enabled desktop effects window decoration

[John Haitas]

Binary package hint: desktop-effects

I have a nvidia Quadro FX-500... I am running image 2.6.19-6 and restricted-modules 2.6.19.3-1...

when i enable desktop effects all window decorations go away (ie: title bar, borders, etc...)

this has always been an issue with compiz and nvidia... perhaps we need to make the "Enable Desktop Effects" script more robust to deal with this...

until then desktop-effects can be considered broken for nvidia...

[Caspar Adriani (thecas)]

I can confirm this problem, I also have an Nvidia (5700 GO) and when enabling the effects the window manager does not work. Compiz however works fine (the switcher and cube do work).
When I try manually to run 'compiz --replace' and 'gtk-window-decorator --replace', compiz also works but gtk-window-decorator just does nothing. When try to run it through gdb (file gtk-window-decorator, start --replace) I don't get any useful output either.
Beryl did work with the same nvidia driver and xorg.conf on edgy.

[Freddy Martinez (freddymartinez9)]

there is a command to try, " compiz --replace dbus csm" which put borders on my computer (KDE though) and I run an nVidia 5200 Edgy. Please give me feedback.

[John Haitas (jhaitas)]

clearly this is a problem with the window decorator.... compiz needs to replace the default window decorator with one that is compatible with both compiz and nvidia...

if anyone knows anymore detailed information please speak up

[John Haitas (jhaitas)]

this thread at ubuntuforums.com resolves things

http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=308680&highlight=desktop-effects

this option needs to be added to the xorg.conf file for systems with an nvidia graphics card

Section "Screen"
Option "AddARGBGLXVisuals" "True"

the option is the important one that is not by default in the file...

can we have the installer for the 'desktop-effects' package do this automatically???

[John Haitas (jhaitas)]

this is what nvidia says regarding this option

Option "AddARGBGLXVisuals" "boolean"
Adds a 32-bit ARGB visual for each supported OpenGL configuration. This allows applications to use OpenGL to render with alpha transparency into 32-bit windows and pixmaps. This option requires the Composite extension. ENABLE AT YOUR OWN RISK. Some OpenGL applications may display incorrectly when this setting is enabled. Default: No visuals are added.

[Martin Pitt (pitti)]

Confirmed that enabling this option brings back decorations on a GeForce FX 5200.

[jbond00747 (jeff-cowart)]

I'm running a GeForce3 and I also have this problem. Adding the option to xorg.conf also fixes it for me.

[Travis Watkins (amaranth)]

Not a bug.

[Irios (irios)]

Just why is that not a bug? Just installed feisty beta, turned on destop 3D effects, and got the borderless windows. I have not yet tried manually adding the AddARGBGLXVisuals options, so I don't know whether it will work, but even if it does, it is a bug that it is not automatically added. What reason is there not to fix it?

[Travis Watkins (amaranth)]

The tool to enable the nvidia driver is System->Administration->Restricted Drivers Manager. It will add this option for you. If you enable the driver manually then you have to add this option manually too.

[Daniel Hollocher (chogydan)]

Hi, I am going to confirm all of the above. I have a 7300GS Nvidia card. I previously was running edgy, with easyubuntu installed nvidia drivers. After upgrading to Feisty, I had the troubles described here, title bar, and resize bars were greyed out.

In classic Windoze fashion, I disabled the driver (in the restricted drivers panel), restarted, re-enabled the driver, restarted, and now everything works!

So, I suspect this can be considered a problem with upgrading from edgy to feisty, for everyone who used programs like EasyUbuntu or Automatix.

[edschofield (schofield)]

Is anyone working on this? This problem is still present on Gutsy, and also affects Intel integrated graphics chipsets like the G965. The workarounds listed here unfortunately only address nVidia cards.

[Mathieu Alorent (kumy)]

I can confirm what edschofield said, i have no window decoration with Intel graphic chipset on Gusty Tribe 5.
it worked on the fresh install, but after updating it doesn't works anymore.

