Can't do Compiz: "The Composite extension is not available"

[Stuart P. Bentley]

I'm on a brand new install of Ubuntu with the lastest nVidia proprietary drivers (185) installed and a multi-monitor xorg.conf created with the "NVIDIA X Server Settings" app. When I try to enable desktop effects, I get the error message in the thread title, and when I try to start Compiz manually I get something along these lines:


stuart@stutwo:~$ compiz --help
Checking for Xgl: not present.
xset q doesn't reveal the location of the log file. Using fallback /var/log/Xorg.0.log
Detected PCI ID for VGA:
Checking for texture_from_pixmap: present.
Checking for non power of two support: present.
Checking for Composite extension: not present.
aborting and using fallback: /usr/bin/metacity


Here's the output from compiz-check and my xorg.conf:


stuart@stutwo:~$ cd Downloads/
stuart@stutwo:~/Downloads$ ./compiz-check

Gathering information about your system...

Distribution: Ubuntu 9.10
Desktop environment: GNOME
Graphics chip: nVidia Corporation G80 [GeForce 8800 GTS] (rev a2)
Driver in use: nvidia
Rendering method: Nvidia

Checking if it's possible to run Compiz on your system...

Checking for texture_from_pixmap... [ OK ]
Checking for non power of two support... [ OK ]
Checking for composite extension... [FAIL]
Checking for FBConfig... [ OK ]
Checking for hardware/setup problems...Xlib: extension "RANDR" missing on display ":0.0".
[ OK ]



stuart@stutwo:~/Downloads$ cat /etc/X11/xorg.conf
# nvidia-settings: X configuration file generated by nvidia-settings
# nvidia-settings: version 1.0 (buildd@crested) Sun Feb 1 20:25:37 UTC 2009

Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "Default Layout"
Screen 0 "Screen0" 1280 0
Screen 1 "Screen1" 0 50
InputDevice "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
InputDevice "Mouse0" "CorePointer"
EndSection

Section "Module"
Load "glx"
EndSection

Section "ServerFlags"
Option "Xinerama" "1"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
# generated from default
Identifier "Keyboard0"
Driver "kbd"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
# generated from default
Identifier "Mouse0"
Driver "mouse"
Option "Protocol" "auto"
Option "Device" "/dev/psaux"
Option "Emulate3Buttons" "no"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Monitor0"
VendorName "Unknown"
ModelName "Gateway HD2201"
HorizSync 24.0 - 83.0
VertRefresh 48.0 - 76.0
Option "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Monitor1"
VendorName "Unknown"
ModelName "HP L1706"
HorizSync 30.0 - 83.0
VertRefresh 50.0 - 76.0
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "Configured Video Device"
Driver "nvidia"
Option "NoLogo" "True"
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "Device0"
Driver "nvidia"
VendorName "NVIDIA Corporation"
BoardName "GeForce 8800 GTS"
BusID "PCI:2:0:0"
Screen 0
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "Device1"
Driver "nvidia"
VendorName "NVIDIA Corporation"
BoardName "GeForce 8800 GTS"
BusID "PCI:2:0:0"
Screen 1
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Configured Screen Device"
Device "Configured Video Device"
Monitor "Monitor0"
DefaultDepth 24
SubSection "Display"
Virtual 2960 1100
EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen0"
Device "Device0"
Monitor "Monitor0"
DefaultDepth 24
Option "TwinView" "0"
Option "metamodes" "DFP: nvidia-auto-select +0+0"
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen1"
Device "Device1"
Monitor "Monitor1"
DefaultDepth 24
Option "TwinView" "0"
Option "metamodes" "CRT: nvidia-auto-select +0+0"
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "Extensions"
Option "Composite" "1"
EndSection



I added those last 3 lines manually after reading some posts on this subject (they didn't help).

[konqueror7]

try,

sudo nvidia-xconfig --add-argb-glx-visuals

[Stuart P. Bentley]

try,

sudo nvidia-xconfig --add-argb-glx-visuals

Nope, extension still not available.

[konqueror7]

have you removed other drivers before installing the nvidia one? because mainly this is the problem,,,

anyway, this is the way i usually install mine,

sudo apt-get install linux-headers-`uname -r` build-essential gcc xserver-xorg-dev

sudo apt-get --purge remove nvidia-glx nvidia-settings nvidia-kernel-common

sudo /etc/init.d/gdm stop

sudo sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86-190.53-pkg1.run

sudo nvidia-xconfig --add-argb-glx-visuals

sudo /etc/init.d/gdm start

[Stuart P. Bentley]

It's to do with Xinerama and multiple monitors (see https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/compiz/+bug/231697). I'm going to switch to TwinView.

[konqueror7]

It's to do with Xinerama and multiple monitors (see https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/compiz/+bug/231697). I'm going to switch to TwinView.

oh, a bug,,,good luck then...sorry for not being much help...;)