Fed up. Random lockups are back with a vengeance.

[jlittle]

I'm a QtCurve devotee from wayback too. I've never had plasma problems attributable to QtCurve, and in the early days of plasma I had lots of problems...

Would you like to export your QtCurve settings and post them here?
Here's mine from my work laptop:

[KWin]
BorderSize=3
InnerBorder=0
OpaqueBorder=false
OuterBorder=0

[Settings]
activeTabAppearance=soft
animatedProgress=false
appearance=soft
bgndAppearance=flat
bgndGrad=horiz
bgndImage=none
bgndOpacity=100
boldProgress=true
borderInactiveTab=false
borderMenuitems=true
borderProgress=true
borderSbarGroove=true
borderSelection=false
borderTab=true
buttonEffect=shadow
buttonStyleMenuSections=true
centerTabText=false
colorMenubarMouseOver=true
colorSelTab=0
colorSliderMouseOver=false
coloredMouseOver=glow
coloredTbarMo=false
comboBtn=none
comboSplitter=false
crButton=true
crColor=none
crHighlight=0
crSize=15
customAlphas=0
customMenuNormTextColor=#000000
customMenuSelTextColor=#000000
customMenuTextColor=false
customShades=1.16,1.07,0.9,0.78,0.84,0.75
customgradient1=3d,0,1.2,0.5,1,1,1
customgradient2=3d,0,0.9,0.5,1,1,1
darkerBorders=true
defBtnIndicator=glow
dlgOpacity=100
doubleGtkComboArrow=false
drawStatusBarFrames=false
dwtAppearance=bevelled
dwtSettings=33
embolden=false
etchEntry=false
expanderHighlight=10
fadeLines=true
fillProgress=true
fillSlider=true
flatSbarButtons=true
focus=glow
forceAlternateLvCols=false
gbFactor=-3
gbLabel=9
glowProgress=none
grooveAppearance=inverted
groupBox=faded
gtkButtonOrder=false
gtkComboMenus=false
gtkScrollViews=true
handles=1dot
hideShortcutUnderline=false
highlightFactor=3
highlightScrollViews=false
highlightTab=false
inactiveTitlebarAppearance=flat
invertBotTab=true
lighterPopupMenuBgnd=2
lvAppearance=bevelled
lvButton=false
lvLines=false
mapKdeIcons=true
menuBgndAppearance=flat
menuBgndGrad=horiz
menuBgndImage=none
menuBgndOpacity=100
menuCloseDelay=300
menuDelay=225
menuIcons=true
menuStripe=none
menuStripeAppearance=darkinverted
menubarAppearance=flat
menubarApps=VirtualBox,smplayer
menubarHiding=0
menubarMouseOver=true
menuitemAppearance=fade
noBgndGradientApps=
noBgndImageApps=
noBgndOpacityApps=vmplayer,totem,smplayer,sonata,vmware
noMenuBgndOpacityApps=gtk,vmplayer,totem,sonata,vmware
noMenuStripeApps=gtk,soffice.bin
nonnativeMenubarApps=
onlyTicksInMenu=false
passwordChar=9679
popupBorder=true
progressAppearance=dullglass
progressColor=origselected
progressGrooveAppearance=inverted
progressGrooveColor=dark
reorderGtkButtons=false
round=extra
roundAllTabs=true
roundMbTopOnly=true
sbarBgndAppearance=flat
scrollbarType=kde
selectionAppearance=harsh
shadeCheckRadio=none
shadeMenubarOnlyWhenActive=false
shadeMenubars=none
shadePopupMenu=false
shadeSliders=#6FFF00
shading=hsl
shadowSize=30
sliderAppearance=soft
sliderFill=true
sliderStyle=round
sliderThumbs=none
sliderWidth=5
smallRadio=true
sortedLv=none
splitterHighlight=3
splitters=1dot
square=1664
statusbarApps=kde
statusbarHiding=0
stdBtnSizes=false
stdSidebarButtons=false
stripedProgress=none
stripedSbar=true
sunkenAppearance=soft
tabAppearance=soft
tabBgnd=0
tabMouseOver=glow
tbarBtnAppearance=none
tbarBtnEffect=none
tbarBtns=standard
thin=3
thinSbarGroove=false
titlebarAlignment=center-full
titlebarAppearance=darkinverted
titlebarButtonAppearance=gradient
titlebarButtonColors=#000000,#000000,#000000,#000000,#000000,#000000,#000000,#000000,#000000,#000000,#000000,#000000,#000000,#000000,#000000,#000000,#000000,#000000,#000000,#000000,#000000,#000000,#000000,#000000,#000000,#000000,#000000
titlebarButtons=5
titlebarEffect=shadow
titlebarIcon=title
toolbarAppearance=flat
toolbarBorders=none
toolbarSeparators=sunken
toolbarTabs=false
tooltipAppearance=gradient
unifyCombo=true
unifySpin=true
unifySpinBtns=false
useHighlightForMenu=false
useQtFileDialogApps=
vArrows=true
version=1.9.0
windowBorder=52
windowDrag=0
xCheck=false

