Score:1

Ubuntu

Problem with rendering of Desktop and apps after updating to Lubuntu 21.10

Jesuel Marques

2/18/23, 6:01 PM

I have just updated my Lubuntu to the 21.10 (Impish Indri) version and after that the desktop environment is sort of pixelated and laggy in a way which makes it impossible to work with. Some aplications are also displaying this problem, most notably the file manager and also Mendeley Reference Manager, to a lesser extent. This is how my file manager PCManFM-Qt looks like (everything full of pixels and with a delayed response) and this is what happens when I right-click the desktop(the menus are not rendered properly). The problem is also affecting some lubuntu utilities like FeatherPad and KCalc, but Firefox and Thunderbird work completely fine. I sent photos instead of screenshots because when I press print screen, the screen renders correctly and the pixelated anomalies don't show.

Before upgrading everything was normal, so it must be related to something which changed versions in this update. My desktop environment is lxqt and the window manager is openbox. I am not sure if this is relevant, but I am using the Arc-Dark gtk2 theme and I have qt5ct installed. Changing the theme doesn't solve the problem. I am using the correct resolution for my monitor (1920x1080).

A friend of mine, who understands more about Linux than I do, said that probably the problem is with openbox, whose version is 3.6.1-9+deb11u1. I tried to reinstall it using sudo apt --reinstall install openbox, but it didn't solve the problem. If not with openbox, the problem should be with lxqt, which I also tried to reinstall.

Lubuntu has noted that one needs to copy some configuration file for openbox after the upgrade. I also did this, but nothing changed.

Does someone know what to do?

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lubuntu

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Nmath

2/18/23, 6:07 PM

Boot up a live session (Try Ubuntu) and tell us if the problem persists. If everything is fine in the live session, I suggest reinstalling the OS. Concerningly though, this looks like a hardware problem especially since your screenshots don't show the problem.

Jesuel Marques

2/18/23, 6:14 PM

I will try the live session, but I don't understand how this can be a hardware problem. It was working well just before I upgraded. I have a dual boot on this computer with windows 10 and there is no problem there. And Firefox, for example, is not showing the problem, like I said in the post. If it was something related to hardware, this pixelation should show up everywhere, isn't it?

Nmath

2/18/23, 6:21 PM

Yes if it was a hardware problem it would show up everywhere which is why I am suggesting the live environment

Jesuel Marques

2/18/23, 7:04 PM

Ok, I did it, just to be sure. In the live environment of Ubuntu 21.10 the problem does not show up.

Jesuel Marques

2/18/23, 7:43 PM

I installed gnome and kde plasma desktop and the problem is gone, but I would like to stay with lxqt and openbox if possible. I would really appreciate if someone could suggest something else to do.

Nmath

2/18/23, 7:43 PM

The only other thing I can think of that would cause this kind of problem would be corrupted GPU drivers. If you have a NVIDIA GPU you can try a different driver version from system/update settings. Or you can boot to a root shell prompt with networking and remove and reinstall the NVIDIA proprietary drivers (if you are using them). Otherwise, I'd suggest reinstalling the OS. Upgrading to a new version is not always successful, especially if your system has any software not from Ubuntu repositories or any other manual configurations that might not have been tested for the upgrade.

Nmath

2/18/23, 7:44 PM

Maybe reinstall lxqt in that case.

Jesuel Marques

2/18/23, 8:02 PM

I have no GPU in this computer. I think I will end up reinstalling the OS, as you suggest.

guiverc

2/18/23, 10:11 PM

I suspect your issue is the 5.13 kernel & your gpu, and the issues doesn't relate to LXQt at all. I'd not re-install just yet; but try a *live* system (fyi: if you do need to re-install; you can do it without loosing your files, or needing to add back any packages/applications - it's a Lubuntu QA *testcase*). I'd boot a 21.10 *live* system is see how it looks; then try another *flavor* or main Ubuntu.. I suspect it's the 5.13 kernel isn't playing well with your gpu hardware (gpu being motherboard provided one)

guiverc

2/18/23, 10:28 PM

FYI: the issue doesn't relate to `openbox` in my opinion; openbox is a WM & handles the borders around windows; but your issue goes well beyond that (middle of windows are impacted - openbox doesn't handle that). You can install another WM and replace if to confirm it's not your issue; eg. I often use `xfwm4` (from Xfce) in QA-testing & others before reporting issues upstream.. See the manual page https://manual.lubuntu.me/stable/3/3.2/3.2.13/session_settings.html for help with changing it out if you wish to confirm (add alternative first & logout/login maybe required to see effect)

guiverc

2/19/23, 1:08 AM

This question has also been found at https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2468099&p=14063593#post14063593

Jesuel Marques

2/19/23, 12:59 PM

@guiverc Like I wrote in the comments above, when booting in a live session of Ubuntu 21.10 the problem is gone. If I use a gnome and kde plasma the problem is also gone. I use dual boot to windows and the problem doesn't show up there. If it is something related to hardware, it must be some kind of incompatibility between the hardware and lxqt, openbox or whatever which was introduced in this update, because prior to that everything was normal. Anyway, I just changed to a fresh install of ubuntu 21.10, which is a pity, because i really liked lubuntu.

guiverc

2/19/23, 9:45 PM

LXQt doesn't go to your hardware - its the linux kernel that does that. You felt at first it was `openbox`, so did you replace it with `xfwm4`, `fluxbox` or something else, logout, login to confirm it wasn't `openbox`. You can then switch it back to `openbox` with your system restored on next logout/login. You can try logging in with other sessions (eg. openbox). Also what LXQt drew you'll see in screenshots (which you said have no errors - ie. it's not LXQt but how it's appearing on your screen which is far more likely kernel/kernel-modules (ie. *drivers*). I'll switch to UF (*more room*)

Elon Musk

I sit in a Tesla and translated this thread with Ai:

EN: Problem with rendering of Desktop and apps after updating to Lubuntu 21.10

TH: ปัญหาการแสดงผลเดสก์ท็อปและแอพหลังจากอัปเดตเป็น Lubuntu 21.10

RO: Problemă cu redarea desktopului și a aplicațiilor după actualizarea la Lubuntu 21.10

RU: Проблема с рендерингом рабочего стола и приложений после обновления до Lubuntu 21.10

VI: Sự cố với kết xuất Máy tính để bàn và ứng dụng sau khi cập nhật lên Lubfox 21.10

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