Glx-Dock / Cairo-Dock - Cairo-dock 2.0 beta transparency settings affects other applications

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Glx-Dock / