Various compiz problems on Ubuntu Edgy.... help! :_(

[darkmaster]

Hi, I'm running Ubuntu Edgy on an Acer Aspire 5510 WLMI with an ATI card. I use AIGLX + Compiz and I'm currently running the development version with extras....

I have a number of problems related to the stable version too, the one I was using untill yesterday. Here's my problems, note that all of this problems are not related to the development version. I installed it today hoping for some problems to be fixed but... nothing fixed :(

1) My CPU usage is allways around 100% when I use cmpiz. If I mess around too much with programs such as kiba-dock, X crashed totally. The same happens if I change too many times the Animations from the configuration panel of compiz... the computer crashes completely, I havce to turn it off manually.

2) If i switch too many times beetwen metacity and compiz, X crashes as in point 1). I cannot therefore activate and deactivate compiz everytime I wish to. The problem allways happens when I activate compiz again, aniway, not in teh moment of deactivation.

3) I allways try to have compiz-tray-icon autostarted in my gnome session but it doesn't matter how many times I write it in the session manager, on a restart, compiz tray icon is no more autostarted... why??? I have ho launch it manually each time, I also created an icon on my desktop to do this...

4) From the moment I install Ubuntu Edgy, enable AIGLX and install compiz, some features just doesn't work. For example, the aqua plugin doesn't seem to work at all. Also other key combinations such as the focus or the zoom effect won't work. Why? I tryed to change the combinations but nothing changed. It's like pressing a normal key combination, nothing works at all. The only working combinations are tose for switching the cube, changing desktop, alt+tab, manually rotating desktop, hiding all windows... but focus, aqua, trasparency and zoom are not going to work.. as well as some new plugins in the devel package. Annotate, screenshot and clone won't work.

5) I guess this is normal. Due to compiz instability (It allways crashes the entire system after a wile) I had to installa xcompmgr. If this is turned on, I cannot turn on compiz too, otherwise the windowse's borders wont' be drawn anymore and I have to restart the session. But guess this is normal and due to the fact that I cannot have more than one composite manager running at once.

If anyone can help me solving all of of this problm or at least part of them... I'll be eternally gratefull! Specially points 1) and 2).... wich actually makes compiz unusable for me.... Hope to receive answers soon,

The Dark Master

[RYX]

Hi darkmaster!

1) looks like you are not really running hardware-accelerated X ... which driver do you use for aiglx? And do you have aiglx really enabed in xorg.xonf?

2) could be related to 1

3) be sure to hit "Apply" after editing the programs in the session

4) open gconf-editor and check if all plugins you want are really enabled in /apps/compiz/general/options/active_plugins (or try running compiz from commandline to check if your plugins are loaded in the right order)

5) xcompmgr is another compositing manager, you can't run it together with compiz because they conflict (compiz is much cooler and faster, anyway)

Sorry for being a little short, but I am in a hurry ... I hope it helps.

:)

[darkmaster]

Hi Ryx, thanks so much for you answer.

1) Acceleration works for the PC in itself and for the system, since 3D games and screensavers are accelerated.... don't know for X, it looks fluid and all working nicely, can I discover somehow if it is accelerated?? Hre's my xorg aniway. I use the ATI opensource driver that came togeter with my Ubuntu Edgy distribution. It is integrated from installation.



Section "Files"
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/misc"
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/cyrillic"
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/100dpi/:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/75dpi/:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/Type1"
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/100dpi"
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/75dpi"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/X11/misc"
# path to defoma fonts
FontPath "/var/lib/defoma/x-ttcidfont-conf.d/dirs/TrueType"
EndSection

Section "Module"
Load "i2c"
Load "bitmap"
Load "ddc"
Load "dri"
Load "extmod"
Load "freetype"
Load "glx"
Load "int10"
Load "type1"
Load "vbe"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Generic Keyboard"
Driver "kbd"
Option "CoreKeyboard"
Option "XkbRules" "xorg"
Option "XkbModel" "pc105"
Option "XkbLayout" "it"
Option "XkbOptions" "lv3:ralt_switch"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Configured Mouse"
Driver "mouse"
Option "CorePointer"
Option "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
#Questo ?® il Mouse USB. Ho scoperto che ?® mouse2. Se non funge pi?? il touchpad, lo devo cambiare in "mice"
Option "Protocol" "ExplorerPS/2"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
Option "Emulate3Buttons" "true"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Driver "wacom"
Identifier "stylus"
# Option "Device" "/dev/ttyS0" SERIAL ONLY
Option "Device" "/dev/input/wacom"
Option "Type" "stylus"
Option "USB" "on" #USB ONLY
Option "ForceDevice" "ISDV4" #Tablet PC ONLY
Option "PressCurve" "0,0,100,100"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Driver "wacom"
Identifier "eraser"
# Option "Device" "/dev/ttyS0" SERIAL ONLY
Option "Device" "/dev/input/wacom"
Option "Type" "eraser"
Option "USB" "on" #USB ONLY
Option "ForceDevice" "ISDV4" #Tablet PC ONLY
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Driver "wacom"
Identifier "cursor"
# Option "Device" "/dev/ttyS0" SERIAL ONLY
Option "Device" "/dev/input/wacom"
Option "Type" "cursor"
Option "Mode" "relative"
Option "USB" "on" #USB ONLY
Option "ForceDevice" "ISDV4" #Tablet PC ONLY
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Driver "wacom"
Identifier "pad"
# Option "Device" "/dev/ttyS0" SERIAL ONLY
Option "Device" "/dev/input/wacom"
Option "Type" "pad"
Option "USB" "on" #USB ONLY
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "ATI Technologies, Inc. Radeon Mobility X700 (RV410 PCIE)"
Driver "ati"
BusID "PCI:1:0:0"
Option "MonitorLayout" "LVDS, auto"
Option "RenderAccel" "1"
Option "NoRenderExtension" "0"
Option "XAANoOffscreenPixmaps" "1"
Option "AllowGLXWithComposite" "1"

EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Generic Monitor"
Option "DPMS"
HorizSync 28-64
VertRefresh 43-60
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Default Screen"
Device "ATI Technologies, Inc. Radeon Mobility X700 (RV410 PCIE)"
Monitor "Generic Monitor"
Option "AddARGBGLXVisuals" "1"
DefaultDepth 24
SubSection "Display"
Depth 1
Modes "1280x800"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 4
Modes "1280x800"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 8
Modes "1280x800"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 15
Modes "1280x800"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 16
Modes "1280x800"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "1280x800"
EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "Default Layout"
Screen "Default Screen"
InputDevice "Generic Keyboard"
InputDevice "Configured Mouse"
InputDevice "stylus" "SendCoreEvents"
InputDevice "cursor" "SendCoreEvents"
InputDevice "eraser" "SendCoreEvents"
InputDevice "pad"
Option "AIGLX" "true"
EndSection

Section "DRI"
Mode 0666
EndSection

Section "Extensions"
Option "Composite" "Enable"
Option "RENDER" "true"
Option "DAMAGE" "true"
EndSection



From this you should be able to know if it all seems to be setted well. I must say the ATI drivers are a little slow, indeed. Fglrx where super fast but I cannot use AIGLX with fglrx and I don't whant to use XGL.

3) In gnome, in the session manager, there's no apply button. There's Add, Modify, Delete, Enable/Disable. The others applications I inserted here have allways been working and still do it. For example Kiba-dock is autostarted and I setted it in this panel we're talking about right now. This damned trick only fails with compiz-tray-icon. If I restart the system, the tray icon is loaded but I if restart again, it disappears. That's the damned game it plays...

4) I controlled. I had to enter also "all screens" before plugins. Water is listed to be one of those wich should start. Every plugin is set to start.... how can I run compiz from command line and what should I check exactly? Don't know the right order.... also, in gconf I checked the keys setted for water and are the classic shift+F9 to toggle rain (If I press this combination nothing at all happens) and ctrl+super+left mouse click for water effect... this doesn't work too.... why? Cannot figure that out, help please...

5) Yes, xcompmgr is not as good as compiz but at least it works :) so if I whant real trasparency, sometimes is better to run it instead of compiz...

Hope you'll answer again with some help, I'll be waiting... bye,

the Dark Master

[darkmaster]

looks like I found what makes compiz tray icon not start on boot. Fondamentally, if I don't open the gl-desktop configuration panel, compiz tray icon keeps staying beetwen autostarted programs. The moment I open gl-desktop configuration panel, if I try and have a look in the session manager, I see that compiz tray icon is no more there! That's a damned bug.... note that in the gl-desktop panel I checked the compiz tray icon tag.... but it's useless... with gl-desktop configuration panel, I mean the one that is launched if I right click on the compiz tray icon and choose preferences.

[RYX]

I have no ATI card, so I cannot really say what's wrong with your xorg.conf - it looks ok on the first glance ... (maybe someone with an ATI-card can help here?)

To test if hw-acceleration works you can simply open a terminal, enter "top" and start dragging around the window. If the CPU-usage goes high, you most likely have no hw-accel ... (I bet there is some better method for that, but it is a good indicator) ...

The problem with the session-manager is strange. Did you check "Save session on logout" (can be labeled different because I translated it from german) on the first tab? And did you "Enable" the compiz-tray-icon after adding it (I think it disappears if you don't)?

To check if your plugins are loaded in the right order, enter this in a terminal (and insert your active plugins' names in the order they are loaded in gconf, separated by space not by comma): compiz --replace *insert_your_plugins_here*
You can cancel with <Ctrl+C>. If something does not work it will output an error message about what is wrong ...

And if the tray-icon keeps crashing, simply use this little shell-script, save it as /usr/bin/go-compiz (as root) and add it to the session's startup programs - it's simple but it works:#!/bin/sh
compiz --replace gconf &
gtk-window-decorator --replace &

:)

[darkmaster]

To test if hw-acceleration works you can simply open a terminal, enter "top" and start dragging around the window. If the CPU-usage goes high, you most likely have no hw-accel ... (I bet there is some better method for that, but it is a good indicator) ...

