No Desktop Effects in Kubuntu 11.04 Beta1

[ktech]

Running Kubuntu 11.04 Natty Beta1

Sometimes when changing plasma theme, the panel theme refuses to update it self without a logout. Transparency effect on taskbar does not always work after changing a theme.

The blur effect does not work at all although it is checked and KDE does not give an incompatibility popup for this effect.

All these effects worked fine in Kubuntu 10.10 with KDE SC 4.6.1 PPA version. Desktop composition overall is less snappy in natty.

This bug is reproduced on the following graphic cards.
Intel Corporation Mobile 945GME Express Integrated Graphics Controller
Intel Corporation Mobile 4500GMA Express Integrated Graphics Controller

Update output of kwin on Kubuntu 11.04

OpenGL vendor string: Tungsten Graphics, Inc
OpenGL renderer string: Mesa DRI Intel(R) 945GME x86/MMX/SSE2
OpenGL version string: 1.4 Mesa 7.11-devel
Driver: Intel
GPU class: i915/i945
OpenGL version: 1.4
Mesa version: 7.11
X server version: 1.10
Linux kernel version: 2.6.38
Direct rendering: no
Requires strict binding: yes
GLSL shaders: no
Texture NPOT support: yes
kwin(10066): glCheckFramebufferStatus failed: "GL_NO_ERROR"

Notice the "Direct rendering: no" If I disable the direct rendering option in Kubuntu 10.10 Maverick systemsettings, it reproduces the exact behaviour I am experiencing on Natty.

Output of kwin on Kubuntu 10.10 Maveric

OpenGL vendor string: Tungsten Graphics, Inc
OpenGL renderer string: Mesa DRI Intel(R) 945GME GEM 20100330 DEVELOPMENT x86/MMX/SSE2
OpenGL version string: 1.4 Mesa 7.9-devel
Driver: Intel
GPU class: i915/i945
OpenGL version: 1.4
Mesa version: 7.9
X server version: 1.9
Linux kernel version: 2.6.35
Direct rendering: yes
Requires strict binding: yes
GLSL shaders: no
Texture NPOT support: yes

[ktech (ktech)]

Update output of kwin on Kubuntu 11.04

OpenGL vendor string: Tungsten Graphics, Inc
OpenGL renderer string: Mesa DRI Intel(R) 945GME x86/MMX/SSE2
OpenGL version string: 1.4 Mesa 7.11-devel
Driver: Intel
GPU class: i915/i945
OpenGL version: 1.4
Mesa version: 7.11
X server version: 1.10
Linux kernel version: 2.6.38
Direct rendering: no
Requires strict binding: yes
GLSL shaders: no
Texture NPOT support: yes
kwin(10066): glCheckFramebufferStatus failed: "GL_NO_ERROR"

Notice the "Direct rendering: no" If I disable the direct rendering option in Kubuntu 10.10 Maverick systemsettings, it reproduces the exact behaviour I am experiencing on Natty.

[ktech (ktech)]

Output of kwin on Kubuntu 10.10 Maveric

OpenGL vendor string: Tungsten Graphics, Inc
OpenGL renderer string: Mesa DRI Intel(R) 945GME GEM 20100330 DEVELOPMENT x86/MMX/SSE2
OpenGL version string: 1.4 Mesa 7.9-devel
Driver: Intel
GPU class: i915/i945
OpenGL version: 1.4
Mesa version: 7.9
X server version: 1.9
Linux kernel version: 2.6.35
Direct rendering: yes
Requires strict binding: yes
GLSL shaders: no
Texture NPOT support: yes

[bigbrovar (bigbrovar)]

The reporter has done a good job. all I can add is am using an Intel arrandale graphic chip and this bug also affects me.

[Elephantman (elephantman)]

I cross posted my report to KDE where I was asked to add this info that explains the issue well.

cory@Andromede:~$ kreadconfig --file kwinrc --group Compositing --key
CheckIsSafe
true

===================

cory@Andromede:~$ kreadconfig --file kwinrc --group Compositing --key
OpenGLIsUnsafe
false

===================

cory@Andromede:~$ glxinfo
name of display: :0
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0".
Error: couldn't find RGB GLX visual or fbconfig

Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0".

===================

cory@Andromede:~$ kwin --replace&
[1] 5777
cory@Andromede:~$ Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0".
QInotifyFileSystemWatcherEngine::addPaths: inotify_add_watch failed: Aucun
fichier ou dossier de ce type
QFileSystemWatcher: failed to add paths: /home/cory/.config/ibus/bus
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0".
kwin(5777): Failed to initialize compositing, compositing disabled
kwin(5777): Consult
http://techbase.kde.org/Projects/KWin/4.0-release-notes#Setting_up

[RagTimE (cragtime)]

good bug report

i can confirm this on an eeepc 701

[Robert Hooker (sarvatt)]

Since you are using xorg-edgers I went ahead and uploaded a new kdebase-workspace there containing a fix for this. It's likely to be worked around in natty on the mesa side by reverting a commit since the KDE guys do not want to take the patch but I believe it is more correct to fix it on the kwin side.

http://quickgit.kde.org/?p=kde-workspace.git&a=blob&f=kwin/opengltest/opengltest.cpp

On line 85 it says to assume direct rendering works if DRI2 is exposed in the GL renderer string. In mesa on intel, "Intel" can be used in place of the check for "GEM" since Intel is not in the GL renderer string for !DRI2. Intel only supports KMS/DRI2 and swrast would be used instead in the other cases which will not pass the check. The GEM portion that was checked previously was historically added to the string when KMS was used back when intel supported UMS, but that has not been the case for some time now which is why it was removed upstream.

Attached is the patch I applied in the PPA cleaned up for distro use in case it's wanted

[bigbrovar (bigbrovar)]

@Robert is there a way you can package this kde-workspace patch to a separate ppa? so that those of us who do not want to use the xedgers repo can safely apply it. would it work with the default graphic stack in Natty

[Robert Hooker (sarvatt)]

Sure thing, I have uploaded it to https://launchpad.net/~sarvatt/+archive/kwin and it should be available shortly, yeah it will work with the default stack in natty.

[bigbrovar (bigbrovar)]

@Robert Thanks I will install natty again test the package and get back to you.

[Felix Geyer (debfx)]

I've prepared and tested this debdiff to re-add the "GEM" string.
It can be droppped when uploading mesa 7.11 and when kde (hopefully) changed the detection routine in 4.7.

mesa (7.10.2-0ubuntu2) natty; urgency=low

  * Add 114_intel_dri_renderer_string.diff: Re-add "GEM" to the dri renderer
    string of the intel driver. Removing it breaks KDE's detection for the blur
    effect. (LP: #753370)

 -- Felix Geyer <email address hidden> Mon, 18 Apr 2011 21:08:33 +0200

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

This bug was fixed in the package mesa - 7.10.2-0ubuntu2

---------------
mesa (7.10.2-0ubuntu2) natty; urgency=low

  [ Felix Geyer ]
  * Add 114_intel_dri_renderer_string.diff: Re-add "GEM" to the dri renderer
    string of the intel driver. Removing it breaks KDE's detection for the blur
    effect. (LP: #753370)
 -- Timo Aaltonen <email address hidden> Tue, 19 Apr 2011 12:38:25 +0300

[ktech (ktech)]

@robert

Your workaround seems to be working perfectly.