gtk-window-decorator broken on Debian sid amd64

[simbab]

I self-compiled compiz-0.3.4 and compiz-extras-0.3.4 for my Debian sid amd64 machine with an Intel i965 graphics adapter on AIGLX (X.Org 7.1). Compiz 0.2.2 from the Debian FTP archive works wonderfully with some patched Mesa packages. However, while Compiz 0.3.4 will start with some of the patches from Debian compiz applied...the gtk-window-decorator starts but does nothing; my windows have no decoration. No output from gtk-window-decorator, it just starts and does nothing. Any ideas as to what might be the issue?

Update: gtk-window-decorator doesn't do nothing, rather it doesn't actually add decoration, e.g. titlebars. It does give me window management, e.g. I can focus windows and press Alt+F2 to run things...and I have shadows on my window borders, but that's it. No titlebars. Also, this happens on my i386 (Intel 855GM) laptop.

[nodens]

I used to have the same problem (actually the borders where there, but not visible...), until I installed the correct gconf schema for the latest gtk-windows-decorator.

Try to install the gwd.schema.in found in the gtk/windows-decorator directory :


gconftool-2 --install-schema-file=gtk/window-decorator/gwd.schemas.in

[mikedee]

Also check you have these lines in your xorg.conf (I think they work for intel too, they cant harm you though)

Option "DisableGLXRootClipping" "True"
Option "AddARGBGLXVisuals" "True"

Make sure that the decoration plugin is loaded in gconf and that you are actually starting compiz with gconf at the end.

Do windows wobble if you press alt and then move them? If you cannot even move windows then there is a problem with gconf. I had this once where the active_plugins was set to empty (or very few plugins). You shouldnt need to reinstall the schemas as a 'make install' will do that for you.

There is an option in decoration which means you do not have to run gtk-window-decorator separatly.

/apps/compiz/plugins/decoration/allscreens/options/command

If you set this to "gtk-window-decorator --replace" then you will not need to manually start gtk-window-decorator.

Also check that you do not have any stray old binaries anywhere. Check /usr/bin and /usr/local/bin.

[simbab]

Installing the gwd.schemas file did the trick.

Thanks so much!

As for the xorg.conf lines, are they necessary and/or beneficial? My 855GM and G965 chips work very well without them, and in fact Compiz 0.3.4 seems significantly faster and smoother than 0.2.2, especially on the 855GM.

[mikedee]

As for the xorg.conf lines, are they necessary and/or beneficial? My 855GM and G965 chips work very well without them, and in fact Compiz 0.3.4 seems significantly faster and smoother than 0.2.2, especially on the 855GM.

No they are not necessary, I think they are just for nVidia but they are responsible for no window decorations sometimes.

Unfortunatly we are lacking in feedback as to what works and what doesnt, thanks for your feedback it helps us to prepare a faq for simple problems like this. If you do not mind, could you post your full working startup line so that we can use that for an intel howto? On my laptop I need to add the GLIB_ALWAYS_REDIRECT line or it crashed every time, it seems like it was easier for you.

Also you might want to check that you configured everything properly, if you do not have all the headers installed then sometimes it works but does not compile gtkwd properly. If you re-run the configure line, check that the lest few lines look something like this, if you have no next to gtk then that might be the reason the schemas were not properly installed.

the following optional plugins will be compiled:
gconf: yes
place: yes
dbus: yes
annotate: yes

and the following optional features will be compiled:
svg: no
gtk: yes
metacity: yes
gnome: yes
kde: no

[simbab]

If you mean the compiz command line, I use the wrapper script that came with the Debian packages and run 'compiz --replace' in my GNOME session startup. Nothing special. I can post my xorg.conf or an XML dump from GConf of /apps/compiz if you think it would help.

I had gtk: yes, at least I thought, and it installed the window decorator binary, just not the schema. Dunno if the build system has some issue or what.

The new Intel G965 hardware needs updated Mesa packages with several patches, at least in Debian. Fedora has all the fixes if you apply all the updates to FC6, or so I'm told. I snarfed at least one i965-related patch from the FC6 SRPMs for Mesa.

It's well worth it if you have this hardware. It's super smooth and fast.

[mikedee]

Would you mind posting the wrapper script, it may come in useful as a starting point for a generic startup script that can be shipped with compiz.

Thanks :)

[simbab]

This isn't mine, it was the work of (I assume) the Debian maintainer for Compiz. It is available here: http://www.oakcourt.dyndns.org/~andrew/compiz.sh

It ships in the Debian packages for Compiz.

[mikedee]

Thanks... Its a start :)