Comment 2 for bug 729970

Revision history for this message
Luke (lukekuhn) wrote : RE: [Cairo-dock-team] [Bug 729970] [NEW] Cairo-dock running or having been run corrupts Kdenlive monitor display

WORKAROUNDS FOR CAIRO-DOCK WITH KDENLIVE:
Here are the results of further testing last night with version 2.2. It turned out that to use the cairo backend it had to be explicitly called that way and my earlier attempt to specify it in the configuration files did not stop it from using the opengl backend.
Version 2.3 is not yet in the Ubuntu Natty (alpha) repos, will try it as soon as it arrives. Meanwhile, here are two workarounds verified to work on AMD Phenom II/785 chipset/ATI graphics and on Intel Atom with Intel graphics:

I tried calling cairo-dock itself with XLIB_SKIP_ARGB_VISUALS=1, since calling Kdenlive this way does not work. This inversion of the normal fix stopped the Kdenlive problems, at the expense of making it impossible to cover the bottom of the screen with anything else, hiding the dock leaving the dock background (copy of desktop background in fake transparancy or a black rectangle without) on top.
This is done by starting with this command from terminal or in a launcher:
env XLIB_SKIP_ARGB_VISUALS=1 cairo-dock
in configuration of cairo-dock, set to use fake transparancy.
I then realized the choice of backend for cairo-dock was being set by the .desktop file used to launch it, overriding my earlier attempt to specify the cairo backend and invalidating my previous test result that the cairo backend still corrupted kdenlive video playback.
I changed the ~/config/autostart/cairo-dock.desktop file from it's previous cairo-dock -o command for opengl backend to the following:
cairo-dock -c
In testing kdenlive now gave normal video playback, even in compiz, and there was no longer any need for fake transparency and the dock could be hidden in any of the normal ways. This is what I am using now.

This is consistant with the existing bug reports against Kaffeine and other video players in KDE.

