[CentOS] Ailing MATE desktop

Tue May 5 01:51:42 UTC 2020
Robert G (Doc) Savage <dsavage at peaknet.net>

I need some C8 troubleshooting help with MATE.

I'm building a ZFS storage server with a SuperMicro H11SSL motherboard,
EPYC 7232 CPU, and 32 GB ECC SDRAM.  I installed CentOS 8.1.1911 from
the iso as soon as it was released. I'm using the on-board ASPEED VGA
video. I installed MATE v1.22 from 
https://copr.fedorainfracloud.org/coprs/stenstorp/MATE/. The following
packages are installed:

libmateweather-data-1.24.0-2.el8.noarch
libmatemixer-1.24.0-1.el8.x86_64
mate-desktop-libs-1.24.0-3.el8.x86_64
mate-terminal-1.24.0-2.el8.x86_64
mate-themes-3.22.21-1.el8.noarch
mate-panel-libs-1.22.2-1.el8.x86_64
mate-desktop-1.24.0-3.el8.x86_64
mate-settings-daemon-1.22.1-2.el8.x86_64
mate-polkit-1.24.0-2.el8.x86_64
mate-notification-daemon-1.22.1-1.el8.x86_64
mate-media-1.24.0-2.el8.x86_64
mate-power-manager-1.22.2-1.el8.x86_64
mate-system-log-1.22.2-2.el8.x86_64
libmateweather-1.24.0-2.el8.x86_64
libmatekbd-1.24.0-1.el8.x86_64
mate-utils-common-1.22.2-2.el8.noarch
mate-disk-usage-analyzer-1.22.2-2.el8.x86_64
mate-user-guide-1.24.0-1.el8.noarch
mate-menus-preferences-category-menu-1.24.0-2.el8.x86_64
mate-dictionary-1.22.2-2.el8.x86_64
mate-menus-1.24.0-2.el8.x86_64
mate-session-manager-1.24.0-1.el8.x86_64
mate-backgrounds-1.24.0-1.el8.noarch
mate-search-tool-1.22.2-2.el8.x86_64
mate-panel-1.22.2-1.el8.x86_64
mate-system-monitor-1.24.0-1.el8.x86_64
mate-applets-1.24.0-2.el8.x86_64
mate-control-center-1.22.2-2.el8.x86_64
mate-icon-theme-1.24.0-1.el8.noarch
mate-control-center-filesystem-1.22.2-2.el8.x86_64
mate-menus-libs-1.24.0-2.el8.x86_64
mate-user-admin-1.5.1-3.el8.x86_64
mate-calc-1.24.0-2.el8.x86_64
mate-screenshot-1.22.2-2.el8.x86_64
mate-screensaver-1.24.0-2.el8.x86_64

About two weeks ago following a reset, after a normal login an
incomplete MATE desktop appeared. The background is black. There is no
visible mouse, although there is some ghostly pixel movement in the top
toolbar when what should be the mouse cursor floats over each of those
toolbar icons. I can hit Enter and start whatever app the ghost cursor
is over, and the mouse works only within that app's window. 

I'm a long-time user of MATE ever since GNOME3 was released, but until
now I've never had any problems with it. I have no idea where to start
troubleshooting. I've looked in journalctl, systemctl, and dmesg, but
found nothing obvious. There's nothing in the MATE wiki  to help.

I'm open to any suggestions where to start looking.

--Doc Savage
     Fairview Heights, IL