FC3T2 and XComposite

[Alexander Volovics]

Anybody tried out the xcomposite extensions under xorg-x11-6.8.1 yet?
I would like to experiment but do not quite understand what is needed.

I tried adding an entry 'Section "Extensions"' to xorg.conf but
this only resulted in windows with green borders and slow/shaky 
X performance.

Do you need some sort of 'compositor' like xcompmgr or is there
some 'stealth' tool in FC3T2 to manage the extensions?

Alexander

[Lars G]

Alexander Volovics wrote:

>  Anybody tried out the xcomposite extensions under xorg-x11-6.8.1
> yet?
>  I would like to experiment but do not quite understand what is needed.
>  
>  I tried adding an entry 'Section "Extensions"' to xorg.conf but
>  this only resulted in windows with green borders and slow/shaky
>  X performance.
>  
>  Do you need some sort of 'compositor' like xcompmgr or is there
>  some 'stealth' tool in FC3T2 to manage the extensions?
>  
>  Alexander
>  
>   
hi
im running it with the xcompmgr and it's working great with nvidia
hw acceleration.

in /etc/X11/xorg.conf i had to add:

Section "Extensions"
 Option "Composite" "Enable"
EndSection

and in the nvidia device section of the same file:

Option       "RenderAccel" "on"


after restarting X one needs the xcompmgr
get it with:
cvs -d :pserver:[e-mail]:/cvs/xapps login
cvs -d :pserver:[e-mail]:/cvs/xapps co xcompmgr

make it, and start it with "xcompmgr -c -f -F" when X is running.
now you should get nice eye candy, 
like dropshadows and that great fading effect.
:)

i guess other graphic cards work with this too, but i dont know
how good their hw accelerated render extensions are.
minor thing that doesn't work here are opengl windows.
they have bad overlays and tend to crash the xcompmgr.
but nvidia said that they are working to refine the hw extensions
in their driver.


hope this helps
lars

[Alexander Volovics]

On Thu, Sep 23, 2004 at 06:10:36PM +0200, Lars wrote:
 
>  > Anybody tried out the xcomposite extensions under xorg-x11-6.8.1
> yet? 
>  im running it with the xcompmgr and it's working great with
> nvidia
>  hw acceleration. 
Thanks for the comprehensive reply. I was already planning on downloading
xcompmgr. But you are using the rendering facilities of the nvidia driver
too I see.

Do you know if you actually need the nvidia driver with "RenderAccel" ?
Will it not work with the xorg-x11 'nv' driver? Do you need the fast
hardware rendering for the effects?

Alexander

[Lars G]

>  Do you know if you actually need the nvidia driver with
> "RenderAccel" ?
>  Will it not work with the xorg-x11 'nv' driver? Do you need the fast
>  hardware rendering for the effects? 
haven't tried the nv driver, but with nvidia driver and no renderAccel the
display gets too slow to be usable.
so yes, i think one needs good hardware acceleration of the render extension
to have a nice and fast display.

cheers
lars

[Jef Spaleta]

On Thu, 23 Sep 2004 18:10:36 +0200, Lars <terraformers(a)gmx.net&gt; wrote:

If nvidia and composite is working for you. Can you add comments to 
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=133679


-jef

[Dwaine Garden]

Jeff Spaleta wrote:

> On Thu, 23 Sep 2004 18:10:36 +0200, Lars <terraformers(a)gmx.net&gt;
> wrote:
>
> If nvidia and composite is working for you. Can you add comments to 
> https://bugzilla.redhat.com/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=133679
>
>
> -jef
>
>
>   
>  
Works fine for myself.  I updated the bug report with the log file from 
xorg.


Dwaine.

[Andrew Farris]

On Mon, 2004-09-27 at 21:37 -0400, Dwaine Garden wrote:
>  Jeff Spaleta wrote:
>  
>  >On Thu, 23 Sep 2004 18:10:36 +0200, Lars <terraformers(a)gmx.net&gt; wrote:
>  >
>  >If nvidia and composite is working for you. Can you add comments to 
>  >https://bugzilla.redhat.com/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=133679
>  >
>  >
>  >-jef
>  >
>  >
>  >  
>  >
>  Works fine for myself.  I updated the bug report with the log file from 
>  xorg.
>  
>  
>  Dwaine.
>   
Also working for me and I will post.  I am using the Livna.org nvidia-
glx package, but since the kernel module is not available for the FC3t2
kernel (and I didn't want to rebuild the package yet while testing) I
just installed nodeps (the module was the only problem).

The Livna.org script nvidia-config-display does not recognize the
Section Extensions as valid for the xorg.conf, I presume because
ixf86config has a bug and that needs to be added as valid syntax.
Anyway, it will remove that section from the config or complain and
fail. (I'll file this somewhere when I decide where, its not really the
Livna packages problem afaict.