My favourite QtCurve feature is the ability to get thin and very visible scroll bars.

[DoYouKubuntu]

Four days and counting. I'm still kind of shaking my head in disbelief, because I just never thought QtCurve could be the problem. And no one else did either.

GG, my QtC is very highly customized. It took years to get it just the way I wanted. Some of its features, though, no longer work (on 20.04)--as documented somewhere around here! So now I'm wondering if it's...not exactly deprecated, but something on that spectrum, like on its way out, or works but not really, or...something. You're not having issues, I am. Was. Might. Whatever!

[GreyGeek]

It seems that the Theme that was default when I installed 20.04 is Breeze.qtcurve !
But, my system is and has been stable as a rock.

[FONT=monospace][COLOR=#000000]:[/COLOR][COLOR=#5454ff][B]~[/B][/COLOR][COLOR=#000000]$ [B]locate QtCurve[/B] [/COLOR]
/usr/share/QtCurve 
/usr/share/QtCurve/Breeze.qtcurve 
[/FONT][FONT=monospace]
[COLOR=#000000]:[/COLOR][COLOR=#5454ff][B]~[/B][/COLOR][COLOR=#000000]$ [B]vdir /usr/share/QtCurve/[/B] [/COLOR]
total 4 
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 3541 Mar 31  2020 Breeze.qtcurve 
[/FONT]

Lots of settings in Breeze.qtcurve. Don't know which, if any, would be helpful in your situation.

[COLOR=#000000]:[/COLOR][COLOR=#5454ff][B]~[/B][/COLOR][COLOR=#000000]$ [B]cat /usr/share/QtCurve/Breeze.qtcurve[/B]  [/COLOR]
[ActiveShadows] 
Color=75,75,75 
ColorType=5 
HOffset=10 
Size=29 
VOffset=20 

[KWin] 
BorderSize=3 
CustomShadows=true 
EdgePad=3 
InnerBorder=0 
OuterBorder=0 

