[kde] [Bug 417857] New: Intermittent system freezes since 2017 on Kubuntu and Ubuntu on AMD and Intel hardware

[Peter]

https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=417857

            Bug ID: 417857
           Summary: Intermittent system freezes since 2017 on Kubuntu and
                    Ubuntu on AMD and Intel hardware
           Product: kde
           Version: unspecified
          Platform: Ubuntu Packages
                OS: Linux
            Status: REPORTED
          Severity: crash
          Priority: NOR
         Component: general
          Assignee: unassigned-bugs at kde.org
          Reporter: pemmck at yahoo.com.au
  Target Milestone: ---

SUMMARY
Total system freezes not dependent on any particular activity. Typically screen
remains with a stopped clock and keyboard totally unresponsive. Freezes can
happen daily or after longer intervals. I suspected a possible hardware problem
BUT freezes do NOT happen if I have desktop effect mouse tracking turned on! 

STEPS TO REPRODUCE
1. Boot up Kubuntu 
2. No particular activity
3. Freeze will occur during the day. Sometimes longer periods between freezes.

OBSERVED RESULT
System freezes solidly. Keyboard unresponsive regardless of how long I wait.

EXPECTED RESULT
A working system

SOFTWARE/OS VERSIONS
Operating System: Kubuntu 19.10
KDE Plasma Version: 5.18.0
KDE Frameworks Version: 5.67.0
Qt Version: 5.12.4
Kernel Version: 5.3.0-40-generic
OS Type: 64-bit

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Current hardware:
Dell inspiron-5674 desktop
Processors: 16 × AMD Ryzen 7 1700X Eight-Core Processor
Memory: 7.7 GiB of RAM
Graphics card: AMD Radeon RX 480

After installing Ubuntu 17.04 on my old ACER i7 laptop in 2017 it started to
freeze. I had been running various Linux distros without any problems since
2012! In early 2018 I decided to buy a tower PC, an AMD, details below. To my
disgust it too started to freeze intermittently. By freeze I mean the screen
was frozen and the keyboard dead. The sort of behaviour you would expect from a
hardware problem. No system errors logged!
I am now on Ubuntu and Kubuntu 19.10 and if anything the freezes are worse.
BUT, I have discovered a way to prevent the freezes on Kubuntu, a very strange
workaround. I found that if I turn mouse tracking on in Kubuntu immediately
after logging in I experience NO FREEZES!!! If I forget to do this I am almost
certain to experience a freeze during the day. This confirms to me that I have
no hardware problem but that some change in Linux between Ubuntu 16.04 and
17.04 created an ongoing problem. My workaround should give the boffins a clue
as to how to fix the problem. 

There appear to be no relevant logs as system in effect seems to go into a self
induced coma.

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