Composition is working nicely with Gnome and XFCE4.  I use this setup:
xcompmgr -c -C -f -F -o 1.0 -I 0.08 &
(the -I switch fixes the menus being extremely slow responding, faster
fade in time, the -C switch fixes several apps having issues.. gkrellm
for example has several window areas that shadow incorrectly)
-- Andrew

[Dwaine Garden]

Also working for me and I will post. I am using the Livna.org nvidia-

> glx package, but since the kernel module is not available for the
> FC3t2
> kernel (and I didn't want to rebuild the package yet while testing) I
> just installed nodeps (the module was the only problem).
>
> The Livna.org script nvidia-config-display does not recognize the
> Section Extensions as valid for the xorg.conf, I presume because
> ixf86config has a bug and that needs to be added as valid syntax.
> Anyway, it will remove that section from the config or complain and
> fail. (I'll file this somewhere when I decide where, its not really the
> Livna packages problem afaict.
>
> Composition is working nicely with Gnome and XFCE4.  I use this setup:
> xcompmgr -c -C -f -F -o 1.0 -I 0.08 &
> (the -I switch fixes the menus being extremely slow responding, faster
> fade in time, the -C switch fixes several apps having issues.. gkrellm
> for example has several window areas that shadow incorrectly)
> -- Andrew
>
>   
>  
Ummm.... how come my version of xcompmgr does not have the same 
availabile parameters?
This is what I get......

usage: xcompmgr [-d display] [-n] [-s] [-c] [-a]

[Alexander Volovics]

On Tue, Sep 28, 2004 at 12:31:12PM -0700, Andrew Farris wrote:

>  > >If nvidia and composite is working for you. Can you add
> comments to 
>  > >https://bugzilla.redhat.com/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=133679 
>  > Works fine for myself.  I updated the bug report with the log
> file from 
>  > xorg. 
 
>  Also working for me and I will post. 
Nvidia and Xcomposite NOT working for me and I will post to bugzilla
later. 

This is on a Dell i8100 with the GeForce 2 GO card and xcompmgr from cvs.

First of all the contortions to get nvidia running:
revert to the 2.6.8-1.541 kernel, modprobe nvidia, and the complaint 
from the nvidia-installer about 'rivafb' contained in kernel (???) with
possible resulting instability due to 2 drivers being loaded. 

Under gnome starting xcompmgr shows almost no effects, independent
ot the xcompmgr setup used. The only consistent 'effect' is a green
border around windows. xcompmgr -n causes a corruption of the the
top blue bar on windows (default gnome theme). 

Whatever the measly effects produced the overal result is constant
freezes and great instability. Opening menus from the redhat icon
consitently produces freezes necessitating a battery removal to
shutdown.

Alexander

[Harald Hoyer]

Alexander Volovics wrote:
>  
>  Nvidia and Xcomposite NOT working for me and I will post to bugzilla
>  later.  
Do not do that! Neither the Xcomposite tool nor the Nvidia driver are 
from us.

>  
>  This is on a Dell i8100 with the GeForce 2 GO card and xcompmgr from cvs.
>  
>  First of all the contortions to get nvidia running:
>  revert to the 2.6.8-1.541 kernel, modprobe nvidia, and the complaint 
>  from the nvidia-installer about 'rivafb' contained in kernel (???) with
>  possible resulting instability due to 2 drivers being loaded.  
And? Blame Nvidia.

>  
>  Under gnome starting xcompmgr shows almost no effects, independent
>  ot the xcompmgr setup used. The only consistent 'effect' is a green
>  border around windows. xcompmgr -n causes a corruption of the the
>  top blue bar on windows (default gnome theme). 
>  
>  Whatever the measly effects produced the overal result is constant
>  freezes and great instability. Opening menus from the redhat icon
>  consitently produces freezes necessitating a battery removal to
>  shutdown.
>  
>  Alexander
>   
Worksforme...
Which driver version of nvidia do you have?

[Alexander Volovics]

On Wed, Sep 29, 2004 at 12:27:34PM +0200, Harald Hoyer wrote:

>  Alexander Volovics wrote: 
>  >Nvidia and Xcomposite NOT working for me and I will post to
> bugzilla 
 
>  Do not do that! Neither the Xcomposite tool nor the Nvidia driver are
>
>  from us. 
I was not going to complain on bugzilla about nvidia bugs, just 'reacting'
to Jeff Spaleta's earlier post. 

>  >First of all the contortions to get nvidia running...... 
 
>  And? Blame Nvidia. 
I do. I don't even use the nvidia driver. The nv driver is good
enough for me but I wanted to try out the Xcomposite extensions
in xorg-x11 and they certainly do not work with the nv driver,
so I had to install the nvidia driver.

>  >Under gnome starting xcompmgr shows almost no effects, ...
>  Worksforme...
>  Which driver version of nvidia do you have? 
The latest, from NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-6111-pkg1.run 

Alexander

[Jef Spaleta]

On Wed, 29 Sep 2004 12:51:45 +0200, Alexander Volovics <awol(a)home.nl&gt; wrote:
>  I was not going to complain on bugzilla about nvidia bugs, just
> 'reacting'
>  to Jeff Spaleta's earlier post. 
I specifically asked poster who do have it working to comment on how
to get it working.
I certaintly did not ask for someone who doesn't have it working to
comment in the report.