[Settings] 
activeTabAppearance=customgradient3 
animatedProgress=false 
appearance=customgradient3 
bgndAppearance=customgradient3 
bgndGrad=horiz 
bgndImage=none 
bgndOpacity=100 
boldProgress=false 
borderInactiveTab=false 
borderMenuitems=false 
borderProgress=false 
borderSbarGroove=false 
borderSelection=false 
borderTab=true 
buttonEffect=shadow 
centerTabText=true 
colorMenubarMouseOver=true 
colorSelTab=0 
colorSliderMouseOver=false 
coloredMouseOver=colored 
coloredTbarMo=false 
comboBtn=none 
comboSplitter=false 
crButton=true 
crColor=none 
crHighlight=0 
crSize=15 
customAlphas=0 
customMenuNormTextColor=#000000 
customMenuSelTextColor=#000000 
customMenuTextColor=false 
customShades=1.16,1.07,0.9,0.78,0.84,0.87 
customgradient1=none,0,0.85,0.5,0.85,1,0.85 
customgradient2=none,0,1,0.5,1,1,1 
customgradient3=none,0,1,1,1 
darkerBorders=false 
defBtnIndicator=glow 
dlgOpacity=100 
doubleGtkComboArrow=false 
drawStatusBarFrames=false 
dwtAppearance=flat 
dwtSettings=0 
embolden=false 
etchEntry=false 
expanderHighlight=3 
fadeLines=false 
fillProgress=true 
fillSlider=true 
flatSbarButtons=true 
focus=line 
forceAlternateLvCols=false 
gbFactor=0 
gbLabel=9 
glowProgress=none 
grooveAppearance=customgradient2 
groupBox=none 
gtkButtonOrder=false 
gtkComboMenus=true 
gtkScrollViews=false 
handles=flat 
hideShortcutUnderline=true 
highlightFactor=2 
highlightScrollViews=true 
highlightTab=false 
inactiveTitlebarAppearance=flat 
invertBotTab=false 
lighterPopupMenuBgnd=15 
lvAppearance=flat 
lvButton=false 
lvLines=false 
mapKdeIcons=true 
menuBgndAppearance=flat 
menuBgndGrad=horiz 
menuBgndImage=none 
menuBgndOpacity=100 
menuDelay=225 
menuIcons=true 
menuStripe=none 
menuStripeAppearance=flat 
menubarAppearance=flat 
menubarApps=VirtualBox,smplayer,amarok,arora,kcalc,kaffeine 
menubarHiding=0 
menubarMouseOver=true 
menuitemAppearance=flat 
noBgndGradientApps= 
noBgndImageApps= 
noBgndOpacityApps=dragon,smplayer,vmplayer,vmware,inkscape,totem,kaffeine,kscreenlocker,sonata 
noMenuBgndOpacityApps=vmplayer,vmware,inkscape,gtk,totem,sonata 
noMenuStripeApps=soffice.bin,gtk 
passwordChar=9679 
popupBorder=false 
progressAppearance=customgradient3 
progressColor=origselected 
progressGrooveAppearance=customgradient1 
progressGrooveColor=base 
reorderGtkButtons=false 
round=slight 
roundAllTabs=true 
roundMbTopOnly=false 
sbarBgndAppearance=flat 
scrollbarType=none 
selectionAppearance=customgradient2 
shadeCheckRadio=origselected 
shadeMenubarOnlyWhenActive=false 
shadeMenubars=none 
shadePopupMenu=true 
shadeSliders=#3DAEE9 
shading=hsl 
sliderAppearance=customgradient2 
sliderFill=true 
sliderStyle=circular 
sliderThumbs=none 
sliderWidth=9 
smallRadio=true 
sortedLv=none 
splitterHighlight=3 
splitters=none 
square=2 
statusbarApps=kde 
statusbarHiding=0 
stdBtnSizes=false 
stdSidebarButtons=false 
stripedProgress=none 
stripedSbar=false 
sunkenAppearance=customgradient3 
tabAppearance=customgradient3 
tabBgnd=2 
tabMouseOver=glow 
tbarBtnAppearance=none 
tbarBtnEffect=none 
tbarBtns=standard 
thin=0 
thinSbarGroove=false 
titlebarAlignment=left 
titlebarAppearance=flat 
titlebarButtonAppearance=flat 
titlebarButtons=2189 
titlebarEffect=none 
titlebarIcon=menu 
toolbarAppearance=flat 
toolbarBorders=none 
toolbarSeparators=flat 
toolbarTabs=true 
tooltipAppearance=flat 
unifyCombo=true 
unifySpin=true 
unifySpinBtns=false 
useHighlightForMenu=true 
useQtFileDialogApps=googleearth-bin 
vArrows=false 
version=1.8.14 
windowBorder=41 
windowDrag=3 
xCheck=false 
xbar=false

[DoYouKubuntu]

Indeed, GG. I left EVERYTHING running when I put the laptop to bed last night. Got up this morning, and it's fine.

If it turns out to be QtCurve, I'll want to know why/what part of it. Like is there a specific element that--when some unknown-to-me event happens--clashes and locks it up? The problem with that is QtC has at least a zillion options. Stepping through them one-by-one to hone in on the bug could take years...

[GreyGeek]

TIme will tell. Looking forward to a month of bug free operation!

[DoYouKubuntu]

Did anyone think QtCurve could've been the culprit? Especially since there were long blocks of time with no lockups, and QtC was always running.

But now, lockup-free since losing QtC, I'm looking at two possibilities: pure coincidence that the lockups stopped as soon as I dumped QtC, or it was the culprit all along.

