Gutsy: Switching workspaces when playing XVideo overlay crashes X

Binary package hint: compiz

First of all, I use the latest version of Compiz (1:0.5.2+git20070918-0ubuntu3) and the open source ati driver (1:6.7.193-1ubuntu1) which enables me to run Compiz via AIGLX. Now, the following problem occurs to me:

Whenever playing a video using the Xv video output mode, X crashes and restarts as soon as I go to another workspace. It doesn't matter which plugin I use, cube, plane, wall, it always happens. I can, however, remember a time when this didn't happen to me. Must have been at the point when Tribe 5 came out.

Oh, and one more thing, although it might be a little hard to actually perform:

Because of the nature of Xvideo, it is impossible to project it properly on a cube, anyway. Discouraging users about using Xv might be the easiest choice, I guess.

I can confirm the crash here on a ati 7500.

IIRC, In Tribe 5 we were using the old (now deprecated) 6.6.x branch of xserver-xorg-video-ati, so I'd guess this was an outcome of upgrading to 6.7. Thus as a workaround you could probably revert to 6.6.3 to address the symptoms.

For solving the root problem though, this sounds vaguely similar to https://bugs.freedesktop.org/show_bug.cgi?id=12175. Could you try doing the following to see if you can reproduce that issue?

1. Start a video using Xv video output
2. Move the movie window offscreen, such that the video area is fully invisible
3. Does xserver crash?

Here is a diff that worked for the upstream xorg project:
http://gitweb.freedesktop.org/?p=xorg/driver/xf86-video-ati.git;a=commitdiff;h=5d044b9f74c7aa7e12f2822896fed881e2ca9d19

I can confirm the crash to on a ati 9800pro using the open source ati-driver.
A few days ago everything was fine ...

I noticed this patch which sounds like it might have caused this issue: https://bugs.freedesktop.org/show_bug.cgi?id=12175

Here is a deb with this patch reverted. Please install and test to see if it makes the issue go away:

http://people.ubuntu.com/~bryce/Testing/xserver-xorg-video-ati_6.7.193-1ubuntu2_i386.deb

mvo confirms this fixed it.

<mvo> bryce: reverting the commit for ati fixes the problem for me
<bryce> mvo, wow, that was good luck
<mvo> indeed :)
 and video playback still works

Debdiff attached. I think this should go in for Gutsy.

looks ok, please upload for gutsy.

At the debian bug report Michel Dänzer has proposed another patch.

It further is mentioned that the patch proposed here:
| apparently breaks Xv on dualhead, so the proposed fix by Michel
| Dänzer should be better, according to upstream :)

Alright, we'll wait for the proposed patch. If someone could ping me when the patch becomes available we'll roll it in.

Ah, found the patch. Will roll it in once the freeze lifts.

This bug also happens here (gutsy alpha up to date, as of 27-09-2007).

(forgot to mention) Graphics card is a Radeon 9600XT, AGP, 256MB, outputs VGA, DVI and TV-out (just use the VGA one), and using the free -ati driver.

The output of lspci -nn |grep VGA is:

02:00.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: ATI Technologies Inc M10 NQ [Radeon Mobility 9600] [1002:4e51]

Same here! ATI Radeon X700! No crash if i set no Xv in gstreamer-proprieties.

Fixed for me with the version 1:6.7.194-1ubuntu1 of xserver-xorg-video-ati

Thanks to all for the fix.

Reportedly fixed in version 1:6.7.194-1ubuntu1:

xserver-xorg-video-ati (1:6.7.194-1ubuntu1) gutsy; urgency=low

  * Merge with Debian experimental, remaining changes:
    - debian/control
      * Ease the Build-Depends on xserver-xorg-dev.
      * Change Maintainer-address.

 -- Timo Aaltonen <email address hidden> Mon, 24 Sep 2007 11:19:06 +0300

xserver-xorg-video-ati (1:6.7.194-1) experimental; urgency=low

  * New upstream release candidate.
    + Add MacModel "mini" option to support Mac Mini connector table,
      closes: #443570.
    + Fix crash when Xv window is outside of either crtc,
      closes: #441902.

 -- Brice Goglin <email address hidden> Mon, 24 Sep 2007 07:59:36 +0200

Like Alfredo says, the issue solved for me after updating Gutsy to get xserver-xorg-video-ati version 1:6.7.194-1ubuntu1. Oh yeah!!

So now playing a video with Totem and switching workspaces works ok with Compiz (and moving the Totem window "retains" the video inside it, without leaving trails behind).

Many many many thanks to you, your work is very much appreciated!