VisIt freezing computer at launch

[JustinPrivitera]

A user on the 3rd floor reports that when they launch VisIt with /usr/gapps/visit/bin/visit, it completely freezes their machine. They are running iSRD linux, but running VisIt via magma. I watched this happen with my own eyes. I have not been able to reproduce in VNC on magma. They said this only started happening today (02/13/25).

[JustinPrivitera]

Sometimes it worked for them, other times it did not. Behavior seems variable. This is not unique to a particular version of VisIt. Same behavior in 3.3.3 and 3.4.2.

[markcmiller86]

Did you have them try the same trick @cyrush was telling another user having a similar issue? Use -nowindowmetrics.

[JustinPrivitera]

Oh, was that the issue that Cyrus was helping a user with? Did their computer freeze?

[markcmiller86]

I can't recall if it was freeze or crash. I think they can get back to normal only by re-booting their machine though.

[JustinPrivitera]

I will check with them and see if that solves the issue.

[JustinPrivitera]

Thanks @markcmiller86!

[cyrush]

Does it freeze during window metrics (when screen size is being probed?) Could be the same issue.

Do they have one of the large wide screen displays?

[JustinPrivitera]

Does it freeze during window metrics (when screen size is being probed?) Could be the same issue.

I don't know. It freezes before any windows come up.

Do they have one of the large wide screen displays?

yes

[JustinPrivitera]

Follow up information:

• user reports that sometimes running VisIt causes no problems
• but occasionally it will freeze the computer
• this issue only began happening last week
• using -nowindowmetrics helps in the sense that instead of freezing the machine, it purportedly sends the user back to the login screen. When they log back in, their session is over and everything they had going on in closed. This is an improvement but is not ideal.

[JustinPrivitera]

Another user is reporting this.

[markcmiller86]

What troubles me most about experiences like this is that I have an uneasy feeling it is often attributable to changes in parts of the system and its software that are a) wholly outside our control and worse, b) not fully tested or made known to us or the users.

There are a lot of gaps in ensuring the user experience on iSRD (or frankly any system here) remains intact across various changes. A number of different groups are changing things regularly and there isn't a coordinated process to ensure those changes don't wind up breaking important workflow for users. We really ought to see what we can do about to address that.

[JustinPrivitera]

I agree. I think something changed for iSRD linux in the last week or so that is causing reports of this to crop up. The first user to report this to me told me that all had been well until two Fridays ago, when VisIt suddenly would freeze her computer. Perhaps we can gather more information and submit a ticket to LC to address what could have caused the change.