Flashing/Stuttering Display

[Kncuk]

Using a supported version?

• I have searched searched open and closed issues for duplicates.
• I am using Signal-Desktop as provided by the Signal team, not a 3rd-party package.

Overall summary

When scrolling up through chat, the signal window will show some render problem, UI jump all over the place with-in the window, and chat elements cut to different places. Screen-record only captured very little part of this, and when OBS is opened this problem disappear. Issue only starts appearing with 6.42.0 Production

Steps to reproduce

1. Go to any chat
2. Scroll up through the chat
3. Render issue appears

Expected result

Normal display/render

Actual result

Abnormal display/render

Screenshots

No response

Signal version

6.42.0 Production

Operating system

Windows 10

Version of Signal on your phone

No response

Link to debug log

No response

[trevor-signal]

Can you provide a bit more information:

1. Specs of your computer, CPU usage while this is happening
2. Debug log
3. Does this happen for all conversations or only for certain ones?

[rl-lola]

This happens to me too. It seems to get triggered by animated stickers but I can't say for sure.

[Kncuk]

Can you provide a bit more information:

1. Specs of your computer, CPU usage while this is happening

2. Debug log

3. Does this happen for all conversations or only for certain ones?

Spec: 5900X w/t 3090, nothing abnormal with CPU usage when this happen.
Log: https://debuglogs.org/desktop/6.42.0/1c173c7e48f826bcdb4e4b18aaf9c152ea41e24e1f7e689cbac1a2f40073b7e4.gz
This happens with every conversation window, as well as Note to Self.

I have a short screen recording of this and can PM if needed, but it wasn't able to capture the majority of the bug other than some minute flashing. OBS doesn't help either as the bug somehow disappear as long as OBS is opened.

[trevor-signal]

Thanks for that information, @Kncuk. Very interesting that it goes away when OBS is opened, and that it applies on every conversation. The only obvious candidate changes in 6.42 is an Electron upgrade.

@rl-lola are you also on Windows? Did you also only see this on 6.42 and not on prior versions?

[rl-lola]

@trevor-signal I am on Windows. IIRC this only happened with 6.42.

[Undef-a]

I'm also seeing the same issue on a build of signal I do myself for Linux/arm64 (etnaviv GPU driver). It did not occur on 6.40, but on 6.42 I see severe vertical tearing when scrolling on any element and the screen usually doesn't update until touched.

CPU usage seems to follow scrolling, but the issue persists well after scrolling (and cpu usage) has stopped.

[scottnonnenberg-signal]

@Undef-a Have you tried starting Signal Desktop with --disable-gpu?

[Undef-a]

I hadn't, but adding that flag causes it to behave perfectly, if a little slower.

[rl-lola]

Have you tried starting Signal Desktop with --disable-gpu?

I just tried this and it fixed the issue.

[axfelix]

This has also started happening to me on Windows this week

[scottnonnenberg-signal]

Thanks for your reports, everyone. We don't do anything special on scroll, so this is very likely an Electron issue - for the best chance of getting this fixed, you can help by filing a bug on their project with an Electron Fiddle showing a minimum repro, and providing all of your hardware (especially graphics hardware) details.

You can also try Chrome or Chromium, to see if the same thing reproduces there, and file issues on those projects. Probably a better chance of getting low-level rendering stuff like this fixed if you go directly to the source!

[SpikeHimself]

Your users are having an issue with your app, it is irrelevant that it is caused by a third party component that you chose to use. Take your responsibility and create that bug report yourself.

[Undef-a]

I'm not sure what the point of the snarky reply was, unless something specific has been done to fix this Scott was probably right. This issue has since resolved itself, at least on my device.

[SpikeHimself]

I'm not sure what the point of the snarky reply was

so it seems. no problem. the point was made, no need for discussion