openbox/xorg-server screen flickering

krono-matrixer · 2015-05-25 17:21:18

I am running openbox on top of a combination of xorg-xinit and xorg-server. The screen is tearing on the bottom half of the screen, and if I restart openbox, it stops tearing. It is simple to work around every time I login, but I still want to find the fix for it.

Last edited by krono-matrixer (2015-07-26 17:33:39)

Head_on_a_Stick · 2015-05-25 17:33:47

What is your hardware?

A picture or screencast of this "tearing" would help (post a link rather than the full-sized image).

krono-matrixer · 2015-05-25 18:07:48

Here is a link to a video of it: http://krono-matrixer.blogspot.com/p/te … aring.html

I am using a Gateway NE56R31u.

Last edited by krono-matrixer (2015-05-25 18:08:06)

Head_on_a_Stick · 2015-05-25 18:17:55

krono-matrixer wrote:

Here is a link to a video of it: http://krono-matrixer.blogspot.com/p/te … aring.html

I don't have FlashPlayer on my system -- upload it to YouTube instead so I can view it via HTML5

krono-matrixer wrote:

I am using a Gateway NE56R31u.

Hmmm...

Post the output of:

lspci|grep VGA

krono-matrixer · 2015-05-25 18:31:31

[krono-matrixer@athena ~]$ lspci|grep VGA
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation 2nd Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 09)
[krono-matrixer@athena ~]$

The link, "YouTube link", has been added to the botton of the page linked ealier.

Head_on_a_Stick · 2015-05-25 18:56:57

I would describe that as "flickering" rather than "tearing" but whatever...

Very strange.

Is there any chance the connector to the monitor is loose or damaged?

Does this also happen with the laptop screen or is it just on your monitor?

When you say "restart openbox", do you mean log out & back in again?

Does this stop it happening:

openbox --restart

krono-matrixer · 2015-05-25 19:23:31

The connector is fine, b/c it works until I enter the command "startx". I don't get the same problem with KDE either, using xinit.

I start open box after login with "startx", so I restart openbox by right clicking, selecting "Log Out", and re-entering "startx". I don't have to re-enter log in credentials though.

Here is the output from the openbox --restart:

[krono-matrixer@athena ~]$ openbox --restart
Openbox-Message: Couldn't set messages locale category from environment.
Openbox-Message: Couldn't set locale from environment.
[krono-matrixer@athena ~]$

krono-matrixer · 2015-05-25 19:26:04

Here is my installion process: http://krono-matrixer.blogspot.com/p/in … -arch.html

Maybe I skipped something?

Head_on_a_Stick · 2015-05-25 19:32:52

Your blog page wrote:

xsetroot -cursor_name left_ptr &
xcompmgr &

Try removing (or commenting out) these lines from ~/.xinitrc

krono-matrixer · 2015-05-25 19:41:46

That did not resolve the flickering issue.

Gusar · 2015-05-25 19:45:52

Your video doesn't look quite like the one in this thread https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=197427, but chances are it's the same issue anyway. Basically, there's a known bug in the Intel driver. Use the lts kernel until the fix I linked to in that other thread makes it into a new kernel release.

krono-matrixer · 2015-05-25 20:05:19

It could be, and if it is, I am glad mine isn't to that degree. Thank you for showing us that.

FernandoBasso · 2015-06-14 09:53:19

Does the flickering stop if you logout and login again? It does for me, and I have the same problem.

krono-matrixer · 2015-06-14 20:05:14

FernandoBasso wrote:

Does the flickering stop if you logout and login again? It does for me, and I have the same problem.

Yes, it does stop after doing that. It seems that there is a lot of problems with desktop environments on computers with Intel drivers. My theory is it can be solved with a better V-Sync program (or add-on). It seems to not do it all if I do a Openbox/KDE session as long as I keep the V-sync enabled.

Do you use xorg-server? If so, the use of xorg-server, w/ xorg-init, reducing the tearing to a flicker on the first start up would be a very good hypothesis, and it is one step closer to finding a simple solution, rather than having to compile your own kernel. Another theory, but unlikely, is the it may be something wrong with xorg-init itself. (The solution would then be using xorg-server with another v-sync program.)