I did it, 23% of CPU usage, so it is accelerated as much as it looks like.

he problem with the session-manager is strange. Did you check "Save session on logout" (can be labeled different because I translated it from german) on the first tab? And did you "Enable" the compiz-tray-icon after adding it (I think it disappears if you don't)?

Yes I do but you don't have to enable it, it is autoenabled. You can disable it after you add a new program to autostart :=)

o check if your plugins are loaded in the right order, enter this in a terminal (and insert your active plugins' names in the order they are loaded in gconf, separated by space not by comma):
Code:
compiz --replace *insert_your_plugins_here*

What I write in the terminal, using standard metacity (In fact I guess I had to close compiz before doing that, right?) is:

compiz --replace gconf decoration annotate clone showdesktop wobbly animation fade cube scale screenshot move place resize switcher rotate zoom water neg trailfocus

The border of all windows disappears, the sistems freezez except for the mouse. I press ctrl+c and the answer in the terminal is:

libGL warning: 3D driver claims to not support visual 0x4b

After that, there's no border in any window. I have to activate the gldesktop from the tray icon and then the borders finally appears! When I send that command with a sudo, the system completly crashes and I have to turn the PC off manually.... what the heck is that??


You can cancel with <Ctrl+C>. If something does not work it will output an error message about what is wrong ...

When the system crashes there's no way to hel it. Even rpessing ctrl+c....

[/quote]And if the tray-icon keeps crashing, simply use this little shell-script, save it as /usr/bin/go-compiz (as root) and add it to the session's startup programs - it's simple but it works:
Code:
#!/bin/sh
compiz --replace gconf &
gtk-window-decorator --replace &


I allready found this solution somewhere... used it, the system freezes at startup with no desktop or window decorator, I have to run an emergency version of something else than metacity... for example, I had to run beryl to change the settings from the autostarting apps!!! Running beryl to save a system is really the top of riculousity I guess :___)

[RYX]

Try adding this to the "Screen"-section in your xorg.conf:Option "DisableGLXRootClipping" "True"


If you run compiz from the console, try running it without the gconf-plugin like this:compiz --replace decoration annotate clone showdesktop wobbly animation fade cube scale screenshot move place resize switcher rotate zoom water neg trailfocus

If the system freezes (which it doesn't really), try entering "killall compiz". That should bring back the input ...

:)

[mikedee]

If the system freezes (which it doesn't really), try entering "killall compiz". That should bring back the input ...

You can also press Ctrl + Alt + F1 and then type this

export DISPLAY=:0
metacity --replace &

Then press Ctrl + Alt + F7 and you should be back with metacity.

Some graphics cards/drivers do not like this so you may get a mangled screen when switching back.

[darkmaster]

Hi, I inserted in xorg the line you told me to insert. I don't know how that should get my system better but at least, 'till now, nothing got worse :)

Second, I used the code you told me to insert, the system hangs in there for minutes and when I press ctrl + c the error message given to me is that:

libGL warning: 3D driver claims to not support visual 0x4b
*********************************WARN_ONCE******** *************************
File radeon_mm.c function radeon_mm_alloc line 216
Ran out of GART memory!
Please consider adjusting GARTSize option.
************************************************** *************************


What is GART memory, what can I do? And I cannot insert anything in command line, such as killal compiz, if the system is hanging, you know :) Also, if I press the classic commang with F1 to exit from X, the system freezes and then restarts itself. Bye,

Luca

[darkmaster]

Hi, I looked in the internet for the Gart Memory problem and found a sort of solution. I inserted the line

Option "GARTSize" "64"

Into XOrg, in the Screen session. Now the GART Memory advise appears no more but the command to run Compiz plugins still doesn't work. So I'm allways without water and so on. At least my system doesn't freeze anymore. The problem reguarding:libGL warning: 3D driver claims to not support visual 0x4b

still occurs but I've seen in other posts around the net that it is an ATI driver bug wich will be resolved in the next MESA release. Any further help???? Not a single idea?

[RYX]

Looks like most of your questions have been answered. :)

Concerning the plugins, check if you have all plugins enabled in gconf. Open gconf-editor, go to /apps/compiz/general/allscreens/options/active_plugins and check if all plugins are listed there. If not (or if the order is wrong), add the ones that are missing.

If you launch compiz with the usual commandline but without adding the "gconf"-plugin as argument, you will definetly see all plugins (or a message about wrong order). If you load gconf-plugin, it overrides your commandline setting.

:)

[darkmaster]

If you launch compiz with the usual commandline but without adding the "gconf"-plugin as argument, you will definetly see all plugins (or a message about wrong order). If you load gconf-plugin, it overrides your commandline setting.

Well, no. If I try to run it from a command line the result is the same. It hangs on forever and when I press ctrl+c it complains about:

libGL warning: 3D driver claims to not support visual 0x4b

And I have to reload compiz because the borders of the windows are just disappeared. Nothing to do about it. I looked in the internet, looks like water and other are not working because the damned OS ATI driver still doesn't support a lot of features of my card. So, I just have to wait untill they release a new driver... and untill ubuntu puts it in the repositoryes. If you find somebody else with the same problem, be sure to make him know all of this :(

Thanks for trying to help me aniway :)