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View Full Version : Compiz + Open GL = Bad Graphics

Ttech
March 24th, 2008, 01:10 AM
I'm not sure but when I enable Compiz and try to use any graphics related thing, Google Earth, Wine, Music Virtualizations, Screens-aver, they end up choppy, and have random flashing of different icons and such. They also lag a lot and some times even crash the system. However, my main issue is the flashing, which only shows up when Compiz is enabled.
talsemgeest
March 24th, 2008, 01:52 AM
What graphics drivers are you using?
grossaffe
March 24th, 2008, 02:17 AM
What graphics drivers are you using?

yeah, what card/drivers are you using?
bhavi
March 24th, 2008, 03:36 AM
bump!
forrestcupp
March 24th, 2008, 09:51 AM
It's probably because you are using an ATI card with the proprietary drivers. It's a known issue that isn't going to be fixed any time soon. The devs say they would have to reprogram the whole structure to fix it, so it seems that they are just waiting on Xorg to fix it at that level.

Your only option is to either turn Compiz off whenever you do anything opengl, or buy an nvidia card.
Melcar
March 24th, 2008, 11:09 AM
It's probably because you are using an ATI card with the proprietary drivers...



It's not the drivers. It's how X handles Composition. Every card/driver does it, except for nvidia when configured correctly. DRI2 (when it comes out) will be addressing this issue.
forrestcupp
March 24th, 2008, 12:28 PM
It's not the drivers. It's how X handles Composition. Every card/driver does it, except for nvidia when configured correctly. DRI2 (when it comes out) will be addressing this issue.

That's basically what I was saying in different words. It is possible to have drivers that don't have that problem by including a hacked GLX. That's what nvidia did. ATI doesn't want to deal with it, so they're waiting on Xorg. We'll see how long that takes.

So for now, we either turn off Compiz, or go with nvidia, who did care enough to do something about it.
DJ_Peng
March 24th, 2008, 04:04 PM
Keep in mind that you may sufficient RAM/video RAM to be able to use some of these programs simultaneously. Google Earth will suck up a ton of resources all by itself due to the nature of the program, and some screensavers may need more RAM than you're throwing at it. I've never had weird icons or flashing but I know if I want to run GE I need to kill Compiz temporarily (same with SecondLife) and some of the screensavers jump on my system with under a gig of RAM and an older video card with maybe 128 MB of video RAM.