Enabling Desktop Effects Freezes my Compaq Presario

[Jeray]

Hey everybody! I'm a newbie to Linux. I need some help.
I installed Fedora 12 on my Compaq Presario SR1230NX.

Anyway, everytime I try to enable desktop effects, my computer would freeze.

I own a Compaq Presario and here's the info I got on the intergrated video card...thingy. XD

01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. KM400/KN400/P4M800 [S3 UniChrome] (rev 01)

I appreciate the help, because this has been bugging me for the past few days.

[Hlingler]

So far as I am aware, Fedora (i.e.: Xorg) does not support 3D rendering for VIA (which is required for desktop effects), at least not for your chipset. So it's not surprising that enabling them would cause a failure of the GUI. Post results:
glxinfo | grep render

I'm betting that you'll see "Software Rasterizer", which won't "cut it".

V

[Jeray]

That was a quick reply.

Anyway, here's the results.

direct rendering: Yes
OpenGL renderer string: Mesa DRI UniChrome (KM400) 20060710

[Hlingler]

Hm. OK, so 3D Unichrome ("OpenChrome") driver does support your chipset. That's good. How much VRAM (and is it shared = "stolen" from system RAM)? Post:
grep -i mem /var/log/Xorg.0.log
grep -i ram /var/log/Xorg.0.log
grep -i driver /var/log/Xorg.0.log
grep -e EE -e WW /var/log/Xorg.0.log

ALso: go fetch compiz-check, download and run per instructions, and post output: http://forlong.blogage.de/entries/pages/Compiz-Check

You may not be running Compiz[-Fusion], but this should indicate graphics capability (built-in GNOME desktop effects also require advanced rendering capabilities now). Your chipset also needs those advanced capabilities.

V

[Jeray]

Alrighty then!

