Compiz, nvidia glx stuff and getting it all to work [SOLVED]

[bag]

OK, so I've been playing around and trying to get this thing working for some time now - and have surfed what seems like a zillion forum questions and wiki pages... Still not able to solve it myself, so I need some help.

I have recently installed Gentoo on my PC, with KDE running on an MSI Nvidia 7600 GS card in it.

So I upgraded to the Nvidia driver and it works without hassles. Now I want to get compiz working. I know that Compiz should work directly on top of the Nvidia driver without too much hassle but I'm running into problems. I've completed an emerge world which went surprisingly well - almost (!) without a hitch.

I have followed the following wiki how-to's.

http://gentoo-wiki.com/Compiz
http://wiki.gentoo-xeffects.org/Compiz

Although the second one contradicts the first in the name it suggests to use as the window manager in KDE in the file /etc/env.d/99kde-env. I currently have it set to compiz-nvidia

I have also followed these wikis:

http://wiki.gentoo-xeffects.org/NVidia
http://gentoo-wiki.com/HOWTO_nVidia_GL_Desktop_Effects

Although the second one gives the impression that if there is no section titled "extensions" in the xorg.conf file then you shouldn't add it. There wasn't, but I did - since there's a contradiction in the first wiki says to go do it anyway...

I've done:

[Dan]

from kde type compiz-nvidia in the console and post the output

you need
Option "AddARGBGLXVisuals" "true"
Option "AllowGLXWithComposite" "true"
in your device section
and
Section "Extensions"
Option "Composite" "Enable"
EndSection

and xcomposite in make.conf and emerge -uDN world
_________________
- Failure is not an option. It's bundled with your software.

[bag]

Reply is simple enough...

[Dan]

did you emerge compiz ?
you would have compiz-nvidia if you did.

[bag]

dcoats...

Many thanks for your help so far...

OK, I've done some stuff - but I'm a little confused about something in your first post.

What I've done...

As I said in the last post, I've typed compiz-nvidia and get "command not found"

I've added all the options you mentioned into the xorg.conf - no problems. Although, I don't understand about the last bit - xcomposite in make.conf ...

What does that mean? I need to add it to make.conf? Where abouts? Which section does it go into?

typing

[Dan]

In make.conf's "USE" section

[bag]

Many thanks for that... will check it out later when I get home. Hopefully it will work.

I'll keep you informed.

Mark.

[bag]

hmmmm.... interesting...

OK, updated the USE flags. Done.

emerged eix and run the command:

[Dan]

ok comment out the line in /etc/env.d/99kde-env
##KDEWM=compiz-start

env-update and restart xdm, you need to get gdm and kde working correctly 1st.
post back your issues without starting compiz at all
_________________
- Failure is not an option. It's bundled with your software.

[bag]

OK, so now it gets fun.

I've commented out the line in 99kde-env and booted back through. It still has the same problem...!

I didn't used to have this - so I presume that something I've done in the last day has caused this...

So let me explain the current problems.

Firstly, on booting, I still have the same X server issues. Exactly the same as reported previously (cut here for info).

[Dan]

emerge beryl and replace compiz-start with beryl-manager

:p
_________________
- Failure is not an option. It's bundled with your software.

[bag]

Well, I'd rather not, if i can get away with it... the reason I wanted to go with Compiz first was mostly to do with stability... From all the postings I see, my understanding is that whilst both Beryl and Compiz are very much bleeding edge, Compiz is slightly more stable at the moment.

Let me explain where I am now.

I ran:

[Dan]

For me beryl runs better than compiz and besides that beryl-manager will allow you to switch between compiz and beryl easily anyway, so if you run beryl and have compiz installed you get both.

Which nvidia drivers are you running?
use 9746 if you aren't already.
Are you using xeffects overlay stuff or packages from gentoo portage? I recommend the portage packages.
_________________
- Failure is not an option. It's bundled with your software.

[bag]

OK, didn't understand that with Beryl I could have the best of both worlds... I will try that tonight then.

For info - had a thought after the last post. I'm convinced that X is working, KDE is working and that Compiz at least starts working - even if it doesn't completely work.

Then had an idea that it might be something to do with the order in which the effects are loaded in gconf.

