Beryl - no composite extension

I am attempting to install Beryl.
I enter this in Konsole:

Code:

beryl && emerald --replace

I get this:

**************************************************************
* Beryl system compatiblity check *
**************************************************************

Detected xserver : AIGLX

Checking Display :0.0 ...

Checking for XComposite extension : failed

No composite extension
beryl: No composite extension

I've tried this fix after googling:
If you get the “no composite extension found” error, check /etc/X11/xorg.conf for the "Composite" option in the "Extensions" section. e.g.

Section "Extensions"
Option "Composite" "Enable"
EndSection

And also "false" instead of "Enable"

No effect... unless I need to reboot after editing?
Suggestions please?

 

Instead of rebooting you can always reboot the X window server by pressing CTRL+ALT+BACKSPACE.

So after you rebooted and attempted to load beryl again, what was the error message?

PS - if the little gem is loaded in your running programs list and nothing is still happening you might want to check and see if you have assigned beryl as your window manager.

Click on the little red gem, and there is an option to select a window manager. Select beryl (in the case of using gnome you would have the option of metacity or beryl for example).

 

Okay - I set it to "Enable" and restarted X. The XComposite extension passes now... However now I get this:


Detected xserver : AIGLX

Checking Display :0.0 ...

Checking for XComposite extension : passed (v0.3)
Checking for XDamage extension : passed
Checking for RandR extension : passed
Checking for XSync extension : passed

Checking Screen 0 ...

Checking for GLX_SGIX_fbconfig : passed
Checking for GLX_EXT_texture_from_pixmap : passed
Xlib: extension "XFree86-DRI" missing on display ":0.0".
Checking for non power of two texture support : failed

Support for non power of two textures missing
Xlib: extension "XFree86-DRI" missing on display ":0.0".
beryl: glXBindTexImageEXT is missing
beryl: Failed to manage screen: 0
beryl: No manageable screens found on display :0.0


And after entering beryl && emerald --replace to get this log, the windows all flash for a second, then 90% of X seems to freeze. I had a bit of a go at copying and saving that info before rebooting X to fix the freeze. And yes, I click on the gem icon, and choose Beryl... all my windows flash, however it produces the same error, and I have no fancy effects.

 

Do you have the following in your xorg.conf?

Code:

Section "DRI"
    Mode 0666
EndSection

 

With the FGLRX drivers, AIGLX will NOT run. You have to install xserver-xgl and set up Beryl to run through that. It's hacky, slow, you can't shut down from the DE, and it's buggy.

Hopefully ATi will pick their game up and improve things in the future.

 

neosenate:
Yes, I double checked and that is in there.

Lysander:
It looks like us folks who went ATI are getting screwed in Linux. I did install xserver-xgl, after finding it was necessary through google searches. I don't know how to tell it to switch to that, however. I have so many google windows open i can't find my way around...

Also... It now seems I am not getting 3D acceleration any longer. My screen saver doesn't work, Kaffeine won't play video properly... I double checked the Restricted Drivers Manager, and it is still enabled.

 

No. It is ATI that is screwing Linux, not the other way around.

The Linux community would be delighted to support ATI -- indeed, the community has been agitating for it for years. But ATI refuses to tell anyone how their hardware works. There is absolutely no legitimate reason for them to keep this information to themselves. Since ATI insists on being a dog in a manger about their hardware docs, it falls to them and them alone to provide functional drivers. They have exerted some effort in this direction, but it has been half-hearted at best.

So ATI screws Linux in two different ways. This is one of the principal reasons I was willing to "settle" for Intel integrated graphics in my new ThinkPad, as Intel have Open Sourced their drivers. You may wish to consider this when it comes time to shop for your next notebook computer.

Schwab

 

Update:

I attempted to follow this guide (Method A):

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/CompositeManager/Xgl

And restarted X, chose the Xgl session. However, the session started and all the graphics were distorted, horizontal lines everywhere, impossible to do anything. Had to restart X and choose KDE.


ewhac: Yes, that's what I meant. Not that Linux was being screwy. I wish everyone would open source their drivers - I am very pleased with Intel for doing so. Unfortunately, this laptop is BRAND new, about a month old in my house. The next one won't be for 5 years or so. So I am trying to make this one work for me. I am enjoying linux, and I am committed to getting everything to work how I want it, even if it is driving me a little nuts.


UPDATE:
I set xorg.conf to "false" from following a guide for fglrx + xgl and used

Code:

sudo aticonfig --overlay-type=Xv

To change from Mesa back to my fglrx ATI.
Rebooted and chose Xgl session. It started this time.
However, after running beryl-manager and then beryl && emerald --replace I get this:

**************************************************************
* Beryl system compatiblity check *
**************************************************************

Detected xserver : XGL

Checking Display :1.0 ...

