus-daemon
 4150 ?        00:00:00 s2u
 4194 ?        00:00:00 kdeinit4
 4195 ?        00:00:00 klauncher
 4197 ?        00:00:00 kded4
 4208 ?        00:00:00 kglobalaccel
 4211 ?        00:00:00 kwrapper4
 4212 ?        00:00:00 ksmserver
 4214 ?        00:00:07 kwin
 4218 ?        00:00:00 kactivitymanage
 4222 ?        00:00:01 knotify4
 4224 ?        00:00:19 plasma-desktop
 4228 ?        00:00:00 kuiserver
 4239 ?        00:00:00 ksysguardd
 4248 ?        00:00:00 akonadi_control
 4250 ?        00:00:00 akonadiserver
 4293 ?        00:00:00 kaccess
 4300 ?        00:00:00 pam-panel-icon
 4304 ?        00:00:00 python
 4306 ?        00:00:00 polkit-kde-auth
 4324 ?        00:00:00 krunner
 4327 ?        00:00:00 kmix
 4332 ?        00:00:00 klipper
 4338 ?        00:00:00 pam_timestamp_c
 4341 ?        00:00:00 xsettings-kde
 4347 ?        00:00:00 xbindkeys
 4356 ?        00:00:00 gconfd-2
 4442 ?        00:00:00 kworker/7:2
 4484 ?        00:00:26 firefox
 4544 ?        00:00:00 kworker/2:3
 4564 ?        00:00:00 kworker/2:5
 5167 ?        00:00:00 kworker/0:2
 5359 ?        00:00:00 kworker/2:4
 5394 ?        00:00:00 anacron
 5455 ?        00:00:00 kworker/1:6
 5492 ?        00:00:00 kworker/3:1
 5510 ?        00:00:00 kio_http
 5511 ?        00:00:00 kio_http
 5512 ?        00:00:00 kio_http
 5513 ?        00:00:00 kio_http
 5514 ?        00:00:00 kio_http
 5713 ?        00:00:00 kworker/0:5
 5729 ?        00:00:00 konsole
 5732 pts/2    00:00:00 bash
 5773 pts/2    00:00:00 ps


Code: [Select]

ocalhost being added to access control list
startkde: Starting up...
Connecting to deprecated signal QDBusConnectionInterface::serviceOwnerChanged(QString,QString,QString)
kbuildsycoca4 running...
QDBusObjectPath: invalid path ""
Invalid D-BUS member name 'idle-hint' found in interface 'org.freedesktop.ConsoleKit.Session' while parsing introspection
Invalid D-BUS member name 'is-local' found in interface 'org.freedesktop.ConsoleKit.Session' while parsing introspection
Invalid D-BUS member name 'x11-display-device' found in interface 'org.freedesktop.ConsoleKit.Session' while parsing introspection
Invalid D-BUS member name 'x11-display' found in interface 'org.freedesktop.ConsoleKit.Session' while parsing introspection
Invalid D-BUS member name 'display-device' found in interface 'org.freedesktop.ConsoleKit.Session' while parsing introspection
Invalid D-BUS member name 'remote-host-name' found in interface 'org.freedesktop.ConsoleKit.Session' while parsing introspection
Invalid D-BUS member name 'session-type' found in interface 'org.freedesktop.ConsoleKit.Session' while parsing introspection
Invalid D-BUS member name 'unix-user' found in interface 'org.freedesktop.ConsoleKit.Session' while parsing introspection
QDBusConnection: name 'org.kde.kglobalaccel' had owner '' but we thought it was ':1.5'
OpenGL vendor string:                   NVIDIA Corporation
OpenGL renderer string:                 GeForce GT 520/PCI/SSE2
OpenGL version string:                  4.2.0 NVIDIA 290.10
OpenGL shading language version string: 4.20 NVIDIA via Cg compiler
Driver:                                 NVIDIA
Driver version:                         290.10
GPU class:                              GF100
OpenGL version:                         4.2
GLSL version:                           4.20
X server version:                       1.10.4
Linux kernel version:                   2.6.38
Direct rendering:                       yes
Requires strict binding:                no
GLSL shaders:                           yes
Texture NPOT support:                   yes
QDBusObjectPath: invalid path ""
plasma-desktop(4224)/libplasma Plasma::FrameSvg::resizeFrame: Invalid size QSizeF(0, 0)
plasma-desktop(4224)/libplasma Plasma::FrameSvg::resizeFrame: Invalid size QSizeF(0, 0)
plasma-desktop(4224)/libplasma Plasma::FrameSvg::resizeFrame: Invalid size QSizeF(0, 0)
plasma-desk

[JohnW_57]

Do a search on prelink and read some posts/topics about it.
Removing the prelink package (with synaptic) did solve KDE4 crashes and other strange crashes for some users with nvidia cards/chipsets with the current nvidia drivers.

JohnW

[AS]

OpenGL vendor string:                   NVIDIA Corporation
OpenGL renderer string:                 GeForce GT 520/PCI/SSE2
OpenGL version string:                  4.2.0 NVIDIA 290.10
OpenGL shading language version string: 4.20 NVIDIA via Cg compiler
Driver:                                 NVIDIA
Driver version:                         290.10

I'm not 100% sure if your card is fully supported from driver 290.10, certainly is fully supported from later drivers you can find in testing section, 295.33 ... I could be wrong of course ... may be that 290.10 was the first nvidia driver to support GT 520 ...

[JohnW_57]

OpenGL vendor string:                   NVIDIA Corporation
OpenGL renderer string:                 GeForce GT 520/PCI/SSE2
OpenGL version string:                  4.2.0 NVIDIA 290.10
OpenGL shading language version string: 4.20 NVIDIA via Cg compiler
Driver:                                 NVIDIA
Driver version:                         290.10

I'm not 100% sure if your card is fully supported from driver 290.10, certainly is fully supported from later drivers you can find in testing section, 295.33 ... I could be wrong of course ... may be that 290.10 was the first nvidia driver to support GT 520 ...

http://www.nvidia.com/object/linux-display-ia32-280.13-driver.html
Click on supported products.

Was already supported with the 280.13 nvidia driver.

JohnW

[mellon]

The solution was - as usual - to rethink the changes made to the system in the past few days/weeks
The answer was: vncserver.

I set up a server to access my desktop via my laptop. I used my normal user id in vncservers and made vncserver start at boot. So when the login screen appeared, vncserver already started a session with the same user id. This makes widgets and the system tray a bit confused.

Thank you all for your input

Mellon

[JohnW_57]

 

Glad you solved it!

JohnW