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Eonfge
May 3rd, 2010, 02:16 PM
Hello everybody,

Iīm relatively new to Ubuntu and although I am very aducuate with computers it self (technology studie; modding, scripting and programming) I found a truly atrocious bug that ****s up Gnome (I assume).

Here is a screenshot:
http://img689.imageshack.us/img689/4342/blackscreenmenubug.png

The install is from one month ago, and since then i upgrades to 10.04. I never did any unusual stuff as far as I know. I added a few private repositoryś (playdeb, Virtualbox and some PPAīs) and configurated Compiz so itīs good to impress my class mates. This all is installed on a HP Pavilion DV6 with a Ati Graphics card and proprietary drivers.

Hopefully itīs some very simple thing that you can spell out for me cause Iīm not in a great deal of time fixing this ****. Considering I nead this PC for school: it must work. Booting in windows would be a sign of weakness towards my classmates and itīs no good advertising for linux in general.

Please help me if you can, and forgive me if I didnīt search good enough, but google and launchpad didnīt help.

nerdy_kid
May 3rd, 2010, 05:27 PM
are you running compiz? try turning off desktop effects (right click desktop bottom entry, then last tab in the dialog that pops up). what graphics card are you using?

Eonfge
May 3rd, 2010, 06:45 PM
He, thanks for the attention,

I have an Ati Mobile HD 4650. I will try to turn off compiz, Iīm not sure if it helps though and even if it does, I want to use compiz for quick, easy and nice window management. Itīs one of the best thing Linux has to offer.

Edit:

I have made a new profile, turned compiz to default and then reconfigured it. I will tell you tomorrow how it works out, but I am sceptical. The bug occurred very often, mostly when changing screens while browsing/typing and watching video. So if there is someone who had this as well, or who knows whatīs going on, please tell.

nerdy_kid
May 4th, 2010, 12:43 AM
you dont really have to create a new account, but i suppose it doesnt matter :)

yeah ive heard of simalar issues with ati cards, a line added to your xorg file fixes it.

are you using the restricted drivers?

Eonfge
May 4th, 2010, 08:15 AM
This all is installed on a HP Pavilion DV6 with a Ati Graphics card and proprietary drivers.

restricted/proprietary, I use the official drivers from Ati.

Could you tell me what I should add to the Xorg files? Resetting all compiz settings is no problem, but it's not likely to make any difference.

nerdy_kid
May 4th, 2010, 12:44 PM
restricted/proprietary, I use the official drivers from Ati.

Could you tell me what I should add to the Xorg files? Resetting all compiz settings is no problem, but it's not likely to make any difference.

oh wow cant believe i didnt see that sorry :-/

no first please run


metacity --replace

in a terminal. I have to go digging for what line to add in the xorg file and need to know if turning off compiz fixes it first.

Eonfge
May 5th, 2010, 08:26 AM
He, i've done it and far Two things have changed:
First off. My screenlets appeared back on screen (tomboy/dead flower). When i started up, I saw black shapes (like the bug) appear but then the screenlets disappeared again. Now they are back and running accordingly.

All compiz settings are changed to default. They now override my fency configurations. I assume this was intended but I assume that it's restores it self when I close the session.

denham2010
May 5th, 2010, 10:34 AM
If you are using a default install of compiz, it seems likely that emerald (the compiz window decorator) is crashing, hence why you get everything back when starting metacity.

The 'flash' effect you get on start up would likely be compiz starting, trying to run emerald, which then crashes, and then metacity starts and takes over.

If you go into CCSM, you can change the default decorator to metacity and prevent the 'flash' effect on startup.

Of course, you could also open a terminal and enter

emerald --replace
to see if emerald really is the problem.

Cheers.

Eonfge
May 5th, 2010, 11:34 AM
He,

I've been looking to metacity / compiz and I also followed your advice to that emerald might be crashing.

Problem is, when i did --replace it told me that it was not installed. I installed it with apt-get and when I run it, it changes the windows manager as well. Becouse the change went flawless, and even more so, I didn't have it at first, Emerald doesn't seem the be the problem.

i also figured out how to turn on compiz, in 'appearence' I had to set it to full effects