Open radeon drivers have weird flickering with compiz

[ownaginatious]

So I'm not actually an Ubuntu user (Arch user here... arch forums are dead -.-), but I figure this issue is generic enough that general linux knowledge from anyone should be useful.

Anyway, I recently switched back to the open radeon driver after kernel 3.2 basically killed all ability to suspend/resume properly with the closed catalyst driver.

Everything seems to be working pretty much fine except rotate-cube or workspace-switching with compiz. For some reason during the workspace transition, or when rotating the cube, the screen starts to flicker in bands laterally and generally in the middle of the screen.

Anyone know how to fix this? I tried to enable 'EVAXSync' or whatever that option was called in the xorg.conf, and it seemed to only have minimal effect.

Here is a video I recorded of the effect:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8xqvdCqs5s

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[ajgreeny]

You don't mention what card you have, only that it is ATI.

I had similar, but not exactly the same problems in a previous install of Ubuntu and overcame it to a degree by running at 16 bit colour instead of 24 bit, which improved things enormously.

Try the following as your xorg.conf to see if it helps, but backup your current version, just in case.

# xorg.conf (X.Org X Window System server configuration file)
#
# This file was generated by dexconf, the Debian X Configuration tool, using
# values from the debconf database.
#
# Edit this file with caution, and see the xorg.conf manual page.
# (Type "man xorg.conf" at the shell prompt.)
#
# This file is automatically updated on xserver-xorg package upgrades *only*
# if it has not been modified since the last upgrade of the xserver-xorg
# package.
#
# Note that some configuration settings that could be done previously
# in this file, now are automatically configured by the server and settings
# here are ignored.
#
# If you have edited this file but would like it to be automatically updated
# again, run the following command:
#   sudo dpkg-reconfigure -phigh xserver-xorg

 Section "Device"
    Option        "EnableDepthMoves"    "True"
    Option        "EnablePageFlip"    "True"
    Option        "DMAForXv"        "True"
    Option        "AccelDFS"        "True"
    Option        "ColorTiling"        "True"
    Option        "RenderAccel"        "True"
    Option        "VGAAccess"        "True"
    Option        "AccelMethod"        "UXA"
    Option        "DRI"            "True"
    Option        "MigrationHeuristics"    "greedy"
    Option        "TripleBuffer"        "True"
    Option        "EXAOptimizeMigration"  "true"
    Option        "EXANoComposite"    "No"
    Option        "BackingStore"        "true"
    Option        "AGPMode"        "8"
    Identifier    "Configured Video Device"
    Driver        "radeon"
    VendorName    "ATI Technologies Inc"
    BoardName     "RV280 AP [Radeon 9200 PRO]"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
    Identifier    "Configured Monitor"
            HorizSync    30-80
            VertRefresh    50-75
EndSection

Section "Module"
    Load  "dri2"
    Load  "dri"
    Load  "dbe"
    Load  "extmod"
    Load  "glx"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
    Identifier    "Default Screen"
    Monitor        "Configured Monitor"
    Device        "Configured Video Device"
    DefaultDepth    16
    SubSection "Display"
        Modes        "1280x1024" "1280x960" "1152x864" "1024x768" "832x624" "800x600" "720x400" "640x480"
    EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "Extensions"
    Option "RENDER" "Enable"
    Option "Composite" "True"
    Option "XVideo" "Enable"
    Option "XINERAMA" "False"
EndSection

Section "DRI"
    Mode        0666
EndSection

Edit or comment out any lines in red above that need to be changed for your system, and if it does not work just restore your own xorg.conf.

Good luck!

[ownaginatious]

Thanks for the response! I forgot to mention, the card I am using is that Radeon HD 6310.

I'll try looking into this when I get home from work.

[cbanakis]

I have what appears to be the EXACT same problem, except I am using Intel Graphics 3000.

I think the problem is probably with Compiz, or with 11.10.

Using the exact same hardware running 11.04, everything was perfect.

My issue started the second I upgraded.

My Thread...
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.p...7#post11676787

It seems to only happen when I switch desktops.
In your video, it looks like the same is true for you.

I too would like to figure out the issue, its pretty irritating how the screen flickers.

[cbanakis]

If I switch between desktops with no windows open, the problem does not exist.

It seems that the problem, is that when you switch to a new desktop, whatever was open on the previous desktop flashes on the screen for a split second.

Does that sound like the same problem your having?


Does anyone have any ideas on a fix, or workaround for this?

[rrinjapan]

I have a similar but perhaps a little different problem. When someone else in my family signs into their user it more or less flashes each time the mouse moves ... It has come up before but I can't remember how it was fixed last time.