Integrated VIA S3 KM400 and Desktop Effects

[Aleksandar_M]

Hello,

I have ubuntu, so I am interested for compiz fusion. Can I enable it ? Did anyone try it on this video card? UnichromeVIA driver or Openchrome driver is better?

[Metaleks]

I don't think you can run Desktop Effects on that video card. Sorry!

Here is a similar thread. To summarize, it would seem that the VGA adapter doesn't support per-pixel shading, which is needed for Desktop Effects.

(ps, on a completely unrelated note: we share the same name Aleksandar! Even the first letter of your last name, lol.)

[Forlong]

You won't be able to get Compiz to work on a via chip atm -- in fact, the openchrome driver might kill your X server if you try -- but via announced they will be going open source with their drivers, so you might be able to use it in the future.

[klange]

Here is a similar thread. To summarize, it would seem that the VGA adapter doesn't support per-pixel shading, which is needed for Desktop Effects.

Per-pixel shading is not needed. None of the drivers out there for the various VIA chipsets properly support GLX_TEXTURE_FROM_PIXMAP, and so will not work. Hopefully this will get added in to VIA's own drivers...

[Metaleks]

Per-pixel shading is no one needed.

My apologies for misinterpreting the thread I linked to.

[ShodanjoDM]

You still can get beautiful effects like transparency and drop shadows with VIA cards, although without 3D effects. Just install:

sudo aptitude install xcompmgr

after that:

man xcompmgr

for the settings.

[Forlong]

xcompmgr is pretty much obsolete since Hardy.
Just run this command in a terminal to enable the compositing manager integrated in GNOME:

gconftool-2 -s -t bool /apps/metacity/general/compositing_manager true

[techgs]

ITS NOT TRUE. YOU CAN ENABLE DESKTOP EFFECTS WITHOUT ANY ISSUE. ONLY THING YOUR REQUIRE SOME MANUAL TWEAKING.

CURRENTLY I AM USING 3D EFFECT WITH A SMALL GLITCH THAT MY CURSOR IS ONE BOX AND AM NOT ABLE TO CHANGE IT. THE CURSOR IS ACTUALLY A SMALL BOX CONSISTING IMAGE OF MY CURRENT DESKTOP.

I AM USING UBUNTU 8.04 + 512 MB RAM [SHARED 64 MB FOR VGA ]

DRIVER IS VIA CX700 and CN700 Linux Graphics Drivers For Ubuntu8.04 LTS

Version 5.73.21.83-40692 Release, 30th April 2008

Installation and Uninstallation
===============================
1. How to Install/Uninstall the via Linux Driver

1.1 to uncompress the via driver package

tar zxvf ./via-unichrome.83.40692.tar.gz

1.2 to install the driver

cd ./via-unichrome.83.40692

sudo ./vinstall

1.3 to uninstall the driver

cd ./via-unichrome.83.40692
sudo ./unvinstall

2. How to enable 3D desktop effects / Compiz after VIA driver has been installed

2.1 edit the compiz script file

sudo vi /usr/bin/compiz

2.2 find the line

WHITELIST="nvidia intel ati radeon i810"

2.3 add “via” to the list to make it

WHITELIST="nvidia intel ati radeon i810 via"

Save the file.
Restart the system.

Even the cursor disappers do not get fainted. [ For silly reason it disappers - reason unable to find. ] Infact you will find that even if you do not see the cursor, still you can access Menu and enable the desktop effect System--->Preference --->Appearance -- in the last tab [ Visual Effect ]you enable the maximum effect.

Voilla...

The you can do Advanced desktop effect setting from Setting-->Preference.

In fact i am running awn and every thing I tried and it worked beutifully including 3d cube. I never imagined.

Good luck....

[Forlong]

That's great to hear, techgs!

Could you do me a favour and post your output of this: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=799070
I would really appreciate it. Thanks in advance.