I had followed the order list from this page:

http://gentoo-wiki.com/Compiz

However, on closer inspection, whilst it says that it's very important that the effects get loaded in the right order, there are actually three different lists or orders of effects on the same page - and guess what? Yep, they are ALL different...!

List one is in the section titled "Configuration". List two is in the section "Alternate: Using gconftool-2" and list three is in the section "Plugins Loading Order"

So if order of loading is important to ensure stability then it's quite possible that whatever configuration or order that I have at the moment is wrong. I presume that this could possibly lead to the clash of effects and lock-up that I experience once all the windows are minimized etc...

Where would I find a correct order listing? Any ideas?

[Dan]

mine are
[gconf,decoration,wobbly,fade,minimize,cube,switcher,move,resize,place,rotate,zoom,scale]
unmask beryl in portage and install 0.1.4
_________________
- Failure is not an option. It's bundled with your software.

[bag]

Thanks for that - I'll verify against my list when I get home...

and then try the Beryl.

Other questions not answered from your previous post...

I'm using the latest nVidia drivers from the Portage tree - whatever they are. I don't think I'm using overlays... I just emerged in Portage...

[Dan]

check your nvidia-driver version with

[bag]

nVidia driver is: 9746

Although I have a quick question for you... Having now followed several different contradictory wiki how-to's in trying to get Compiz working, is there anything that I have done that will get in the way of Beryl or cause complications?

Is there anything I need to / should undo first?

[Dan]

Have you edited anything other than /etc/env.d/99kde-env ?
Basically thats all there is you packages installed and adding what you want started automatically to env.
xorg.conf will be the same and work the same for beryl/compiz/kwin whatever, if you have it correct.
_________________
- Failure is not an option. It's bundled with your software.

[bag]

Yes, I've added a script to: /usr/local/bin/compiz-decorator

from the http://gentoo-wiki.com/Compiz wiki

I've also added this script: /usr/kde/3.5/env/start_dbus_session_bus.sh

from the http://wiki.gentoo-xeffects.org/Compiz wiki

and I've added two options to Section "Device" in the xorg.conf file and another whole (small) section called "Extensions".

[Dan]

All should be fine, No you don't need anything in /etc/env.d/99kde-env unless you want to start beryl or compiz at boot. so wait until you get it working to add anything there.
this should get you started.
Add to /etc/portage/package.keywords
#Beryl Core
x11-wm/beryl
x11-wm/beryl-core
x11-plugins/beryl-plugins
x11-plugins/beryl-dbus
x11-misc/beryl-manager
x11-misc/beryl-settings
x11-apps/xlsclients

#Window Decorators
x11-wm/emerald
x11-misc/emerald-themes
x11-themes/emerald-themes
x11-wm/heliodor

[bag]

Thanks. Just a quick question though - by not putting specific versions in the package.keywords file, am I not really telling the machine that it can install any (latest) version of Beryl and its components without any check or balance on maintaining system stability etc? Won't it now always install the latest file, regardless of whether it's considered stable enough for the portage tree?

I've tried emerging Aquamarine but no luck - apparently no ebuilds.

So then, I ran Beryl from the command line - and still got some of the same issues. Got more whiz-bang features, had a cube to rotate, wobbly windows, all sorts of stuff - but when windows were minimised, they were lost... Couldn't reopen/maximise at all. Double-clicking on some icons opened the program in the task bar - but not on the screen/desktop. Mouse pointer did a disappearing act very regularly, and only returned when I left-clicked. In addition, some graphics were a bit blocky and left artifacts following mouse trails etc...

I've had Compiz working before on a version of Gentoo that I then later broke so bad I needed to reinstall... so I know what it should look like... but last time, it was just a whole lot smoother, that's all...

Any other thoughts? Does this sound like something that can be fixed? Hope so.

[Dan]

post your /var/log/xorg.0.log and your xorg.conf , I'll give it one more shot at helping you work this out.
_________________
- Failure is not an option. It's bundled with your software.

[bag]

Thank you. You're a star - and a very patient one at that...!

Many many thanks for your help so far - I know it might seem that we're not really advancing but I think that in reality, we are... Each thing narrows down the list of things it could be...!! I think we'll get there...

Xorg.conf file looks like this:

[Dan]

Save your xorg.conf somewhere and try this