Flickering XFCE (X11 with composit) and nvidia-open-dkms

obelisk · 2025-12-18 14:52:36

Hello together,
since today update I got flickering on each window movement.

I'm using xfce (x11) with nvidia-open-dkms driver.

I figured it out, that it has something to do with the nvidia-open-dkms driver and xfce-composit.
The flickering does not occur when I deactivate the composit or when I downgrade the nvidia driver.
The problem packages on my system are:
lib32-nvidia-utils-580.119.02-1
nvidia-open-dkms-580.119.02-1
nvidia-utils-580.119.02-1

I found two temporary solutions for me.

Temporary solution 1: deactivate composit
XFCE-Settings > Window-Settings > Compisit > Deactivate the composit

Temporary solution 2: Downgrade the nvidia driver:
For me it was (depending if you have also the 32bit package):

pacman -U /var/cache/pacman/pkg/nvidia-open-dkms-580.105.08-5-x86_64.pkg.tar.zst   /var/cache/pacman/pkg/nvidia-utils-580.105.08-5-x86_64.pkg.tar.zst   /var/cache/pacman/pkg/lib32-nvidia-utils-580.105.08-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.zst

The packages are in /var/cache/pacman/pkg. If you don't have them anymore, you can download it manually from archive:
https://archive.archlinux.org/packages/n/
I'm not sure it it is allowed to share external links... I found flickering reports in endeavouros and in developer..nvidia forums.

Has anybody else the same problem with archlinux? Can any body confirm the flicketing with nvidia-open driver?

Last edited by obelisk (2025-12-23 11:25:20)

ajgringo619 · 2025-12-18 17:14:35

This is a known issue, I also had to downgrade. Check out the thread here on the Nvidia dev forum: https://forums.developer.nvidia.com/t/5 … 341205/939

ajgringo619 · 2025-12-18 23:52:33

If you can, try the 590.48 drivers (now in extra/testing). So far, so good here.

obelisk · 2025-12-19 10:06:32

thanks for the link.
I think I will wait till it is official in extra.
I can't install it from testing. Because of dependency of lib32-nvidia-utils, which wants nvidia-utils=580.119.02.
I have lib32-nvidia-utils installed because steam need it.

toz · 2025-12-19 10:32:02

Try setting a different vblank mode. There has been some reported success with setting it to "off".

obelisk · 2025-12-19 16:45:24

Hi thanks, after login or reboot I have flickering, the settings is:

$ xfconf-query -c xfwm4 -p /general/vblank_mode
auto

I tried the different vblank modes with this result:

xfwm4 --replace --vblank=xpresent #no flickering any more
xfwm4 --replace --vblank=glx #flickering is present 
xfwm4 --replace --vblank=off #no flickering any more

The composit was active (last tab in xfwm4-tweaks-settings). That's good for me. I use a theme where the xfce4-panel is only transparent when the composit is activated.
As described i archwiki I saved it for me with:

xfconf-query -c xfwm4 -p /general/vblank_mode xpresent

Setting it with GUI is possible with xfce4-settings-editor >> xfwm4. the default value was auto. I don't know what the default value is, I guess it is glx. Because only in glx I have the flickering.

That's is okay for me, I will try with next nvidia-open-dkms updates, if I can set it back to auto. For me this post is solved.

Last edited by obelisk (2025-12-19 16:49:21)

Iggy23 · 2025-12-21 23:35:27

I have the same problem with strong flickering when i hover over elements, and setting vblank_mode did not solve the problem.

So far, i have no solution.

Last edited by Iggy23 (2025-12-21 23:50:08)

obelisk · 2025-12-22 14:29:24

Have you also restarted your X session oder rebootet?
For me, I set not vblank to off.
Also against tearing I activated CompositionPipeline in my xorg configuration.

dinux · 2025-12-22 22:50:39

Same issue here.

It was:

$ xfconf-query -c xfwm4 -p /general/vblank_mode
glx

After

$ xfconf-query -c xfwm4 -p /general/vblank_mode -s off

and reboot, looks like issue is gone.

obelisk · 2025-12-23 10:55:45

Thanks, setting it off was also a solution for me. With glx the flickering was present.

With update to nvidia-open-dkms 590.48.01-1 i need still to set off the vblank_mode. Otherwise the hard window flickering is present. I will reopen the post, because other people have the problem too.

xfwm4 --help shows which options are available for vblank_mode.

For people who want use GUI:
xfce4-settings-editor >> left menu down to xfwm4 >> right list down to vblank_mode. Default value is auto. I think glx will be used when it is auto.
When you set it in the xfce4-settings-editor, you have to restart X or reboot.

seal2000 · 2025-12-24 02:56:14

obelisk wrote:

Thanks, setting it off was also a solution for me. With glx the flickering was present.
With update to nvidia-open-dkms 590.48.01-1 i need still to set off the vblank_mode. Otherwise the hard window flickering is present. I will reopen the post, because other people have the problem too.
xfwm4 --help shows which options are available for vblank_mode.
For people who want use GUI:
xfce4-settings-editor >> left menu down to xfwm4 >> right list down to vblank_mode. Default value is auto. I think glx will be used when it is auto.
When you set it in the xfce4-settings-editor, you have to restart X or reboot.

I'm using the nvidia-open-dkms driver version 590.48.01-1, and this method resolves the window flickering issue I was experiencing.
What is vblank_mode used for, and once the driver is fixed in the future, will it be necessary to revert this setting?

seth · 2025-12-24 09:44:49

What is vblank_mode used for, and once the driver is fixed in the future, will it be necessary to revert this setting?

Vertical synchronization (tearing prevention) - from the flickering I suspect this goes through vulkan/zink?
Is anyone here running the nvidia-open module w/ the modesetting X11 driver (your xorg log will know)

Arch Linux

#1 2025-12-18 14:52:36

Flickering XFCE (X11 with composit) and nvidia-open-dkms

#2 2025-12-18 17:14:35

Re: Flickering XFCE (X11 with composit) and nvidia-open-dkms

#3 2025-12-18 23:52:33

Re: Flickering XFCE (X11 with composit) and nvidia-open-dkms

#4 2025-12-19 10:06:32

Re: Flickering XFCE (X11 with composit) and nvidia-open-dkms

#5 2025-12-19 10:32:02

Re: Flickering XFCE (X11 with composit) and nvidia-open-dkms

#6 2025-12-19 16:45:24

Re: Flickering XFCE (X11 with composit) and nvidia-open-dkms

#7 2025-12-21 23:35:27

Re: Flickering XFCE (X11 with composit) and nvidia-open-dkms

#8 2025-12-22 14:29:24

Re: Flickering XFCE (X11 with composit) and nvidia-open-dkms

#9 2025-12-22 22:50:39

Re: Flickering XFCE (X11 with composit) and nvidia-open-dkms

#10 2025-12-23 10:55:45

Re: Flickering XFCE (X11 with composit) and nvidia-open-dkms

#11 2025-12-24 02:56:14

Re: Flickering XFCE (X11 with composit) and nvidia-open-dkms

#12 2025-12-24 09:44:49

Re: Flickering XFCE (X11 with composit) and nvidia-open-dkms

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