memory check for nvidia users

[Travis Watkins]

Binary package hint: compiz

We should check the available video RAM for nvidia users to try to avoid the black window problems. 128MB or greater should work.

nvidia-settings -q VideoRam

  Attribute 'VideoRam' (sorrow:0.0): 262144.
    'VideoRam' is an integer attribute.
    'VideoRam' is a read-only attribute.
    'VideoRam' can use the following target types: X Screen, GPU.

[zeddock (zeddock)]

What will happen if there is not enough? I ask because as a GeForce4 4200 Go Ti 8AGP user on a laptop I am very interested in the cube desktop effect. I can only have it with 3d enabled, but after 5-6 windows the Black starts.

Thanx for your help on this issue, BTW. It has been a lingering issue since Feisty betas.

zeddock

[Travis Watkins (amaranth)]

If you don't pass the check you don't get compiz. 128MB should be enough for a 'regular' user to not have to worry about things, 256MB is recommended. At least until nvidia implements their texture memory manager.

[zeddock (zeddock)]

What a shame. I know this is mainly a nVidia issue, but I had feisty up and
working nicely with a cube. I did get the black screens from time to time.
How does windows do all their stuff on my machine when I can't under Ubuntu?

Thanx for all of the hard work.

zeddock

On 9/13/07, Travis Watkins <email address hidden> wrote:
>
> If you don't pass the check you don't get compiz. 128MB should be enough
> for a 'regular' user to not have to worry about things, 256MB is
> recommended. At least until nvidia implements their texture memory
> manager.
>
> --
> memory check for nvidia users
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/139325
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of the bug.
>

[Sitsofe Wheeler (sitsofe)]

zeddock:
I did not know that an NVIDIA Geforce 4 enabled the Vista Aero desktop. I thought it was only activated on cards with dedicated pixel shaders (but I could be wrong). I shall have to check this but can I just check that you DO get the Aero desktop on Vista?

[zeddock (zeddock)]

No. I have not tried Vista on this laptop. I was more referring to the 3d
acceleration overall in Windows. I should have stipulated XP Pro, I guess.
I never got a black window in games, etc. Sorry I can't respond at all
about Aero. In fact, I took vista off of a new Dell Tower about 2 weeks
ago. Took it back to XP for the user.

zeddock

On 9/14/07, Sitsofe Wheeler <email address hidden> wrote:
>
> zeddock:
> I did not know that an NVIDIA Geforce 4 enabled the Vista Aero desktop. I
> thought it was only activated on cards with dedicated pixel shaders (but I
> could be wrong). I shall have to check this but can I just check that you DO
> get the Aero desktop on Vista?
>
> --
> memory check for nvidia users
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/139325
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of the bug.
>

[Travis Watkins (amaranth)]

Compositing your desktop is a new class of work for the video cards. It is nothing like games. Generally games need raw performance but can run without much texture memory. A compositing window manager doesn't need much raw performance but needs a lot of texture memory.

[zeddock (zeddock)]

Thank you for explaining a little more.

Since I have had a nice, usable cube on Feisty... can I expect to get that
from Gusty? Is anyone trying to overcome the black windows problem in that
scenario?

I do not think that I have any option for hacking some more video ram into
this laptop, but if you know of a way please let me know!

Thanx.

zeddock

On 9/14/07, Travis Watkins <email address hidden> wrote:
>
> Compositing your desktop is a new class of work for the video cards. It
> is nothing like games. Generally games need raw performance but can run
> without much texture memory. A compositing window manager doesn't need
> much raw performance but needs a lot of texture memory.
>
> --
> memory check for nvidia users
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/139325
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of the bug.
>

[Christian Schürer-Waldheim (quincunx)]

My NVIDIA Quadro NVS 110M graphics card has 256MB of video RAM, but it's still too few because my graphic card is affected by the "black windows bug" too, which is said to be caused by too few video RAM. It is as reported in bug #125566, the problem got worse with recent updates in gutsy.

[zeddock (zeddock)]

If the problem gets worse because of something that has happened, it could
be possible that the cause, and thus the suggestion that nothing caan be
done without movement from nvidia, is not yet understood and that there is
potentially a solution to be created.

zeddock

On 9/15/07, Christian Schuerer <email address hidden> wrote:
>
> My NVIDIA Quadro NVS 110M graphics card has 256MB of video RAM, but it's
> still too few because my graphic card is affected by the "black windows
> bug" too, which is said to be caused by too few video RAM. It is as
> reported in bug #125566, the problem got worse with recent updates in
> gutsy.
>
> --
> memory check for nvidia users
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/139325
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of the bug.
>

[Jan de Mooij (jandemooij)]

On the Ubuntu Forums (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=554711) they say that the new nVidia driver (http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=98635) fixes this issue...

It fixes some other bugs as well, would an exception be possible?

[Sitsofe Wheeler (sitsofe)]

(In an attempt to stop a deluge of requests here I will quickly mention that the request for the update nvidia-glx-new drivers has been filed over on Bug #140956)

[Michael Vogt (mvo)]

This is done with the latest compiz in gutsy

[zeddock (zeddock)]

Right this second all is going pretty good for me. I hope this change does
not displace this newfound solution.
zeddock

On 9/24/07, Michael Vogt <email address hidden> wrote:
>
> This is done with the latest compiz in gutsy
>
> ** Changed in: compiz (Ubuntu)
> Assignee: (unassigned) => Michael Vogt (mvo)
> Status: Triaged => Fix Released
>
> --
> memory check for nvidia users
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/139325
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of the bug.
>

[Endolith (endolith)]

This is still not fixed in Hardy.

I create a new account and it defaults to Compiz turned on, despite the fact that it has the black windows problem.

NVIDIA GeForce FX Go5200

nvidia-glx-new 169.12+2.6.24.13-19.44

11 Firefox screens and it starts making black windows.

[Travis Watkins (amaranth)]

Right, nvidia has not yet fixed their bug. The point of this bug was to make sure you have enough RAM to open 6 or so windows at a time.