00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 945GM/GMS, 943/940GML Express Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 03)

[Mathieu Alorent (kumy)]

I had my window decoration active until found something about active plugins

If I activate "Normal Effects" I get no active plugins
$ gconftool --get /apps/compiz/general/allscreens/options/active_plugins
[]

I then activate "Extra effects"
$ gconftool --get /apps/compiz/general/allscreens/options/active_plugins
[ring,blur,wobbly]

I manually activate some modules..
gconftool --set /apps/compiz/general/allscreens/options/active_plugins -t string "[ccp,gconf,svg,png,decoration,crashhandler,annotate,screenshot,clone,showdesktop,move,place,resize,switcher,minimize,scale]"

And I get my window decoration, moveable window...

I think that "Normal effects" has an empty list and should be corrected
as if I enable "Extra Effects" again i lost my others activateed plugins..
$ gconftool --get /apps/compiz/general/allscreens/options/active_plugins
[ring,blur,wobbly]

[Laurynas Butkus (laurynas-butkus)]

I had window title bar problem in Gutsy with effects enabled after upgrade from Feisty.

Tried solution suggested by danielhollocher, it worked:
1. disable restricted nvidia drivers
2. restart
3. enable desktop effects (fetches new nvidia driver)
4. restart
5. enjoy :)

[Pierre-Luc Beaudoin (pierlux)]

In my case, upgrading from Feisty to Gutsy, I was simply missing the compiz-gnome package.

[Nanley Chery (nanoman)]

Do yo still have this problem?

[Mathieu Alorent (kumy)]

The problem seem corrected (for me)...

[Jan Pfeifer (pfjan)]

I still have the problem (no window decorations) on my updated gutsy x86_64, with NVIDIA GTX 8800 card -- 3d acceleration is working and i can even run some of the cedega games.

 Among other things, I tried the following describe on other pages in the internet:

- purging and reinstalling compiz & emeral packages
- using only compiz or emerald
- running gtk-window-decorator --replace manually: it doesn't crash, but it doesn't do anything either
- removing the NVIDIA driver and reinstalling it from the System/Administration/Restricted Driver Manager
- Checking for the "AddARGBVisuals" "AddARGBGLXVisuals" options, both set to true
- No strange errors in /var/log/Xorg.0.log
- Removing most of the plugins, leaving just the basic window decoration ones
- Running "sudo nvidia-xconfig --allow-glx-with-composite --add-argb-glx-visuals --disable-glx-root-clipping" and restarting xwindows
- Running manually "compiz --replace dbus csm" worked once, but as soon as i entered configuration it failed, that is, the window decorations were gone. And after that it stopped working at all, and i can't make it work again, even after logout or reboot

I downloaded the source for compiz-0.52.0 and added a few printf's on gtk-window-manager, and it seems to be running fine, it goes to sleep inside the gtk_main() function, it just doesn't paint the window decorations ... :(

So i can confirm this is a bug with Gutsy+NVIDIA(my particular board maybe)+Compiz.

[mike (ubuntu-holmesfamily)]

Since moving from Heron alpha 4 If I turn on effects I experience this problem. I have restarted the install from CD on a number of occasions but no updates to date have given me back the effects. I have an older Gforce MX400, but these effects do work if I use Heron alpha 4

[Jan Pfeifer (pfjan)]

Just moved to Heron myself (beta) and i still have the problem: window decoration disappear when setting "visual effects".

[Travis Watkins (amaranth)]

Read the reason this bug was closed.

[Jan Pfeifer (pfjan)]

I read through all the thread, and many of the forums around regarding the issue. Nothing really worked here -- among other things i disabled and re-enabled the nvidia restricted drivers.

any ideas ?

[Christopher Parker (cparker15)]

I can confirm this bug still exists in Jaunty. I'm curious as to why Travis Watkins kept marking this bug as invalid. On a fresh Jaunty install, after being prompted to install the restricted nVidia driver, when I enabled desktop effects and rebooted, my window decorations were gone. I did everything the automatic way, and I still experienced this bug. That would tell me it is perfectly valid. This bug really shouldn't be marked as invalid until it's fixed.

[Christopher Parker (cparker15)]

To clarify, the "Hardware Drivers" utility downloaded and installed "NVIDIA accelerated graphics driver (version 96)" automatically for me. I did nothing manually.