In spite of best efforts, a bug in Compiz that causes application windows to ‘become invisible’ is still haunting users.

Whilst the bug, which can be seen in action in this video, keeps being reported again and again, Compiz developer Sam ‘SmSpillaz‘ Spilsbury has been unable to reproduce it.

But you can help fix this issue – and here’s how.

First install the dependencies for compiz and bzr-buildpackage which will allow to easily create a debian package. You can install these by opening a Terminal and running the following commands: -

• sudo apt-get install bzr-buildpackage
• sudo apt-get build-dep compiz

Then get smspillaz’s packaging branch with a special patch which will tell you more information about what is happening in your .xsession-errors file and generate and install a package by

• bzr branch lp:~smspillaz/+junk/compiz.spew
• cd compiz.spew
• bzr bd
• sudo dpkg -i ../build-area/*.deb

Finally, when you get the bug, run

• xwinfo -all

and click on the affected area and mail the output of it as well as your

• /home/.xsession-errors (press Ctrl+H to see hidden files)

file to smspillaz [at] ubuntu [dot] com.

Note: Please uninstall the package before upgrading, and note that the generated package won’t work on Ubuntu 11.10 Oneiric.