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**Telengard** · May 16, 2011, 12:13 PM

Re: Taskbar no longer transparent after upgrade to Lucid. Compositing disabled?

Originally posted by Snowhog

So you were using the NVidia proprietary driver before the upgrade. An xorg.conf file has to exist for NVidia to utilize. As the old one didn't work after the upgrade, let's take a look at it. Those here using NVidia cards will surely be able to see what's wrong and what needs to be done to get you back into business.

I'm not sure I understand what you're getting at. Something is driving my graphics card right now, but I don't know what it might be. Are you suggesting that compositing (same as transparency?) requires the proprietary nVidia driver?

Here's the xorg.conf (post upgrade) which I renamed to get X running. I currently have no xorg.conf file, so I presume X is configuring itself dynamically.

Attached Files

xorg.conf.post-upgrade.txt (2.2 KB, 89 views)

**dibl** · May 16, 2011, 12:20 PM

Re: Taskbar no longer transparent after upgrade to Lucid. Compositing disabled?

Your former xorg.conf file is remarkably similar to the one that is presently running a beautiful 1920x1200 display for me on my Debian system, with an Nvidia GTX480. Here's a little experiment for you to try. Change the last two stanzas to read like this (plus you can keep the metamodes line that you were using if you believe it is required):

Code:

Section "Device"
  Identifier   "Device0"
  Driver     "nvidia"
  VendorName   "NVIDIA Corporation"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
  Identifier   "Screen0"
  Device     "Device0"
  Monitor    "Monitor0"
  DefaultDepth  24
  SubSection   "Display"
    Depth    24
  Option	  "Coolbits" "1"
  Option "UseCompositeWrapper" "True" # Enables the X server's composite wrapper instead of the builtin one. 
  Option "BackingStore" "True" # Cache overlayed areas in case they get redisplayed later 
  Option "OnDemandVBlankInterrupts" "True" # only fire VBlank interrupts in modes where they are needed
  EndSubSection
EndSection

Then re-name it back to xorg.conf, Ctrl-Alt-F1 out of X, log in and

Code:

sudo service kdm stop

Code:

sudo service kdm start

and let's see what you get. If it's not better, you can go back to the status quo ante.

**Telengard** · May 16, 2011, 01:03 PM

Re: Taskbar no longer transparent after upgrade to Lucid. Compositing disabled?

Originally posted by dibl

First thing to try (at a tty console with kdm stopped) would be

Code:

sudo nvidia-xconfig

to let the driver write a new xorg.conf file. Then

Code:

sudo service kdm start

and see whether the new configuration will allow desktop effects with compositing.

Okay, dibl. I will do that. But if I'm going to attempt resurrecting the old NVidia drivers then wouldn't it be better to simply install the latest binary driver from NVidia.com?

Here's what I've done in response to your suggestion:

rebooted the system
at the login screen press Ctrl+Alt+F1 to bring up TTY1
cd /tmp
sudo service kdm stop
sudo nvidia-xconfig
sudo service kdm start

Here's the output from sudo nvidia-xconfig:

Code:

WARNING: Unable to locate/open X configuration file.

New X configuration file written to '/etc/X11/xorg.conf'

Here's the new xorg.conf written by nvidia-xconfig (* see attachment "xorg.conf_nvidia-xconfig.txt").

Here's the output from service kdm start:

Code:

kdm start/running, process 1948

After entering sudo service kdm start my display went blank for a second and then TTY2 appeared requesting a login. I pressed Ctrl+Alt+F7 and saw a completely blank/black screen with flashing cursor in the upper left corner.

So here I am again, stuck at the command prompt with no access to X, kdm, and GUI. My system doesn't seem to like the xorg.conf generated by nvidia-xconfig.

Attached Files

xorg.conf_nvidia-xconfig.txt (1.3 KB, 88 views)

**dibl** · May 16, 2011, 01:10 PM

Re: Taskbar no longer transparent after upgrade to Lucid. Compositing disabled?

Hmmm -- that's odd. Does the last part of the /var/log/Xorg.0.log file show any useful error messages?

**dibl** · May 16, 2011, 01:14 PM

Re: Taskbar no longer transparent after upgrade to Lucid. Compositing disabled?

@Telengard, at the console user prompt, what is the output of

Code:

glxinfo

?

**Telengard** · May 16, 2011, 01:34 PM

Re: Taskbar no longer transparent after upgrade to Lucid. Compositing disabled?

