No desktop effects and no "True Color" color depth

[FriedChicken]

Binary package hint: xserver-xorg-video-intel

As soon as Plymouth starts the color depth is set to a low value (I guess 8 bit). This persists when kdm starts and also after logging in into KDE.

Being logged in I can enable KDE desktop effects but all modules and transparency are disabled which in fact is the same as if desktop effects were disabled.

I don't know if that worked in Natty some time before but I'm sure Maverick didn't have this problem.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.04
Package: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.14.0-1ubuntu6
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.38-1.28-generic 2.6.38-rc2
Uname: Linux 2.6.38-1-generic i686
Architecture: i386
CompisitorRunning: kwin
CompizPlugins: No value set for `/apps/compiz-1/general/screen0/options/active_plugins'
DRM.card0.LVDS.1:
 status: connected
 enabled: enabled
 dpms: On
 modes: 1024x600
 edid-base64: AP///////wAOFMQEAAAAACgSAQOAFw54ClB1klhWkicfUFQAAAABAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBlBEAsEBYGSAwIDYA3oIAAAAZAAAADwAAAAAAAAAAACBuBQ8AAAAA/gBDUFQgICAgICAgICAgAAAA/gBDTEFBMTAyTkEwQSAgAEk=
DRM.card0.VGA.1:
 status: disconnected
 enabled: disabled
 dpms: Off
 modes:
 edid-base64:
Date: Sun Feb 6 01:46:27 2011
DistUpgraded: Fresh install
DistroCodename: natty
DistroVariant: ubuntu
GconfCompiz:

GdmLog: Not present
GdmLog1: Not present
GdmLog2: Not present
GraphicsCard:
 Subsystem: Samsung Electronics Co Ltd Device [144d:ca00]
   Subsystem: Samsung Electronics Co Ltd Device [144d:ca00]
InstallationMedia: Kubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" - Alpha i386 (20101202)
MachineType: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD. NC10
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=de_DE
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 LANG=de_DE.utf8
 LC_MESSAGES=de_DE.utf8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.38-1-generic root=UUID=552167ed-25d5-4815-a24a-24bb546ee19a ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
Renderer: Hardware acceleration
SourcePackage: xserver-xorg-video-intel
dmi.bios.date: 09/08/2009
dmi.bios.vendor: Phoenix Technologies Ltd.
dmi.bios.version: 11CA.M015.20090908.RHU
dmi.board.name: NC10
dmi.board.vendor: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
dmi.board.version: Not Applicable
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: None
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
dmi.chassis.version: No Asset Tag
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnPhoenixTechnologiesLtd.:bvr11CA.M015.20090908.RHU:bd09/08/2009:svnSAMSUNGELECTRONICSCO.,LTD.:pnNC10:pvrNotApplicable:rvnSAMSUNGELECTRONICSCO.,LTD.:rnNC10:rvrNotApplicable:cvnSAMSUNGELECTRONICSCO.,LTD.:ct10:cvrNoAssetTag:
dmi.product.name: NC10
dmi.product.version: Not Applicable
dmi.sys.vendor: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
version.compiz: compiz N/A
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.23-1ubuntu3
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 7.10-1ubuntu1
version.xserver-xorg: xserver-xorg 1:7.6~3ubuntu3
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:6.13.2+git20110124.fadee040-0ubuntu4
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.14.0-1ubuntu6
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:0.0.16+git20110107+b795ca6e-0ubuntu4

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

If the issue happens before X is even loaded, then that means it's not an X bug.

It sounds like plymouth (or perhaps grub or something else in the plumbing layer) put the GPU into a bad state, and so when eventually X came up, it couldn't fire up 3D on it, thus no effects.

You might try booting earlier alphas of natty to see if you can bracket when it started.

[FriedChicken (domlyons)]

On a recent installation this problem doesn't exist anymore.