Let me be clear. Reports about nvidia driver related problems are
probably never going to be seriously look at by a red hat developer
nor any community developer who doesn't have an nda signed with
nvidia.  Continuing to comment about problems specific to the nvidia
driver in redhat's bugzilla is futile.

The reason i specifically asked for someone who does have it working
to comment on the bug report is so that the bugreport could be used as
a marker to instruct people on how to get it working, becuase
inevitably 99% of all nvidia problems that get commented on either in
the mailinglist or in bugzilla are user error in configuration. So the
idea is to populate that  one bugreport with usable configuration
instructions for people to follow, and then mark the 7000 other
nvidia/xcomposite bugs that will be filed as duplicates of that one
bug report.

-jef

[Alexander Volovics]

On Wed, Sep 29, 2004 at 09:33:33AM -0400, Jeff Spaleta wrote:

>  On Wed, 29 Sep 2004 12:51:45 +0200, Alexander Volovics
> <awol(a)home.nl&gt; wrote: 
>  > I was not going to complain on bugzilla about nvidia bugs, just
> 'reacting'
>  > to Jeff Spaleta's earlier post.
>  
>  I specifically asked poster who do have it working to comment on how
>  to get it working.
>  I certaintly did not ask for someone who doesn't have it working to
>  comment in the report. 
Firstly I suspected something like this, but I wanted to show that
even with the 'correct' installs and configuration it could still
fail.
Actually trying xcomposite now in FC3T2 might fail more often
than not because FC3 is in development, we do not have a nvidia driver
for FC3 and the 2.6.8/2.6.9 kernels and maybe xcomposite itself is
not robust enough.

Secondly I had already seen Mike Harris's addition to 
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=133679
and was going to bugzilla it 'upstream'.
Though even this might be premature because FC3 is in development
and we do not have an adequate nvidia driver.

Thirdly it remains rather curious that we get xorg-x11 extensions
that can only be seen or used with a 'closed source' driver.

Alexander

[Jef Spaleta]

On Wed, 29 Sep 2004 17:05:28 +0200, Alexander Volovics <awol(a)home.nl&gt; wrote:
>  Thirdly it remains rather curious that we get xorg-x11 extensions
>  that can only be seen or used with a 'closed source' driver. 
pretty sure xcomposite is still considered experimental, so its not
curious at all really if there has been no effort to optimize how it
works in a way that doesn't require hardware acceleration to be
useful. But hey if you want to feed your head with conspiracy
theories, be my guess.

-jef"the geese on the lawn are planning to steal my spleen, but i'm
ready for them, they'll never get me"spaleta

[Brian Anderson]

I have the same problem with NVIDIA 6111 driver and a GForce4 440  Go on 
a Dell Latittude 8400. Same symptoms: green border around windows and 
great instability.  It seems to be directly realted to the Compsite 
extension since the minute I turn this off, the green border disappears 
and the instability disappears-even with RenderAccel on.  I wonder if it 
a problem with the GForce Go chips?

I understand that this isn't a Fedora or Xorg problem.  Just wanted to 
let others know my experience with trying the composite extensions.

   __o
 _-\<,_   Brian
(_)/ (_)  bikehead(a)amberpoint.com  x503



Alexander Volovics wrote:

> On Tue, Sep 28, 2004 at 12:31:12PM -0700, Andrew Farris wrote:
>
>   
>
> >>>If nvidia and composite is working for you. Can you add comments to 
> >>>https://bugzilla.redhat.com/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=133679
> >>>        
> >>>
>
>   
>
> >>Works fine for myself.  I updated the bug report with the log file from 
> >>xorg.
> >>      
> >>
>  
>   
>
> >Also working for me and I will post.
> >    
> >
>
> Nvidia and Xcomposite NOT working for me and I will post to bugzilla
> later. 
>
> This is on a Dell i8100 with the GeForce 2 GO card and xcompmgr from cvs.
>
> First of all the contortions to get nvidia running:
> revert to the 2.6.8-1.541 kernel, modprobe nvidia, and the complaint 
> from the nvidia-installer about 'rivafb' contained in kernel (???) with
> possible resulting instability due to 2 drivers being loaded. 
>
> Under gnome starting xcompmgr shows almost no effects, independent
> ot the xcompmgr setup used. The only consistent 'effect' is a green
> border around windows. xcompmgr -n causes a corruption of the the
> top blue bar on windows (default gnome theme). 
>
> Whatever the measly effects produced the overal result is constant
> freezes and great instability. Opening menus from the redhat icon
> consitently produces freezes necessitating a battery removal to
> shutdown.
>
> Alexander
>
>   
>