Originally posted by dibl

Your former xorg.conf file is remarkably similar to the one that is presently running a beautiful 1920x1200 display for me on my Debian system, with an Nvidia GTX480. Here's a little experiment for you to try. Change the last two stanzas to read like this (plus you can keep the metamodes line that you were using if you believe it is required):

^ Let's put this suggestion aside for now and stick to one line of interrogation at a time, shall we? We can come back to it later if needed.

Just to be perfectly clear, I am still working with the new xorg.conf as generated by nvidia-xconfig in reply #17.

Originally posted by dibl

Hmmm -- that's odd. Does the last part of the /var/log/Xorg.0.log file show any useful error messages?

Code:

$ tail Xorg.0.log

Fatal server error:
no screens found

Please consult the The X.Org Foundation support
     at [url]http://wiki.x.org[/url]
 for help.
Please also check the log file at "/var/log/Xorg.0.log" for additional information.

 ddxSigGiveUp: Closing log

$ awk 'tolower($0) ~ /warn|error|fail/ {print "line" NR ":" $0}' Xorg.0.log.txt
line15: (WW) warning, (EE) error, (NI) not implemented, (??) unknown.
line103:(EE) NVIDIA: Failed to load the NVIDIA kernel module. Please check your
line104:(EE) NVIDIA:   system's kernel log for additional error messages.
line107:(EE) Failed to load module "nvidia" (module-specific error, 0)
line110:Fatal server error:

(* see attachment "Xorg.0.log.txt")

Originally posted by dibl

@Telengard, at the console user prompt, what is the output of

Code:

glxinfo

?

Code:

$ cat log_glxinfo.txt
The program 'glxinfo' is currently not installed. You can install it by typing:
sudo apt-get install mesa-utils

I don't think that set of utilities is part of the NVidia binary driver.

Attached Files

Xorg.0.log.txt (4.8 KB, 57 views)

**dibl** · May 16, 2011, 01:59 PM

Re: Taskbar no longer transparent after upgrade to Lucid. Compositing disabled?

OK. And so, if you disable the xorg.conf file, and then start X, it provides a KDE desktop (with compositing issues)? I wonder if you are running the nouveau driver? While it is running in this mode, you could

Code:

lsmod

and review the loaded modules to see which one is providing video.

**Telengard** · May 16, 2011, 04:07 PM

Re: Taskbar no longer transparent after upgrade to Lucid. Compositing disabled?

Originally posted by dibl

OK. And so, if you disable the xorg.conf file, and then start X, it provides a KDE desktop (with compositing issues)?

Code:

$ #Still on TTY1, transcribed manually because I don't know any way to ta\
ke snapshots from a TTY XD
$ sudo rm /etc/X11/xorg.conf
$ startx


X.Org X Server 1.7.6
Release Date: 2010-03-17
X Protocol Version 11, Revision 0
Build Operating System: Linux 2.6.24-28-server x86_64 Ubuntu
Current Operating System: Linux *****-******* 2.6.32-31-generic #61-Ubuntu SMP \
Fri Apr 8 18:25:51 UTC 2011 x86_64
Kernel command line: root=UUID=e1ffd17c-9d09-486f-a223-1a4d527181b0 ro quiet sp\
lash
Build Date: 08 March 2011 08:22:34AM
xorg-server 2:1.7.6-2ubuntu7.6 (For technical support please see [url]http://www.ubu\[/url]
ntu.com/support)
Current version of pixman: 0.16.4
	Before reporting problems, check [url]http://wiki.x.org[/url]
	to make sure that you have the latest version.
Markers: (--) probed, (**) from config file, (==) default setting,
	(++) from command line, (!!) notice, (II) informational,
	(WW) warning, (EE) error, (NI) not implemented, (??) unknown.
(==) Log file: "/var/log/Xorg.0.log", Time: Mon May 16 16:55:05 2011
(==) Using config directory: "/usr/lib/X11/xorg.conf.d"
resize called 1920 1080
The XKEYBOARD keymap compiler (xkbcomp) reports:
> Warning:	Dupicate shape name ""
		Using last definition
[Telengard: above two lines repeated 13 more times]
> Warning:	Multiple doodads named ""
		Using first definition
[Telengard above two lines repeated 5 more times]
Errors from xcbcomp are not fatal to the X server

[Telengard: following is what appeared on TTY1 after I logged out from the desk\
top session spawned by "startx"]
waiting for Xserver to shut down ddxSigGiveUp: Closing log

(* see attachment "snapshot14.jpg")

I wonder if you are running the nouveau driver? While it is running in this mode, you could

Code:

lsmod

and review the loaded modules to see which one is providing video.

