Flickering desktop after update

thangalin · 2026-01-14 04:01:58

After a recent update, the terminal and desktop flicker:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4RSqxr7tRU

This makes the terminal nearly unusable, as it also affects the terminal's responsiveness to commands, and sometimes the window will completely disappear momentarily. The system was completely fine until I ran pacman -Syu to upgrade the system, followed by a reboot.

Any ideas how to diagnose the problem and fix it (or is it an NVIDA bug and I need to downgrade the driver)? This thread seems relevant:

https://forums.developer.nvidia.com/t/5 … 341205/968

I'm not seeing any errors in .xession-errors and dmesg looks okay, except for [ 1442.988645] nvme nvme0: using unchecked data buffer.

# wmctrl -m
Name: Xfwm4
# cat /etc/issue
Antergos Linux \r (\l)
# uname -a
Linux hostname 6.18.5-arch1-1 #1 SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Sun, 11 Jan 2026 17:10:53 +0000 x86_64 GNU/Linux
$ echo $XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP
XFCE
$ modinfo -F version nvidia
590.48.01
$ nvidia-smi --version
NVIDIA-SMI version  : 590.48.01
NVML version        : 590.48
DRIVER version      : 590.48.01
CUDA Version        : 13.1
$ xfwm4 -V
	This is xfwm4 version 4.20.0 (revision unknown) for Xfce 4.20
	Released under the terms of the GNU General Public License.
	Compiled against GTK+-3.24.43, using GTK+-3.24.51.

	Build configuration and supported features:
	- Startup notification support:                 Yes
	- XSync support:                                Yes
	- Render support:                               Yes
	- Xrandr support:                               Yes
	- Xpresent support:                             Yes
	- X Input 2 support:                            No
	- Embedded compositor:                          Yes
	- Epoxy support:                                Yes
$ xdpyinfo
name of display:    :0.0
version number:    11.0
vendor string:    The X.Org Foundation
vendor release number:    12101021
X.Org version: 21.1.21
maximum request size:  16777212 bytes
motion buffer size:  256
bitmap unit, bit order, padding:    32, LSBFirst, 32
image byte order:    LSBFirst
number of supported pixmap formats:    7
supported pixmap formats:
    depth 1, bits_per_pixel 1, scanline_pad 32
    depth 4, bits_per_pixel 8, scanline_pad 32
    depth 8, bits_per_pixel 8, scanline_pad 32
    depth 15, bits_per_pixel 16, scanline_pad 32
    depth 16, bits_per_pixel 16, scanline_pad 32
    depth 24, bits_per_pixel 32, scanline_pad 32
    depth 32, bits_per_pixel 32, scanline_pad 32
keycode range:    minimum 8, maximum 255
focus:  window 0x2a00004, revert to Parent
number of extensions:    31
    BIG-REQUESTS
    Composite
    DAMAGE
    DOUBLE-BUFFER
    DPMS
    DRI2
    DRI3
    GLX
    Generic Event Extension
    MIT-SCREEN-SAVER
    MIT-SHM
    NV-CONTROL
    NV-GLX
    Present
    RANDR
    RECORD
    RENDER
    SECURITY
    SHAPE
    SYNC
    X-Resource
    XC-MISC
    XFIXES
    XFree86-DGA
    XFree86-VidModeExtension
    XINERAMA
    XINERAMA
    XInputExtension
    XKEYBOARD
    XTEST
    XVideo
default screen number:    0
number of screens:    1

screen #0:
  dimensions:    3840x2160 pixels (1017x572 millimeters)
  resolution:    96x96 dots per inch
  depths (7):    24, 1, 4, 8, 15, 16, 32
  root window id:    0x24f
  depth of root window:    24 planes
  number of colormaps:    minimum 1, maximum 1
  default colormap:    0x20
  default number of colormap cells:    256
  preallocated pixels:    black 0, white 16777215
  options:    backing-store WHEN MAPPED, save-unders NO
  largest cursor:    256x256
  current input event mask:    0xfa800f
    KeyPressMask             KeyReleaseMask           ButtonPressMask          
    ButtonReleaseMask        ExposureMask             StructureNotifyMask      
    SubstructureNotifyMask   SubstructureRedirectMask FocusChangeMask          
    PropertyChangeMask       ColormapChangeMask       
  number of visuals:    180
  default visual id:  0x21

thangalin · 2026-01-14 04:39:29

Enabling "Force Full Composition Pipeline", in nvidia-settings, helps significantly reduce the flicker:

