compiz startup and xrendr and dual monitors

[alphaace]

Hi Everyone,

I'm trying to check if I can run compiz on this computer and am not sure.

In order to get the dual monitor setup, I had to use Xrandr. My card, as identified by Hardware info, is Radeon X600 PCIE RV380. However, whenever I tried to start the ATI catalyst control center it would fail to initialize. There was a post on the forum regarding this card and dual monitors. After some playing with xconf.org I was able to get the dual screen monitor by setting up a virtual screen in xconf and sticking an xrandr executable file in xinit.d.

Everything seems to be more or less working but when I got to PCC, there's no enable 3d effects. I have checked enable 3d translucency under the video card options.

Any suggestions? Can i even use it on my video card? Perhaps, on a related note, when I try to set the Euphoria screensaver, it just comes out blank...

Thanks!

[menotu]

If you open Synaptic and select the Custom button and select Tasks - that'll switch to task(s) packages,

The top one should be task-3ddesktop - if it's not do a search and install that. May need to restart your desktop.  It should then be in PCC > Hardware

Hope that helps.

[alphaace]

That fixed that. Now I'm told my system does not support 3d desktop effects. I guess the video card isn't good enough? Does this explain why the screensavers don't show?

[menotu]

I guess the video card isn't good enough

Possibly.  Have you tried the native KDE Desktop Effects?  That may be a little less resource heavy.

Does this explain why the screensavers don't show?

Do you mean you can't see them in

Configure Your Desktop >> Hardware >> Display & Monitor > Screen Saver

or that you can and they don't work?

I don't have any screensavers set so I'm not sure which (if any) use 3D.

Sorry I can't be of more help.

[alphaace]

Not quite sure what you mean by the "Native KDE effects"??

As for the screensavers, it means I can select them but just a gray screen appears when I click the test button. Reading around the internet, it seems like the proprietary drivers aren't so good but the xorg ones are. However, I think the only xorg drivers that we have in synaptic (and thus the ones that appear under the "select driver" in PCC), correspond to the x1600 and such not to mine.. although I can be totally off on that. Any ideas?

Thanks!

[menotu]

Not quite sure what you mean by the "Native KDE effects"??

Sorry - the "native" effects used in KDE4 is normally known as KWin.

Configure Your Desktop >> Workspace Appearance & Behaviour  >> Desktop Effects

Enable desktop effects  gives Compiz type effects on the desktop.

The All Effects tab lets you switch effects on/off.  For some cards that have a bit of trouble running 3D type effects it's often worth disabling most of the Effects (especially Blur ) and adding them back one/two at a time and seeing what happens.

[alphaace]

Hi,

It tells me something in my xorg file is preventing startup and that desktop effects are temporarily disabled??

Addendum: By switching the compositing type to xrender, I'm able to get some of the effects but not all. It seems that OpenGL is not working which would explain the screensaver. Below, I've posted a copy of my xconf.org file...anyone know why opengl is not working with this configuration?

# File generated by XFdrake (rev )

# **********************************************************************
# Refer to the xorg.conf man page for details about the format of
# this file.
# **********************************************************************

Section "ServerFlags"
    Option "DontZap" "False" # disable <Ctrl><Alt><BS> (server abort)
    #DontZoom # disable <Ctrl><Alt><KP_+>/<KP_-> (resolution switching)
    AllowMouseOpenFail # allows the server to start up even if the mouse does not work
EndSection

Section "Module"
    Load "dbe" # Double-Buffering Extension
    Load "v4l" # Video for Linux
    Load "extmod"
    Load "glx" # 3D layer
    Load "dri" # direct rendering
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
    Identifier "monitor1"
    VendorName "Plug'n Play"
    ModelName "DELL 1905FP"
    HorizSync 30-81
    VertRefresh 56-76
   
    # modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
    ModeLine "2048x768_120"  276.53  2048 2200 2424 2800  768 769 772 823  -HSync +Vsync
   
    # modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
    ModeLine "2048x768_100"  226.62  2048 2192 2416 2784  768 769 772 814  -HSync +Vsync
   
    # modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
    ModeLine "2048x768_85"  188.77  2048 2176 2400 2752  768 769 772 807  -HSync +Vsync
   
    # modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
    ModeLine "2048x768_75"  164.57  2048 2176 2392 2736  768 769 772 802  -HSync +Vsync
   
    # modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
    ModeLine "2048x768_60"  128.22  2048 2152 2368 2688  768 769 772 795  -HSync +Vsync
   
    # modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
    ModeLine "2048x768_50"  104.41  2048 2136 2344 2640  768 769 772 791  -HSync +Vsync
   
    # modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
    ModeLine "1360x768_120"  183.30  1360 1456 1608 1856  768 769 772 823  -HSync +Vsync
   
    # modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
    ModeLine "1360x768_100"  149.78  1360 1456 1600 1840  768 769 772 814  -HSync +Vsync
   
    # modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
    ModeLine "1360x768_85"  125.12  1360 1448 1592 1824  768 769 772 807  -HSync +Vsync
   
    # modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
    ModeLine "1360x768_75"  108.75  1360 1440 1584 1808  768 769 772 802  -HSync +Vsync
   
    # modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
    ModeLine "1360x768_60"  84.72  1360 1424 1568 1776  768 769 772 795  -HSync +Vsync
   
    # modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
    ModeLine "1360x768_50"  69.61  1360 1416 1560 1760  768 769 772 791  -HSync +Vsync
   
    # modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
    ModeLine "1280x600_120"  133.33  1280 1368 1504 1728  600 601 604 643  -HSync +Vsync
   
    # modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
    ModeLine "1280x600_100"  108.88  1280 1360 1496 1712  600 601 604 636  -HSync +Vsync
   
    # modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
    ModeLine "1280x600_85"  90.82  1280 1352 1488 1696  600 601 604 630  -HSync +Vsync
   
    # modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
    ModeLine "1280x600_75"  79.00  1280 1344 1480 1680  600 601 604 627  -HSync +Vsync
   
    # modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
    ModeLine "1280x600_60"  61.50  1280 1336 1464 1648  600 601 604 622  -HSync +Vsync
   
    # modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
    ModeLine "1280x600_50"  49.44  1280 1312 1440 1600  600 601 604 618  -HSync +Vsync
   
    # modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
    ModeLine "1024x600_120"  107.41  1024 1096 1208 1392  600 601 604 643  -HSync +Vsync
   
    # modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
    ModeLine "1024x600_100"  87.51  1024 1088 1200 1376  600 601 604 636  -HSync +Vsync
   
    # modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
    ModeLine "1024x600_85"  72.83  1024 1080 1192 1360  600 601 604 630  -HSync +Vsync
   
    # modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
    ModeLine "1024x600_75"  63.20  1024 1080 1184 1344  600 601 604 627  -HSync +Vsync
   
    # modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
    ModeLine "1024x600_60"  48.96  1024 1064 1168 1312  600 601 604 622  -HSync +Vsync
   
    # modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
    ModeLine "1024x600_50"  39.55  1024 1048 1152 1280  600 601 604 618  -HSync +Vsync
   
    # modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
    ModeLine "1024x480_120"  84.05  1024 1080 1192 1360  480 481 484 515  -HSync +Vsync
   
    # modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
    ModeLine "1024x480_100"  68.41  1024 1080 1184 1344  480 481 484 509  -HSync +Vsync
   
    # modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
    ModeLine "1024x480_85"  57.00  1024 1072 1176 1328  480 481 484 505  -HSync +Vsync
   
    # modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
    ModeLine "1024x480_75"  49.40  1024 1064 1168 1312  480 481 484 502  -HSync +Vsync
   
    # modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
    ModeLine "1024x480_60"  38.17  1024 1048 1152 1280  480 481 484 497  -HSync +Vsync
   
    # modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
    ModeLine "1024x480_50"  30.89  1024 1040 1136 1248  480 481 484 495  -HSync +Vsync
EndSection

Section "Device"
    Identifier "device1"
    VendorName "ATI Technologies Inc"
    BoardName "ATI Radeon X1950 and earlier"
    Driver "ati"
    Option "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
    Identifier "screen1"
    Device "device1"
    Monitor "monitor1"
    DefaultColorDepth 24
   
    Subsection "Display"
        Depth 8
        Modes "2048x768" "1360x768" "1280x600" "1024x600" "1024x480" "1280x1024"
   Virtual 2560 1024
    EndSubsection
   
    Subsection "Display"
        Depth 15
        Modes "2048x768" "1360x768" "1280x600" "1024x600" "1024x480" "1280x1024"
   Virtual 2560 1024
    EndSubsection
   
    Subsection "Display"
        Depth 16
        Modes "2048x768" "1360x768" "1280x600" "1024x600" "1024x480" "1280x1024"
   Virtual 2560 1024
    EndSubsection
   
    Subsection "Display"
        Depth 24
        Modes "2048x768" "1360x768" "1280x600" "1024x600" "1024x480" "1280x1024"
   Virtual 2560 1024
   EndSubsection
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
    Identifier "layout1"
    Screen "screen1"
EndSection