When I run the KDE window manager, I can log in fine, but then all of a sudden I will not be able to click on any of open application windows. the apps continue to run fine, and I can tab between the apps, but cannot control them via the mouse or bring them to the front via clicking on the title bar. The apps stop responding to mouse clicks, even though I can move the mouse arrow around fine. Sometimes if I wait long enough, the window manager will return to normal behavior and applications will honor being clicked on. I do not experience this behavior in the other window managers (GNOME, XFCE, etc), only KDE (which is the one I would like to use, but cannot as this issue happens very quickly and frequently)…
I am running 64 bit SuSE 11.4, KDE 4.7.1 on a Lenovo W520 laptop, Intel i7-2820QM @2.3GHz, with 8 siblings. Nvidia drivers installed.
Any clue on how to fix this? I would really like to run KDE as my default desktop, but this strange behavior is preventing me from doing so.
uname -a output:
Linux venus 2.6.37.6-0.7-desktop #1 SMP PREEMPT 2011-07-21 02:17:24 +0200 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux
When I run the KDE window manager, I can log in fine, but then all of a sudden I will not be able to click on any of open application windows. the apps continue to run fine, and I can tab between the apps, but cannot control them via the mouse or bring them to the front via clicking on the title bar. The apps stop responding to mouse clicks, even though I can move the mouse arrow around fine. Sometimes if I wait long enough, the window manager will return to normal behavior and applications will honor being clicked on. I do not experience this behavior in the other window managers (GNOME, XFCE, etc), only KDE (which is the one I would like to use, but cannot as this issue happens very quickly and frequently)…
I am running 64 bit SuSE 11.4, KDE 4.7.1 on a Lenovo W520 laptop, Intel i7-2820QM @2.3GHz, with 8 siblings. Nvidia drivers installed.
Any clue on how to fix this? I would really like to run KDE as my default desktop, but this strange behavior is preventing me from doing so.
uname -a output:
Linux venus 2.6.37.6-0.7-desktop #1 SMP PREEMPT 2011-07-21 02:17:24 +0200 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux
So, you did not indicate which nVIDIA driver you have installed or what video chipset openSUSE thinks you have. If you open the “My Computer” icon, you can see this info or do an Alt-F2 and enter the command “kfmclient openProfile webbrowsing sysinfo:/” to bring this up manually. My main concern here is you have updated to KDE 4.7 even as 4.6 is still the standard for openSUSE 11.4 and then you have a problem with your mouse only in KDE. This is the number one reason I have decided to stick with 4.6 and I will not go forward until openSUSE 12.1 comes out with a newer KDE desktop. In the mean time, you could make sure you are using the nVIDIA driver 280.13 and you could always consider updating your kernel to 3.0 (though kernel.org is down) and so you must obtain a kernel from the kernel/Head repository perhaps for openSUSE. Check out my blog on installing the nVIDIA driver the hard way for more details on that subject.
In the end, you don’t know what is wrong, but updating software is about all you can try to eliminate this problem all the way to and including a downgrade of KDE to 4.6. Perhaps other solutions might be forth coming, but on a serious problem, I would consider a reload of openSUSE 11.4 and sticking with kde 4.6 till openSUSE 12.1 comes out in November.
I’ve experienced this with a mouse that gave up completely a couple of weeks after the first occurrence of the phenomenon. Replaced mouse, problem solved.
Yet…what is the NVIDIA card model, which are the drivers installed?
Thank you so much jdmcdaniel3 for the detailed instructions. I have done a fresh install, running base 11.4 SuSE, KDE 4.6
I tried installing the nVIDIA driver via the hard way, ran into a compiler vs kernel version mismatch, so I installed it the easy way (via the rpm).
the display info is now showing below. Prior to installing the nVidia driver on the fresh install, I turned off the track pad from the BIOS, and I have not had the issue once, so at this point, it really seems related to the track-pad… (which I can live without having on if it truly does fix the hanging issue in KDE).
Display Info
Vendor: nVidia Corporation
Model: Quadro 2000M
2D driver: nvidia
3D driver: NVIDIA 275.21
so, at this point, and hopefully it remains this way, it seems that the issue with KDE4.6 and Lenovo Thinkpads W520 is related to the track-pad…
Thank you so much jdmcdaniel3 for the detailed instructions. I have done a fresh install, running base 11.4 SuSE, KDE 4.6
I tried installing the nVIDIA driver via the hard way, ran into a compiler vs kernel version mismatch, so I installed it the easy way (via the rpm).
the display info is now showing below. Prior to installing the nVidia driver on the fresh install, I turned off the track pad from the BIOS, and I have not had the issue once, so at this point, it really seems related to the track-pad… (which I can live without having on if it truly does fix the hanging issue in KDE).
Display Info
Vendor: nVidia Corporation
Model: Quadro 2000M
2D driver: nvidia
3D driver: NVIDIA 275.21
so, at this point, and hopefully it remains this way, it seems that the issue with KDE4.6 and Lenovo Thinkpads W520 is related to the track-pad…
Keith
Keith I am happy to hear you found a setup that works for you. I must say I don’t like using the PADS myself and prefer using the stick, if that is an option. I mostly use Dell laptops and so not really up on what anyone else is doing. Still, I would stick with this setup until you decide to spring for openSUSE 12.1 to be released in November.