1. Go to "X Server Display Configuration"
2. Click "Advanced" button
3. Enable "Force Full Composition Pipeline"
4. Click "Apply"
5. Click "Save to X Configuration File"

As does disabling compositing:

xfconf-query -c xfwm4 -p /general/use_compositing -s false

Disabling compositing, however, makes certain windows have huge, thick black borders (instead of drop shadows).

toz · 2026-01-14 11:07:47

Instead of disabling compositing, try setting vblank_mode to off:

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

thangalin · 2026-01-14 17:51:55

> Instead of disabling compositing, try setting vblank_mode to off:

Thank you, that helps a little. There's less flickering, but still flickers and lags/stutters while typing.

seth · 2026-01-15 09:40:53

https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=311055 ?

If you downgrade nvidia nb. you'll need the (older) nvidia-dkms package and to read https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Dynami … le_Support if you're not familiar w/ dkms

roobre · 2026-01-27 18:29:30

I just noticed this happening recently to me too, using `nvidia-580xx-dkms 580.126.09-1`. Something interesting is that I've only ever seen GTK applications flicker, not QT ones. No idea about why.

In my case, "disabling composition" (by means of killing or not starting `picom`, worked around the issue.

Last edited by roobre (2026-01-27 18:30:20)

seth · 2026-01-27 20:41:23

Might be unrelated to the nvidia regression then, do you also use xfce (and do you experience issues w/ the built-in xfwm4 compositor) or do you get such flickering w/ the default picom config (ie. when moving your config away)?

roobre · 2026-02-13 11:03:58

I use i3, so no experience with the xfwm4 compositor unfortunately. I did try to run picom with the default config, and didn't see the flickering happen. After some trial and error, I think I may have narrowed it down to picom's `backend = "glx";`. The default backend is `xrender`, and if I switch to it (rest of my config untouched), no flickering happens.

I should also say, that even with the problematic picom option on, flickering is much less severe since I last upgraded the system (potentially due to `nvidia-580xx-dkms 580.126.09-1`?). With picom set to xrender and said driver, I cannot see any flickering whatsoever now.

the_jest · 2026-03-10 17:32:05

I didn't see this thread, and posted the identical problem here: https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?pid=2290112

I can confirm that disabling compositing solved the problem for me. I do hope that going forward there'll be a fix for the nvidia regression that causes this in the first place.

seth · 2026-03-10 20:12:49

Something interesting is that I've only ever seen GTK applications flicker, not QT ones. No idea about why.

Does it help to (globally)

export  GSK_RENDERER=gl

or

export  GSK_RENDERER=cairo

?

Arch Linux

#1 2026-01-14 04:01:58

Flickering desktop after update

#2 2026-01-14 04:39:29

Re: Flickering desktop after update

#3 2026-01-14 11:07:47

Re: Flickering desktop after update

#4 2026-01-14 17:51:55

Re: Flickering desktop after update

#5 2026-01-15 09:40:53

Re: Flickering desktop after update

#6 2026-01-27 18:29:30

Re: Flickering desktop after update

#7 2026-01-27 20:41:23

Re: Flickering desktop after update

#8 2026-02-13 11:03:58

Re: Flickering desktop after update

#9 2026-03-10 17:32:05

Re: Flickering desktop after update

#10 2026-03-10 20:12:49

Re: Flickering desktop after update

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