Arch Linux

elclanrs

Member

Registered: 2010-02-01

Posts: 6

XFCE4 compositor vsync!

I'm trying to get vsync working with xfce4 compositor.

It works without any compositor, and it works with compiz but I can see tearing on videos while using xfce compositor.

What could be causing this behavior? It's driving me nuts! I don't want to use compiz but I need a compositor for AWN...

Last edited by elclanrs (2010-05-31 03:49:41)

sand_man

Member

From: Australia

Registered: 2008-06-10

Posts: 2,164

Re: XFCE4 compositor vsync!

I don't want to deter you from your goal but have you tried cairo-dock? Works very similar to AWN but has more plugins and is still developed and it gives you the choice to run with a composite window manager or without.

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elclanrs

Member

Registered: 2010-02-01

Posts: 6

Re: XFCE4 compositor vsync!

Yeah I tried cairo but I really don't like it, it's very bloated IMO, lots of thing I wont use...

elclanrs

Member

Registered: 2010-02-01

Posts: 6

Re: XFCE4 compositor vsync!

bump

sand_man

Member

From: Australia

Registered: 2008-06-10

Posts: 2,164

Re: XFCE4 compositor vsync!

vsync is probably graphics card specific. What are you using?

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elclanrs

Member

Registered: 2010-02-01

Posts: 6

Re: XFCE4 compositor vsync!

Im using nvidia 260gtx card but I dont think is card config related, I guess there's something wrong with the xfce4 compositor because with every other compositor I tried it works.

enyaw_ecurb

Member

Registered: 2010-02-12

Posts: 28

Re: XFCE4 compositor vsync!

The compositor is responsible for the final compositing of your desktop. If it does support vsync basic operations like window moving or resizing should show no significant tearing.
The nvidia driver supports vsync and don't bother trying "to turn it on", as this depends on the application.

The tearing while watching videos however, is related to the display-backend your player uses. If it works without compositor I suspect it uses an vsynced-backend per default and the compositor interferes with it. VLC for example lets you choose the video output. Try to switch that first.

It may also be an issue with the (proprietary, I assume?) nvidia driver and compositing managers. There are a few longstanding and unresolved issues http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/showthr … 833&page=7.
May also be a bug with xfce. http://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=79358

xoey7

Member

Registered: 2009-05-20

Posts: 22

Re: XFCE4 compositor vsync!

I was curious about the same thing. I ended up reading (maybe in arch wiki or wikipedia) on something similar to what enyaw_ecurb is talking about. Basically, the rendering engine (compiz, cairo, etc...) have control and use a backend such as X server (2d) or OpenGl (3d), etc... Vsyncing so far, seems to be an option only with OpenGl (compiz, kwin). So, any rendering engine capable of using OpenGl as its backend, will be able to "force" the screen update, whereas 2d rendering relys on X server, which doesn't have anything available to do such a thing.

If I am wrong somehow, please correct me

Last edited by xoey7 (2010-06-01 22:32:38)

elclanrs

Member

Registered: 2010-02-01

Posts: 6

Re: XFCE4 compositor vsync!

I really think the problem is with the xfce4 compositor but I'm not sure. I tried the different video outputs in VLC with the xfce compositor with no luck, still tearing...
I guess what you're saying is that the xfce compositor works in 2d while compiz works in 3d and thats the core of the problem...