Checking for XComposite extension : passed (v0.3)
Checking for XDamage extension : passed
Checking for RandR extension : passed
Checking for XSync extension : passed

beryl: GLX_EXT_texture_from_pixmap is missing
beryl: Using non-tfp mode
beryl: GLX_SGIX_fbconfig is missing
beryl: Failed to manage screen: 0
beryl: No manageable screens found on display :1.0


Beryl will still not work, after running that command it froze up X again and had to restart. I've followed the directions of a number of guides... any suggestions, please?

 

Have you followed the Xgl guide at wiki.ubuntu.com, and set an Xgl session to load up from the login screen?

 

I believe I have read through all the guides for Xgl on that site. And from what you're asking, yes, I am running an Xgl session - I added it to the login screen, chose it, logged in - gave a funny yellowish blurry screen for a moment but logged in fine.

Maybe I just didn't configure one of the files properly, I don't know.
I've been reading guides for Beryl, fglrx, xgl, etc, etc, all over the place. I just can't seem to get it going, though I have made progress. I just don't know what to do next. I am currently googling a fix for this one:

GLX_EXT_texture_from_pixmap is missing




***UPDATE:

I found a forum where someone used this command:

Code:

beryl-manager --noforce-window-manager

and then:

LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/fglrx/libGL.so.1.2.xlibmesa beryl &

http://82.211.81.186/showthread.php?t=291464&page=22
(Post 219)

And it worked... sort of. I could minimize and maximize a windows, getting the neat little sucking animation. However the title bars on all of my programs vanished, and the system semi-froze and I had to restart X. The suggested, and somewhat confirmed solution is to "put those commands into a script that starts on startup" (Post 220).

A: How can I do that?
B: Is it a good idea, or might it screw up my system?

I think I'm almost there!!


*****Update again:

Code:

emerald --replace

Brings back my window decorations (title bar, minimize, maximize, close buttons)
However I cannot type anything, clicking buttons on my task bar doesn't work, can't open new programs... Defintely using Beryl effects though. Dragged my terminal window around and observed the wobbly window.

I HAVE Beryl effects with these steps... now, how can I make it stable....?

 

No one can tell me if adding that script to startup will frell my system?

I don't want to add it, have it load, and have X freeze, and have no means of undoing it... I like to be able to use my system.

 

You can always boot up in in recovery mode, and then undo those changes manually. That's the nice thing about Linux... you never had no means of accessing your system (unless you do something silly like delete your kernel image file).

That said, you should be able to get things working before you commit them to config files. There's nothing magic about configuration files... they just automatically run the same commands you're typing by hand. I'd recommend against putting them in the files. I don't own anything ATI any more, as they've annoyed one too many times, so I can't really help you any more than that, unfortunately.

 

Thanks pita...

I was just wondering, since the person who posted the question had said adding it as a startup script fixed his problem. I didn't think of using recovery from GRUB I assume it's similar to windows Safe Mode, doesn't start things automatically, uses safe settings, etc?

The next time I get a computer, I really don't think I'll be getting ATI again... I enjoy Linux, and NVidea seems to have far more success with linux usage.

 

It actually boots you into a raw console with full root privileges, but no multi-user capabilities, which basically disables a lot of functionality for most services, including networking I believe. No GUI, nothing. Not quite like Windows' safe mode Then you can root around inside your system, delete or change any configuration issues that you may have made recently, and then reboot to your old state. It's a very good idea to document or at least remember very closely any configuration changes you make, so you know where to look when you want to undo them.

 

Alright... followed post #4 on this page:

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=2513954

I have Beryl! I didn't realise that "beryl --replace" had worked, I thought it had only affected my terminal window... but my firefox windows were a little above the screen. Couldn't figure out how to maximize them, so I restarted X and initiated Beryl before firefox. Now I have all the funky beryl effects.

Now however: My start menu (kicker, I believe?) and my desktop are both white. I can use windows, start programs, etc. But they are both white, kind of feeling around in the dark in regards to starting programs and switching windows without Alt+Tab.

Anyone know of a fix for this white death? It's going on 5 am, so, I can relax a bit now that I finally have Beryl working. If anyone knows a fix I'll love you!!!

 

Okay... I changed the old LD_PRELOAD command to this:

Code:

LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/fglrx/libGL.so.1.2.xlibmesa beryl --replace & emerald &

And used the beryl manager's "Advanced Beryl options" (right click the red jewel icon) to force everything to Xgl, as well as changing "Rendering Path" to "Copy". Beryl works now, and so far no white screen of death. I am going to keep it running for a while, as well as try reboot and enter the sequence again. I'll keep my fingers crossed, and let you know how it goes for anyone that's having problems with beryl similar to mine.

For all the people around my google searches that said it would not work on these range of ATI cards, they were obviously wrong - it just took some persistence.

 

Final update:

Beryl works. Occasional white screen/kicker, not too often. Fixed by reloading Beryl. All effects work, occasionally turning on a new one will give white screen, but just reload to fix.

I hope my trial and errors will help anyone else who's had similar problems installing Beryl.