Code:

$ awk 'tolower($0) ~ /nouveau/ {print "line " NR ":" $0}' log_lsmod.txt
line 25:nouveau        515227 2
line 27:ttm          60847 1 nouveau
line 28:drm_kms_helper     30742 1 nouveau
line 32:drm          198916 4 nouveau,ttm,drm_kms_helper
line 33:i2c_algo_bit      6024 1 nouveau

(* see attachment "log_lsmod.txt")

:-/
I don't see anything in there like video, graphics, display, or vga.

Attached Files

log_lsmod.txt (1.9 KB, 105 views)

**Telengard** · May 16, 2011, 08:54 PM

Re: Taskbar no longer transparent after upgrade to Lucid. Compositing disabled?

Not knowing this problem was going to be so difficult to run down, my OP now looks woefully incomplete. So here's a quick rundown of the facts of this case so far, just to bring all the facts to light as best I can remember them.

I had a 64-bit Kubuntu 9.04 Jaunty system using NVidia's proprietary driver with working transparencies on the desktop.
I upgraded the system to 9.10 Karmic by through the update widget in the notification area of the taskbar (KPackageKit?).
X failed to start after the upgrade to 9.10 Karmic, so I renamed xorg.conf. This allowed X to dynamically auto-configure itself, and thus gave me a working GUI.
This is when I first saw that transparencies were not working.
The update notifier informed me that the upgrade to 10.04 Lucid was available and I accepted it.
Transparencies still aren't working, and I can't enable compositing in the desktop effects dialog.
Generating a new xorg.conf with the NVidia utilities causes X to fail again.
Removing the generated xorg.conf allows X to start again.

Originally posted by Xorg.0.log

(II) LoadModule: "nvidia"
(II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/drivers/nvidia_drv.so
(II) Module nvidia: vendor="NVIDIA Corporation"
compiled for 4.0.2, module version = 1.0.0
Module class: X.Org Video Driver
(EE) NVIDIA: Failed to load the NVIDIA kernel module. Please check your
(EE) NVIDIA: system's kernel log for additional error messages.
(II) UnloadModule: "nvidia"
(II) Unloading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/drivers/nvidia_drv.so
(EE) Failed to load module "nvidia" (module-specific error, 0)
(EE) No drivers available.

Fatal server error:
no screens found

Please consult the The X.Org Foundation support
at http://wiki.x.org
for help.
Please also check the log file at "/var/log/Xorg.0.log" for additional information.

ddxSigGiveUp: Closing log

It looks like the NVidia module has been broken ever since the upgrade from 9.04 Jaunty to 9.10 Karmic.

Unanswered questions:

Since I renamed xorg.conf, what is driving my graphics card now?
Why doesn't it allow transparencies or compositing on my system?
Is the NVidia proprietary driver required for transparencies/compositing on Kubuntu?

**dibl** · May 17, 2011, 07:22 AM

Re: Taskbar no longer transparent after upgrade to Lucid. Compositing disabled?

Originally posted by Telengard

Unanswered questions:

Since I renamed xorg.conf, what is driving my graphics card now?

I would suppose that the log at /var/log/Xorg.0.log would show the answer to this, after you log into KDM.

Why doesn't it allow transparencies or compositing on my system?

Apparently whatever driver you are using (nouveau? nv?) does not offer those capabilities.

Is the NVidia proprietary driver required for transparencies/compositing on Kubuntu?

I know for sure nouveau did not offer 3D, as of Kubuntu 10.10. In the 15 minutes I played with it, before I replaced it, I did not check about compositing. However, here's a recent article that suggests it is now providing 3D: http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?pag...3d_first&num=1

And here is the official feature status of nouveau, as of a week ago: http://nouveau.freedesktop.org/wiki/FeatureMatrix

**Telengard** · May 17, 2011, 01:28 PM

Re: Taskbar no longer transparent after upgrade to Lucid. Compositing disabled?

Originally posted by dibl

I would suppose that the log at /var/log/Xorg.0.log would show the answer to this, after you log into KDM.

[me=Telengard]checks it out[/me]

Code:

$ #From TTY1
$ sudo mv /etc/X11/xorg.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf.post-upgrade
$ sudo reboot

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Code:

$ #From inside a Konsole window
$ cp /var/log/Xorg.0.log ~/Desktop/Xorg.0.log.txt

I don't know what I'm looking for here. I see many modules loading and unloading. None of them look like the NVidia proprietary driver (as expected). I do see a lot of spam from something called NOUVEU. I trust you'll help me make some sense of it.

