[SOLVED] Compiz/3D not working in MGA3

[dkeith]

uname -r: 3.8.13.4-desktop-1.mga3

Video driver: NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-319.60.run (from NVidia website)

Video Card:
Vendor: ‎NVIDIA Corporation
Description: ‎GK107 [GeForce GT 640 OEM]

After going into MCC and setting the 3D settings to 'Compiz Fusion', I log out, then log back in, and am presented with a KDE crash handler dialog with the following info in the developer info tab:

Code: Select all

Application: Compiz KDE event loop plugin (compiz), signal: Segmentation fault
Using host libthread_db library "/lib64/libthread_db.so.1".
[Current thread is 1 (Thread 0x7f8705f0a780 (LWP 31149))]

Thread 2 (Thread 0x7f8701c87700 (LWP 31150)):
#0  0x00007f8705276d9d in poll () from /lib64/libc.so.6
#1  0x00007f87038d29a4 in g_main_context_iterate.isra.24 () from /lib64/libglib-2.0.so.0
#2  0x00007f87038d2ac4 in g_main_context_iteration () from /lib64/libglib-2.0.so.0
#3  0x00007f87038d2b11 in glib_worker_main () from /lib64/libglib-2.0.so.0
#4  0x00007f87038f6235 in g_thread_proxy () from /lib64/libglib-2.0.so.0
#5  0x00007f8704f7cd18 in start_thread () from /lib64/libpthread.so.0
#6  0x00007f87052807cd in clone () from /lib64/libc.so.6
#7  0x0000000000000000 in ?? ()

Thread 1 (Thread 0x7f8705f0a780 (LWP 31149)):
[KCrash Handler]
#5  0x00007f8703dd09e9 in Glib::Source::dispatch_vfunc(_GSource*, int (*)(void*), void*) () from /lib64/libglibmm-2.4.so.1
#6  0x00007f87038d26d5 in g_main_context_dispatch () from /lib64/libglib-2.0.so.0
#7  0x00007f87038d2a08 in g_main_context_iterate.isra.24 () from /lib64/libglib-2.0.so.0
#8  0x00007f87038d2e02 in g_main_loop_run () from /lib64/libglib-2.0.so.0
#9  0x000000000040212b in main ()


I get logged in to 2D mode, with no title bars on application windows etc. Once I switch back to 2D mode in MCC and log out/log back in, I'm good in 2D mode.

[doktor5000]

You shouldn't use compiz with KDE, better use the desktop effects integrated into KDE, those are nearly the same as compiz. systemsettings -> desktop effects, which are already enabled by default.
Also you shouldn't use the driver directly from Nvidia, better use the one from the repos: https://wiki.mageia.org/en/Setup_the_graphical_server

[dkeith]

You shouldn't use compiz with KDE,

Does Compiz work with GDM? I have no problem with KDE, in fact I prefer it. But I like nice effects like mousing over icons that I have pinned to the taskbar and having any open instances pop up in a display. I went into the KDE systemsettings and did a lot of customizations, but it's not nearly the same.

I'll try the graphics driver that you recommend. Does it support the advanced effects like the instance pop ups described above?

Thanks.

[jiml8]

I use compiz with KDE and the Nvidia driver from the Nvidia website in Mageia 3 64 bit. Works almost totallly flawlessly.

I gave the built-in KDE effects a long trial during the time I used Mageia 2 because of bugs in compiz, and I really, really don't like a lot of the things that the KDE effects do, and I had a very difficult time getting the mouse pointer to respond reliably the way I wanted it to work. I found the built in KDE effects to be very annoying. So, when I found the bugs in compiz fixed with Mageia 3, I switched back.

To the OP; you should look in /var/log/Xorg.0.log for errors during the startup of the video system. You might have a misconfiguration in your video driver. Also, there are some compiz options that cause problems when enabled. I suggest you play with the settings in CCSM particularly on the utility/workarounds page.

Also, by all means, deploy and use the Compiz Fusion Icon in your system tray. Very helpful to have that in place.

[jiml8]

Oh, one other thing. There are many mageia updates that will hose the video driver from the Nvidia site and disable hardware and OpenGL acceleration. For your symptoms, I would start by reinstalling the Nvidia driver, which will cause things to be put back the way the driver wants them, in the event that a Mageia update changed it.

[dkeith]

Also you shouldn't use the driver directly from Nvidia, better use the one from the repos: https://wiki.mageia.org/en/Setup_the_graphical_server

Well, I did remove and reinstall the nouveau driver. Which promptly hosed X altogether. Using lynx I was able to find an old post on this forum that advised to use the nouveau video card driver. So I went into drakconf/display, and changed the video card driver to Xorg/Nouveau. That brought X back. Now I have 2 identical screens and no way (that I have been able to find yet) to create one (1) extended display across the two monitors. I looked for the Xinerama checkbox but couldn't find it.

Can anyone tell me how to setup up an extended display with nouveau as my video card driver/setup? Still running kde4.

Jim -

What you are doing is exactly what I want to do/tried to do. But I probably fell victim to one of the symptoms that you describe, i.e. installing an update broke everything else. Do you have a roadmap to get back to a working NVidia driver w/compiz?

Thanks all.

[jiml8]

Blacklist Nouveau, shut down X, and recompile/reinstall the Nvidia driver.

[dkeith]

I blacklisted nouveau, put 'nokms' after all grub lines, recompiled NVidia 319.60. I am now back to being able to login in 2D mode... KDE4. Only now in MCC Boot/Display Manager, the only choices I have are LXDM or XDM. If I use XDM I get a very dull login screen, and when I enter my credentials the screen goes black, then it comes back to the XDM login screen. I changed to LXDM using drakdm; there is no KDE option to select.

When I log in using LXDM, it successfully logs me in to the KDE desktop. But when I turn on Compiz Fusion I get the same 'ol segfault/kde crash handler dialog, and again, no titlebars on any windows etc.

What else to do?

Thanks.

[jiml8]

In ccsm:

Turn on window decorations
Enable KDE compatibility
Turn off crash handler
Turn off D-Bus
Turn off KDE/Qt Event loop
Turn of gnome compatibility.
Turn on Workarounds.

In ccsm Workarounds, set what you need, but you will need Force complete redraw on initial damage, AIGLX Fragment Parameter Fix, Fix screen updates in XGL with fglrx.

In KDE settings, Configure Desktop Effects, Advanced, set compositing types to xrender.

[dkeith]

Thanks Jim! That definitely got me farther down the road. Have other issues, but at least now I can use Compiz. Now if I can only remember what panel theme/package/interface it was that had that 'live panel' effect, similar to Unity in Ubuntu.

Thanks again.