(KDE) Fullscreen applications flickering with effects ON

[Giovanni Masucci]

Binary package hint: kwin

Desktop effects are ON by default in kde4 since 4.2 and in kubuntu since intrepid with kde 4.1.
This means that they have to work with the rest of the desktop, without giving, too many headaches, at least on supported cards. This is IMHO not the case (yet).
The issue I'll mention here happens with EVERY APPLICATION in fullscreen mode, under kde4 (for example gwenview presentation mode, konqueror fullscreen mode and so on) Basically, when using a fullscreen app, the screen flickers as a mad and makes the experience really unpolished and bad. In some cases, with some video cards (like my intel gma 950), this brings to crashes (okular presentation mode).
Basically, kwin unredirects fullscreen windows to improve the performance, but the side effects of this are way bigger than benefits.
How to resolve the problem:

- open with your favourite editor this configuration file: .kde/share/config/kwinrc

-under [Compositing] section add:
UnredirectFullscreen=false

- If you have no [Compositing] section create it, on the top of the config file, and then add the option under it.

- save and exit

- Press ALT+F2 to open krunner, then write into it:
kwin --replace

- No flickering/crashes anymore! ;)

I think this should go in jaunty as default!

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

This bug was fixed in the package kubuntu-default-settings - 1:9.04.8

---------------
kubuntu-default-settings (1:9.04.8) jaunty; urgency=low

  * Fixed kwinrc, disabling UnredirectFullscreen:
    - Closes LP: #327199

 -- Anthony Mercatante <email address hidden> Mon, 09 Feb 2009 17:15:45 +0100

[Giovanni Masucci (gio-grifis)]

Thank you :)