You can try updating your drivers, resetting XFCE, or performing a kernel upgrade and check your logs for errors if possible.
Software Solution
Besides a restart, power cycling, software and kernel upgrade, you can also try restarting the XFCE Compositor and reinitializing the screen with:
xfwm4 --replace & and xfwm4 --auto &
One trick would be to completely disable the XFCE Compositor under
Settings > Window Manager Tweaks > Compositor
Uncheck, Enable display compositing, then possibly perform a restart
XFCE Compositor
The compositor in XFCE is an additional, but not strictly necessary, function.
It is responsible for displaying the visual effects for the windows.
Nevertheless, some applications have conflicts with an active compositor.
When you turn off the compositor, you are essentially just turning off the visual effects and returning to a fast, lean, and functional display.
If the compositor itself is running unstably or causing graphical errors, turning it off can restore a stable working environment.
There have been numerous reported issues with the 4.14 release of xfwm related to transparency issues, compositing problems and blank screens. This post will provide some troubleshooting information to get the issue resolved...
Disabling Compositing in the Window Manager Tweaks (xfwm4-tweaks-settings), fixes these issues...
Hardware Solution
If possible, I would try new/different cables. If the monitors have multiple inputs, switch between them and run them using different connections (for example, on mine I can use VGA, DVI, and HDMI individually).
Try using a different docking station. If possible, also test with another laptop using the same configuration.
Wayland vs. X11
In the past, I have had similar problems, like screen tearing, freezes, or multiple window frames (essentially a corrupted image) with Cinnamon, KDE, and XFCE when using X11 as the display server.
I was able to solve these problems by switching to Wayland with KDE.
For XFCE and Cinnamon, Wayland support is still experimental and requires manual installation and setup. I think it will still be some time until it's fully integrated and working properly.
Here are some more posts with similar problems involving KDE and Cinnamon:
I would suggest you to switch from x11 to wayland to avoid the freezing. While this problem seems to be specific to the apps you mentioned, I have had similar issues in the past, albeit affecting the entire desktop, and switching to Wayland fixed them for me....
I have a cheap Linux laptop, with built in graphics. And Wayland works perfectly. I can run multiple monitors with one of them rotated. When I tried that with X I got lots of juddery tearing...
Graphical Desktop Environment
3 Parts Working Together for a Graphical Desktop Environment Display Server Protocols:
- Display Server
- Desktop Environment
- Display Manager
Display Server, Is X11 better than Wayland?
In the future, I would choose Wayland over X11 as display server protocols, and that's my opinion, because Wayland represents a more modern alternative that is more efficient and secure. However, Wayland still has its bugs.
GDM (GNOME Display Manager) will automatically use Wayland when supported, except when using the proprietary NVIDIA driver, in which case it will fall back to X11 due to instability.
X11 vs. Wayland: A Linux Display Showdown The choice between X11 and Wayland is a personal one, with no clear winner. X11 offers tried-and-tested stability, flexibility, and wider application compatibility. Wayland, on the other hand, shines with its smoother visuals, better security, and potential for future innovation.
Display Managers:
- GDM
- LightDM
- SDDM
- LXDM
- XDM
- MDM
- Qingy
Desktop Environments, these are some of the most commonly used desktop environments in Linux:
- GNOME
- KDE Plasma
- Xfce
- LXDE
- LXQt
- MATE
- Cinnamon
From these 3 parts, you choose what works best together or harmonizes well.
Some combinations harmonize very well, while others are only experimental and can cause errors at the moment!