[Jeray@localhost ~]$ grep -i mem /var/log/Xorg.0.log
(--) PCI:*(0:1:0:0) 1106:7205:1043:8118 VIA Technologies, Inc. KM400/KN400/P4M800 [S3 UniChrome] rev 1, Mem @ 0xe4000000/67108864, 0xe8000000/16777216, BIOS @ 0x????????/65536
(==) CHROME(0): Will try to allocate 32768 kB of AGP memory.
(II) CHROME(0): Detected MemClk 4
(II) CHROME(0): ViaGetMemoryBandwidth. Memory type: 4
(II) CHROME(0): VIAUnmapMem
(II) CHROME(0): Using 2304 lines for offscreen memory.
(II) CHROME(0): [drm] Using 50025760 bytes for DRM memory heap.
[Jeray@localhost ~]$ grep -i ram /var/log/Xorg.0.log
(II) FBDEV: driver for framebuffer: fbdev
(==) CHROME(0): Depth 24, (--) framebuffer bpp 32
(--) CHROME(0): Probed amount of VideoRAM = 65536 kB
(==) CHROME(0): Shadow framebuffer is disabled.
(==) CHROME(0): Will not impose a limit on video RAM reserved for DRI.
(II) Loading sub module "ramdac"
(II) LoadModule: "ramdac"
(II) Module "ramdac" already built-in
(--) CHROME(0): mapping framebuffer @ 0xe4000000 with size 0x4000000
(--) CHROME(0): Frame buffer start: 0xb3768000, free start: 0x402000 end: 0x4000000
(II) CHROME(0): VIAAdjustFrame 0x0
(II) CHROME(0): VIAAdjustFrame 0x0
(II) CHROME(0): [drm] framebuffer handle = 0xe4000000
(II) CHROME(0): [drm] framebuffer handle = 0xe4000000
(II) CHROME(0): Frame Buffer From (0,0) To (1368,3072)
(II) CHROME(0): [dri] Frame buffer initialized.
(II) Initializing built-in extension XINERAMA
[Jeray@localhost ~]$ grep -i driver /var/log/Xorg.0.log
	X.Org Video Driver: 6.0
	X.Org XInput driver : 7.0
		Driver	"openchrome"
		Driver	"vesa"
		Driver	"fbdev"
(II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/drivers/openchrome_drv.so
	Module class: X.Org Video Driver
	ABI class: X.Org Video Driver, version 6.0
(II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/drivers/vesa_drv.so
	Module class: X.Org Video Driver
	ABI class: X.Org Video Driver, version 6.0
(II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/drivers/fbdev_drv.so
	ABI class: X.Org Video Driver, version 6.0
(II) OPENCHROME: Driver for VIA Chrome chipsets: CLE266, KM400/KN400,
(II) VESA: driver for VESA chipsets: vesa
(II) FBDEV: driver for framebuffer: fbdev
(!!) VIA Technologies does not support this driver in any way.
	ABI class: X.Org Video Driver, version 6.0
	ABI class: X.Org Video Driver, version 6.0
(II) CHROME(0): Not using driver mode "1280x1024" (height too large for virtual size)
(II) CHROME(0): Not using driver mode "1152x864" (height too large for virtual size)
(II) CHROME(0): Not using driver mode "1280x960" (height too large for virtual size)
(II) CHROME(0): Not using driver mode "1280x1024" (height too large for virtual size)
(II) CHROME(0): Not using driver mode "1440x900" (width too large for virtual size)
(**) CHROME(0): *Driver mode "1366x768": 85.5 MHz (scaled from -0.0 MHz), 47.8 kHz, 59.9 Hz
(**) CHROME(0): *Driver mode "1280x720": 74.5 MHz (scaled from -0.2 MHz), 44.8 kHz, 60.0 Hz
(**) CHROME(0): *Driver mode "1024x768": 78.8 MHz (scaled from -0.0 MHz), 60.0 kHz, 75.0 Hz
(**) CHROME(0): *Driver mode "1024x768": 75.0 MHz (scaled from -0.1 MHz), 56.5 kHz, 70.1 Hz
(**) CHROME(0): *Driver mode "1024x768": 65.0 MHz (scaled from 0.2 MHz), 48.4 kHz, 60.0 Hz
(**) CHROME(0): *Driver mode "832x624": 57.3 MHz (scaled from 0.1 MHz), 49.7 kHz, 74.6 Hz
(**) CHROME(0): *Driver mode "800x600": 49.5 MHz (scaled from -0.1 MHz), 46.9 kHz, 75.0 Hz
(**) CHROME(0): *Driver mode "800x600": 50.0 MHz (scaled from -0.3 MHz), 48.1 kHz, 72.2 Hz
(**) CHROME(0): *Driver mode "800x600": 40.0 MHz (scaled from 0.0 MHz), 37.9 kHz, 60.3 Hz
(**) CHROME(0): *Driver mode "800x600": 36.0 MHz (scaled from 0.0 MHz), 35.2 kHz, 56.2 Hz
(**) CHROME(0): *Driver mode "640x480": 31.5 MHz (scaled from 0.2 MHz), 37.5 kHz, 75.0 Hz
(**) CHROME(0): *Driver mode "640x480": 31.5 MHz (scaled from 0.2 MHz), 37.9 kHz, 72.8 Hz
(**) CHROME(0): *Driver mode "640x480": 30.2 MHz (scaled from 0.0 MHz), 35.0 kHz, 66.7 Hz
(**) CHROME(0): *Driver mode "640x480": 25.2 MHz (scaled from -0.1 MHz), 31.5 kHz, 59.9 Hz
(**) CHROME(0): *Driver mode "720x400": 28.3 MHz (scaled from 0.0 MHz), 31.5 kHz, 70.1 Hz
	ABI class: X.Org Video Driver, version 6.0
(II) Unloading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/drivers/vesa_drv.so
(II) Unloading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/drivers/fbdev_drv.so
(II) [drm] loaded kernel module for "via" driver.
	Module class: X.Org XInput Driver
	ABI class: X.Org XInput driver, version 7.0
[Jeray@localhost ~]$ grep -e EE -e WW /var/log/Xorg.0.log
	(WW) warning, (EE) error, (NI) not implemented, (??) unknown.
(II) Loading extension MIT-SCREEN-SAVER
(WW) Falling back to old probe method for vesa
(WW) Falling back to old probe method for fbdev
(EE) open /dev/fb0: No such file or directory
(WW) CHROME(0): [XvMC] XvMC is not supported on this chipset.