I am just trowing possibilities out there.

I may record my screen with ffmpeg and see if the flickering shows on the recording. I doubt it will though, but it may give a little more insight (data) on the issue.

uxiofp · 2015-07-07 19:55:54

Same problem:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jomQUbCVlIc
With lts kernel no problem.

EDIT:
I had forgotten to install xf86-video-intel, now no problem

Last edited by uxiofp (2015-07-07 20:23:07)

krono-matrixer · 2015-07-26 16:19:42

Here is something that fixed it...

I just started using Conky, and when I set one of them to use double_buffer, the flickering stopped.

I know that it is feature packaged in another program. Is there a way to add this double_buffer to OpenBox (or any desktop environment using xorg and/or xorg-server)?

Wiki article for double_buffer in Conky: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Co … flickering

Last edited by krono-matrixer (2015-07-26 16:31:27)

krono-matrixer · 2015-07-26 16:45:21

Removed...

Last edited by krono-matrixer (2015-07-26 17:33:27)

Trilby · 2015-07-26 16:55:42

Ah ... what? Grepping the logs will help diagnose a problem, not fix one. If it is working now this is a coincidence: there is no way that this grep command fixed your issue. Worse yet, that is a 5 year old thread, and the module being checked for in the log doesn't even exist anymore!

krono-matrixer · 2015-07-26 17:02:01

Trilby wrote:

Ah ... what? Grepping the logs will help diagnose a problem, not fix one. If it is working now this is a coincidence: there is no way that this grep command fixed your issue. Worse yet, that is a 5 year old thread, and the module being checked for in the log doesn't even exist anymore!

Could be... I tried recreating the flickering, and I can't get it to come back. I guess it is a good thing, but I can't figure out what else I did to make it stop, without starting conky. I will wipe the system and build from Arch default distro to see if the issue comes back.

Last edited by krono-matrixer (2015-07-26 17:34:59)

Gusar · 2015-07-26 18:45:42

Before nuking the entire installation, try this: Install xorg-xset and run "xset dpms force off". This will turn off the display. Now move the mouse or press a key so that the display will turn back on, and observe if your issues are back. If they are, restart conky to see if that makes the issues disappear again.

Last edited by Gusar (2015-07-26 18:46:09)

Arch Linux

#1 2015-05-25 17:21:18

openbox/xorg-server screen flickering

#2 2015-05-25 17:33:47

Re: openbox/xorg-server screen flickering

#3 2015-05-25 18:07:48

Re: openbox/xorg-server screen flickering

#4 2015-05-25 18:17:55

Re: openbox/xorg-server screen flickering

#5 2015-05-25 18:31:31

Re: openbox/xorg-server screen flickering

#6 2015-05-25 18:56:57

Re: openbox/xorg-server screen flickering

#7 2015-05-25 19:23:31

Re: openbox/xorg-server screen flickering

#8 2015-05-25 19:26:04

Re: openbox/xorg-server screen flickering

#9 2015-05-25 19:32:52

Re: openbox/xorg-server screen flickering

#10 2015-05-25 19:41:46

Re: openbox/xorg-server screen flickering

#11 2015-05-25 19:45:52

Re: openbox/xorg-server screen flickering

#12 2015-05-25 20:05:19

Re: openbox/xorg-server screen flickering

#13 2015-06-14 09:53:19

Re: openbox/xorg-server screen flickering

#14 2015-06-14 20:05:14

Re: openbox/xorg-server screen flickering

#15 2015-07-07 19:55:54

Re: openbox/xorg-server screen flickering

#16 2015-07-26 16:19:42

Re: openbox/xorg-server screen flickering

#17 2015-07-26 16:45:21

Re: openbox/xorg-server screen flickering

#18 2015-07-26 16:55:42

Re: openbox/xorg-server screen flickering

#19 2015-07-26 17:02:01

Re: openbox/xorg-server screen flickering

#20 2015-07-26 18:45:42

Re: openbox/xorg-server screen flickering

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