> Date: Sun, 6 Mar 2011 10:47:54 +0000
> From: <email address hidden>
> To: <email address hidden>
> Subject: Re: [Cairo-dock-team] [Bug 729970] [NEW] Cairo-dock running or having been run corrupts Kdenlive monitor display
>
> could you please try with the latest version (2.3) ?
> I think it fixes the problem
>
> 2011/3/6 Luke <email address hidden>
>
> > Public bug reported:
> >
> > Binary package hint: cairo-dock
> >
> > If cairo-dock is installed and has been run withing the same X session,
> > Kdenlive running under compiz, with XV video output will display a
> > transparent monitor window, and no video, just transparency, until
> > playback stops.Other window managers with xv output from kdenlive will
> > give a blank monitor (background only) entirely during playback, just as
> > the entire frame is transparent under compiz.
> >
> > Using the X11 driver gives semi-transparent (0<alpha<1) video with
> > transparent borders under compiz, normal video playback under window
> > managers other than compiz. Detaching the window returns the semi-
> > transparent playback as though compiz were running. In all cases the
> > image returns to normal when playback stops.
> >
> >
> > This report is posted on the Kdenlive website:
> >
> > http://www.kdenlive.org/forum/transparent-monitor-during-playback-
> > uninstall-cairo-dock-and-dependencies
> >
> > "but the problem seems to be cause by cairo-dock. A number of other qt-
> > base applications have known problems with it, that this workaround
> > fixes:
> >
> > Others apps based on Qt4 like VirtualBox, Skype, VLC
> > (for VLC, there was a bug only if the option 'Integrate video in interface'
> > is enabled and vlc devs have added this workaround into the application)
> > It's the same problem that (S)MPlayer, so you can use this command in order
> > to launch your application, e.g.:
> > export XLIB_SKIP_ARGB_VISUALS=1 && skype
> > But you can also make a little script:
> > Create a file with the extention ".sh" (launch_virtualbox.sh for example)
> > Add these two lines :
> > export XLIB_SKIP_ARGB_VISUALS=1
> > virtualbox
> > Change the right execution (Right clic on the file / Properties /
> > Permissions / Execution => or directly :
> > chmod +x launch_virtualbox.sh
> > Use this file to execute this app.
> > Or edit the launcher and use a command like this one:
> > sh -c "env XLIB_SKIP_ARGB_VISUALS=1 kaffeine" "
> >
> > Unfortunately, this does not help in kdenlive(replacing "kaffeine"
> > with"kdenlive"), where it has no effect and the transparency continues..
> >
> > Both SMplayer and Kaffeine also report video playback issues when cairo-
> > dock is running:
> >
> >
> > https://bugs.launchpad.net/cairo-dock-core/+bug/472112 declares that the
> > problem is in qt-but in that case, the bug is being reported to appear in
> > opengl mode. With kdenlive the bug appears under both opengl and cairo
> > backends. I've tested both, restarting X between tests.
> >
> > The only workaround I have found is to set cairo-dock not to start with
> > the session and start it only when not using Kdenlive. To use kdenlive,
> > X must be restarted. I just removed Docky so I could get rid of mono,
> > now this...
> >
> > I am using cairo-dock_2.2.0~4-0ubuntu1 in Ubuntu Natty with compiz-
> > unity, gnome-shell, kde, and icewm sessions all installed and working.
> >
> > ** Affects: cairo-dock (Ubuntu)
> > Importance: Undecided
> > Status: New
> >
> > --
> > You received this bug notification because you are a member of Cairo-
> > Dock Team, which is subscribed to cairo-dock in ubuntu.
> > https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/729970
> >
> > Title:
> > Cairo-dock running or having been run corrupts Kdenlive monitor
> > display
> >
> > Status in “cairo-dock” package in Ubuntu:
> > New
> >
> > Bug description:
> > Binary package hint: cairo-dock
> >
> > If cairo-dock is installed and has been run withing the same X
> > session, Kdenlive running under compiz, with XV video output will
> > display a transparent monitor window, and no video, just transparency,
> > until playback stops.Other window managers with xv output from
> > kdenlive will give a blank monitor (background only) entirely during
> > playback, just as the entire frame is transparent under compiz.
> >
> > Using the X11 driver gives semi-transparent (0<alpha<1) video with
> > transparent borders under compiz, normal video playback under window
> > managers other than compiz. Detaching the window returns the semi-
> > transparent playback as though compiz were running. In all cases the
> > image returns to normal when playback stops.
> >
> >
> > This report is posted on the Kdenlive website:
> >
> > http://www.kdenlive.org/forum/transparent-monitor-during-playback-
> > uninstall-cairo-dock-and-dependencies
> >
> > "but the problem seems to be cause by cairo-dock. A number of other
> > qt-base applications have known problems with it, that this workaround
> > fixes:
> >
> > Others apps based on Qt4 like VirtualBox, Skype, VLC
> > (for VLC, there was a bug only if the option 'Integrate video in
> > interface' is enabled and vlc devs have added this workaround into the
> > application)
> > It's the same problem that (S)MPlayer, so you can use this command in
> > order to launch your application, e.g.:
> > export XLIB_SKIP_ARGB_VISUALS=1 && skype
> > But you can also make a little script:
> > Create a file with the extention ".sh" (launch_virtualbox.sh for example)
> > Add these two lines :
> > export XLIB_SKIP_ARGB_VISUALS=1
> > virtualbox
> > Change the right execution (Right clic on the file / Properties /
> > Permissions / Execution => or directly :
> > chmod +x launch_virtualbox.sh
> > Use this file to execute this app.
> > Or edit the launcher and use a command like this one:
> > sh -c "env XLIB_SKIP_ARGB_VISUALS=1 kaffeine" "
> >
> > Unfortunately, this does not help in kdenlive(replacing "kaffeine"
> > with"kdenlive"), where it has no effect and the transparency
> > continues..
> >
> > Both SMplayer and Kaffeine also report video playback issues when
> > cairo-dock is running:
> >
> >
> > https://bugs.launchpad.net/cairo-dock-core/+bug/472112 declares that the
> > problem is in qt-but in that case, the bug is being reported to appear in
> > opengl mode. With kdenlive the bug appears under both opengl and cairo
> > backends. I've tested both, restarting X between tests.
> >
> > The only workaround I have found is to set cairo-dock not to start
> > with the session and start it only when not using Kdenlive. To use
> > kdenlive, X must be restarted. I just removed Docky so I could get
> > rid of mono, now this...
> >
> > I am using cairo-dock_2.2.0~4-0ubuntu1 in Ubuntu Natty with compiz-
> > unity, gnome-shell, kde, and icewm sessions all installed and working.
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~cairo-dock-team
> > Post to : <email address hidden>
> > Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~cairo-dock-team
> > More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp
> >
>
> --
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of the bug.
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/729970
>
> Title:
> Cairo-dock running or having been run corrupts Kdenlive monitor
> display
>
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