[DoYouKubuntu]

It's too soon to say anything definitive, but in the 48 hours since losing QtCurve, not a single lockup. Keep in mind that, as my title said, they were back with a vengeance, so 48 hours is quite a long time--compared to freezing up multiple times a day.

[DoYouKubuntu]

So it happened, again, a few minutes ago. Bam, frozen solid, out of nowhere, as usual. After hard resetting it, I changed my "Application Style" from QtCurve to CleanLooks, then restarted again. I'll be shocked if it turns out that QtCurve has been the problem all along, but at least it would solve the mystery.

[GreyGeek]

POST= Power On Self Test
That hardware check can be turned off in the BIOS (Binary Input Output System).
When you first turn on your computer the POST is the first to run, if it is toggled on, and it is done when the login screen appears.
In my listing below I happened to catch fstrim doing its work, which is not common with my bootup. All these times are following the POST and do not include it because the PID 0 and 1 (systemd) are not operating during the POST and hence doesn't time it.

  [FONT=monospace]
[B][COLOR=#000000]:[/COLOR][COLOR=#5454ff]~[/COLOR][COLOR=#000000]$ systemd-analyze [/COLOR][/B]
Startup finished in 2.748s (kernel) + 1min 18.667s (userspace) = 1min 21.415s  
graphical.target reached after 6.581s in userspace 

[B][COLOR=#000000]:[/COLOR][COLOR=#5454ff]~[/COLOR][COLOR=#000000]$ systemd-analyze blame [/COLOR][/B]
1min 16.806s fstrim.service                                      
      4.742s apt-daily-upgrade.service                           
      3.928s postfix@-.service                                   
      2.184s networkd-dispatcher.service                         
      1.947s accounts-daemon.service                             
      1.849s logrotate.service                                   
      1.736s tor@default.service                                 
      1.567s fwupd-refresh.service                               
      1.435s udisks2.service                                     
      1.403s smartmontools.service                               
      1.251s dev-sda1.device                                     
      1.141s upower.service                                      
      1.110s libvirtd.service                                    
      1.090s systemd-journal-flush.service                       
       991ms polkit.service                                      
       786ms avahi-daemon.service                                
       769ms NetworkManager.service                              
       734ms colord.service                                      
[COLOR=#ffffff]lines 1-18[/COLOR]
[/FONT]

[DoYouKubuntu]

Okay, thanks for the clarification. I figured POST stood for something...I just didn't know what.

As for the System76 drivers, I did install them immediately after installation--at one point along this very long saga. Of all the things I didn't expect to cause problems, I'd have to say System76's own drivers would be at the top of the list, you know?

[claydoh]

The "POST" screen? I'm not sure what you mean.


No, I have not--for very good reason. Somewhere, back at the beginning of this saga, I *did* add/install all that, and had catastrophic results, as in rendering the laptop unbootable. So I quickly undid that, and haven't looked back! I'm not eager to revisit that, but might do it if nothing else comes up.

it is not stated anywhere, but I would assume that this step would best be done immediately after install, and before updating the first time. System76 do use custom firmware and drivers


POST is yes, that initial splash screen when first powering on. Also called the Bios splash screen.

[jlittle]

The "POST" screen? I'm not sure what you mean.

POST is an initialism from "Power On Self Test".

[Don B. Cilly]

The "POST" screen? I'm not sure what you mean.

I'm quite sure ;-) he means the BIOS screen.

[DoYouKubuntu]

hitting the shift key or stabbing repeatedly just past the POST screen is the standard way to bring up the grub menu, which is normally hidden on single boot systems.

The "POST" screen? I'm not sure what you mean.

You have added and installed the System76 PPA to get their custom driver and firnmware packages? It seems they have a utility for managing these as well
https://support.system76.com/articles/system76-driver/
https://support.system76.com/articles/install-ubuntu/

No, I have not--for very good reason. Somewhere, back at the beginning of this saga, I *did* add/install all that, and had catastrophic results, as in rendering the laptop unbootable. So I quickly undid that, and haven't looked back! I'm not eager to revisit that, but might do it if nothing else comes up.

[DoYouKubuntu]

Just throwing this out there: one constant has been QtCurve. Does anyone think, at all, that it could be the culprit?

I don't think so, because like I said, it's been constant--and that includes a month+ with absolutely no lockups. But...? I don't know. Thoughts?