Hi everyone! First things first, there is my system specification:

Video card: GeForce Go 6150
Drivers up to date from nvidia.com
Accelerated driver enabled
OS: Ubuntu 8.04 Hardy
HP DV9408ca laptop


Ok, I don't think you need more informations on my system, so there is the problem. Sometime when my mouse pointer come over a windows' title bar, some on the 3 icons (minimize, maximize, close) disappear and the title bar become gray. To make it back to normal, I have to randomly move my mouse pointer over the title bar, and it will come back... evantually. The same action make the title bar do the problem if I move the mouse pointer over it when there is nothing wrong.

I tried almost every option in Advanced Desktop Effects Settings, tried to re-install the video drivers, enable/disable lots of options, but nothing. Note that the problem disappear if I disable the Visual effect.

It's really hard to explain that problem so I would like to be able to post a screenshot, but I can't But I just took one, so if you think you could help and want to see it, just ask and I'll send it to you.

Edit: There is a screenshot, take a look at the title bar! http://www.putfile.com/pic/8261155

Thank you everyone!

You are using compiz "special effects & eye-candy", yes?

If so, please be prepared for weird faults - it is still under heavy development. My recommendations:
- Put up with it & enjoy it when (if) it works.
- File bug reports appropriately.
- Fix the bug reports you have filed
- Disable it, and have a "boring" desktop that you can use (like I do).

Hope this helps

You're right, I'm using compiz :P. So far, this is the only prob I got, maybe i'm lucky but I still can enjoy the "special effects". So I'll deal with it for now and try to fix it, even if I'm a noob
Thank you for your help!

I'm also seeing this grayed-out window title problem in 8.04.
It started after I've experimented with the (unofficial) compiz-tile plugin. The howto for it is here:
h t t p : //ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=774511

It is an unofficial installation (need to build source) and does not create a package so the libs needed to be copied (or 'make install'ed).

After I installed the plugin (manually copied the libs to /usr/lib/compiz) the title bar started to behave exactly as you mentioned. The fact I use dual-display configuration with nvidia's twinview could cause the tile plugin to misbehave. Anyway, I wasn't satisfied with it so I decided to uninstall (by removing the libs). After I did that, the window titles still become grayed-out on window focus in/out as seen in your screenshot.

The problem can be reproduced just by moving a window using the mouse and then moving the mouse pointer away from it. Perhaps there's a gconf settings we are missing here?

Well, I didn't really find any solution yet, but I realize that, if I keep compiz and advanced desktop Effect settings ON but I select another title bar style, the problem dissapear. So the problem appear with only one or a few tiitle bar style.

Nice find!
That's good enough for me... this harmless-yet-annoying behavior started to get too much of my attention