I cannot see anything anymore! What's happening?

[N T Siebel]

In GNU Emacs 20.7.1 (i386-suse-linux, X toolkit)
 of Sun Aug  6 2000 on Maclaurin.suse.de
configured using `configure  --with-gcc --with-pop --with-system-malloc 
--prefix=/usr --ex
ec-prefix=/usr --infodir=/usr/share/info --mandir=/usr/share/man 
--sharedstatedir=/var/sta
te --libexecdir=/usr/lib --with-x --with-x-toolkit=lucid 
--x-includes=/usr/X11R6/include -
-x-libraries=/usr/X11R6/lib i386-suse-linux'

System:
Linux advisor2 2.4.2 #1 SMP Thu Feb 22 17:19:27 GMT 2001 i686 unknown
  using SuSE Linux 7.0  with GNU emacs from package   ge_exec-20.7-21.rpm

I'm afraid I haven't found a way to cause the problem but I'll keep trying...

Please describe exactly what actions triggered the bug
and the precise symptoms of the bug:

Command:  emacs -fn 10x20 -geometry 80x49+496+43
  (May be important that I chose a non-standard font)

Situation: editing a few C++ files (C++/ah, CVS), speedbar open,
  editing/typing (no special functions), split window (C-x 2), editing
  bottom window, automatic syntax highlighting active.

The symptom: All display updating suddenly stops.  I can edit the buffer,
  I can still see menus but there is no updating the window display, and no
  messages in the minibuffer.
  Whether the text colour turned white over white ground, I don't know.
  Well no, I could still see the last letters I typed before this occured.
  At some later point the whole buffer display disappeared (probably because
  scrolling caused display updating which means new output to window)

One of my guesses: maybe there is something wrong with the font???
  Like, text is not displayed because it does not match the expected font
  size?   Or syntax highlighting?

Well, enough guessing, more facts:

 - New frames (C-x 5 2) appear all white on white ground (ie don't
   show any text inside any buffer windows)
 - All menus still display ok (they use non-10x20 font)
 - Minibuffer does not display (again, all white window)
 - When I click into the non-active minibuf it still inverts to say "ouch"
 - Text selection does not seem to work (I tried to past into other
   emacs).

This bug occurred a few times. This time I typed C-h l and saved
  the output blindly into a file.  This is it:

(Recent input:)
d i u m - f i l t e r e d : @ backspace home down down 
down down down down down down down down down down down 
down down-mouse-1 mouse-1 e i t h e r SPC C-x C-c C-g 
C-x C-s C-down-mouse-1 down-mouse-1 mouse-movement 
mouse-movement mouse-movement mouse-movement mouse-movement 
 (previous line repeated 9 times) 
mouse-movement mouse-movement mouse-movement drag-mouse-1 
C-x 5 2 switch-frame down-mouse-1 mouse-1 C-h l

The situation occurred after typing the "e" in the "e i t h e r", I
  believe; the "e" was still displayed, but nothing afterwards.


These are the messages (I switched to the messages buffer and saved
  it into a file).  The last "save" command output should corresond
  to one of the 2 saves mentioned here and above.

(Recent messages:)
Parsing error messages...
Parsing error messages...done.
Mark set
Wrote /advisor/nils/source/imgsrc/Grey8Image.cc
(No files need saving)
Beginning of history; no preceding item [2 times]
(No files need saving)
Updating speedbar to: /advisor/nils/source/tracking/...
Updating speedbar to: /advisor/nils/source/tracking/...done
Updating speedbar to: /advisor/nils/source/progs/...
Updating speedbar to: /advisor/nils/source/progs/...done
Mark set
Wrote /advisor/nils/source/progs/data_extraction.cc
Mark set
Mark saved where search started
Wrote /advisor/nils/source/progs/data_extraction.cc
Updating speedbar to: /advisor/nils/source/tracking/...
Updating speedbar to: /advisor/nils/source/tracking/...done
Matches {
        // set up constant background image
Matches {
            fprintf(stderr, "data_extraction: Cannot use NULL background image 
and not upd
ate it. \n");
Matches {
        ImageSource* old_in = input_source;
Updating speedbar to: /advisor/nils/source/progs/...
Updating speedbar to: /advisor/nils/source/progs/...done
Quit
Wrote /advisor/nils/source/progs/data_extraction.cc
Updating speedbar to: /advisor/nils/source/tracking/...
Updating speedbar to: /advisor/nils/source/tracking/...done
Type C-x 1 to remove help window.  M-C-v to scroll the help.
Minibuffer window is not active [8 times]
Quit


If you'd like more info or tell me how to generate a core or something
please feel free to get back to me!


Best regards,

Nils.