(* see attachment "Xorg.0.log.txt")

And here is the official feature status of nouveau, as of a week ago: http://nouveau.freedesktop.org/wiki/FeatureMatrix

[me=Telengard]reads[/me]

Attached Files

Xorg.0.log.txt (49.6 KB, 81 views)

**dibl** · May 17, 2011, 01:43 PM

Re: Taskbar no longer transparent after upgrade to Lucid. Compositing disabled?

Yep, the last part of the log tells the story -- your Nvidia card is being run with the nouveau driver. So, the effects that you don't see are the ones nouveau does not provide. :P

It is still a fact that Nvidia's proprietary blob provides the maximum performance from their GPUs. So, depending on the capabilities of your Nvidia card, if you want compositing you'll have to rip out nouveau and install the proprietary driver, since Canonical has seen fit to "provide" (aka "insert") the nouveau driver as of 10.04, and let you deal with it yourself.

I saw a reference to something called jockey-text that ostensibly will let you remove drivers -- I don't know that package. But, if you can get to the jockey-kde utility, and let it install a recent Nvidia driver, then you should be back to the nice desktop effects.

Or, you can do it the hard way: http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3107406.0

**Telengard** · May 17, 2011, 02:59 PM

Re: Taskbar no longer transparent after upgrade to Lucid. Compositing disabled?

Originally posted by dibl

And here is the official feature status of nouveau, as of a week ago: http://nouveau.freedesktop.org/wiki/FeatureMatrix

That page doesn't mention transparency, and only uses the word composite once.

Note2 : disable Composite on low-end cards for better XVideo performance.

I have no reason to believe that applies to my card, but who knows? Hmm ....

I grepped /var/log/kern.log for instances of nouveau since the last reboot.

(* see attachment "kern.log_nouveau-chatter.txt")

Originally posted by kern.log excerpt

May 17 09:57:58 *****-******* kernel: [ 13.646165] [drm] nouveau 0000:02:00.0: Detected an NV50 generation card (0x0a0180b1)

So apparently this nouveau thing considers my BFG Tech GeForce GTX 285 to be a NV50 family card. This looks like it might be the one:

NVA0 (GT200) | GeForce GTX (260, 275, 280, 285, 295)

Originally posted by dibl

Yep, the last part of the log tells the story -- your Nvidia card is being run with the nouveau driver. So, the effects that you don't see are the ones nouveau does not provide. :P

That's what I would have assumed, but I don't have much experience with these logs TBH. Thanks for your expert opinion

It is still a fact that Nvidia's proprietary blob provides the maximum performance from their GPUs. So, depending on the capabilities of your Nvidia card, if you want compositing you'll have to rip out nouveau and install the proprietary driver, since Canonical has seen fit to "provide" (aka "insert") the nouveau driver as of 10.04, and let you deal with it yourself.

Oh, wait. Is it really necessary to remove nouveau? Can't I just install the NVidia blob and let it configure xorg.conf?

I saw a reference to something called jockey-text that ostensibly will let you remove drivers -- I don't know that package. But, if you can get to the jockey-kde utility, and let it install a recent Nvidia driver, then you should be back to the nice desktop effects.

What trust an automated tool to alter my system? If I can do it myself I'd rather.

Or, you can do it the hard way: http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3107406.0

Will investigate that now

Attached Files

kern.log_nouveau-chatter.txt (5.3 KB, 56 views)

**Telengard** · May 17, 2011, 08:00 PM

Re: Taskbar no longer transparent after upgrade to Lucid. Compositing disabled?

[img width=400 height=225]http://img851.imageshack.us/img851/8640/snapshot17.png[/img]

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Hooray!

Some things I learned :

Nouveau sucks right now, but sometime in the near future it will be good for most desktop users.
NVidia's proprietary drivers are hard to beat.
There's a great deal of useful information in /var/log/Xorg.0.log
KDE 4 has gotten much better over the last few releases.
I need to spend more time living in KDE 4 to learn how to use it right.

Thank you very much, Snowhog and dibl

**Snowhog** · May 17, 2011, 09:17 PM

Re: Taskbar no longer transparent after upgrade [SOLVED: NVidia proprietary driver]

Glad you got it resolved. Yes, KDE4 has come a long way since its debut. Here, in 11.04, KDE 4.6.3 is very good.

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Taskbar no longer transparent after upgrade [SOLVED: NVidia proprietary driver]

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