[Hlingler]

(--) CHROME(0): Probed amount of VideoRAM = 65536 kB

64 MB VRAM should be plenty - OK. Output of compiz-check?

V

[Jeray]

Umm, yeah I thought I did something wrong, but here's the output.

Gathering information about your system...

 Distribution:          Fedora release 12 (Constantine) 
 Desktop environment:   GNOME
 Graphics chip:         VIA Technologies, Inc. KM400/KN400/P4M800 [S3 UniChrome] (rev 01)
 Driver in use:         openchrome
 Rendering method:      AIGLX

Checking if it's possible to run Compiz on your system...  [SKIP]

 Checking for hardware/setup problems...           [SKIP]

At least one check had to be skipped:
 Error: openchrome driver in use

[Hlingler]

Apparently, compiz-check does not like 'openchrome'. Not a good sign. Just run glxinfo without arguments, and attach (or pastebin, do NOT post) the output. We're looking for:
> Checking for texture_from_pixmap
> Checking for non power of two support
> Checking for composite extension
> Checking for FBConfig

V

[Jeray]

Alright. I have attached the output.

[Hlingler]

Where?

V

[Jeray]

Now I have attached it. XD I forgot to give it a .txt extention.

[Hlingler]

I see no support for non-power-of-two rendering. FAIL. Your chipset cannot "do the math". Would look like so:

~]$ glxinfo | grep two
    GL_ARB_texture_non_power_of_two, GL_ARB_texture_rectangle,
    GL_EXT_shadow_funcs, GL_EXT_stencil_two_side, GL_EXT_stencil_wrap,

So far as I know, built-in GNOME desktop effects (and KDE, and Compiz for that matter) require such capability. Without non-power-of-two rendering capability, you cannot get advanced desktop effects. If I am incorrect, I hope that someone comes along to impart wisdom and enlightenment upon us. Or to confirm/verify the requirement.

Sorry. Try xcompmgr for (very) basic effects (shadows, translucency).

V

[Jeray]

Aww man. Oh well. Thanks for the help.

[Jeray]

Well here's round 2. One of my friends gave me a random video card, and well...

Gathering information about your system...

 Distribution:          Fedora release 12 (Constantine) 
 Desktop environment:   GNOME
 Graphics chip:         nVidia Corporation NV5M64 [RIVA TNT2 Model 64/Model 64 Pro] (rev 15)
 Driver in use:         nouveau
 Rendering method:      AIGLX

Checking if it's possible to run Compiz on your system...

 Checking for texture_from_pixmap...               [ OK ]
 Checking for non power of two support...          [ OK ]
 Checking for composite extension...               [ OK ]
 Checking for FBConfig...                          [ OK ]
 Checking for hardware/setup problems...           [FAIL]

There has been (at least) one error detected with your setup:
 Error: Software Rasterizer in use

So any solution, or "Software Rasterizer" still won't "cut it".

[Hlingler]

One of my friends gave me a random video card ...

Looks like NVidia Riva TNT2 64/64 Pro. I tried for a long time before discovering that Compiz simply won't work on this chipset - lacks same non-power-of-two support: http://forum.compiz.org/viewtopic.php?f=86&t=8443
Perhaps you could try installing the proprietary NVidia legacy 71.86xx driver (either binary "blob" or ATRPMs RPMs - beware of mixing 3rd-party repos like ATRPMs and RPMFusion! Keep one or the other disabled for automatic updates!) to get built-in GNOME desktop effects, but I doubt that even this will be good enough: again, so far as I know, GNOME built-in now also requires the advanced rendering capabilities. Or wait for F13, which will have 3D support with "nouveau" driver - but that won't fix the lack of hardware support for non-power-of-two rendering, so...

So any solution, or "Software Rasterizer" still won't "cut it".

As you can clearly see: no 'Software Rasterizer' isn't good enough - for Compiz[-Fusion]. This is some sort of generic "fake" quasi-3D software-based driver that gets loaded when no other form of 3D driver/rendering is available, and does not appear to have something that C-F and others like GNOME built-ins need. I do not know the full technical details, but the bottom line is: no advanced rendering effects. I'd still suggest giving it a try - perhaps it's good enough for the GNOME built-in effects. But don't be surprised if not.

V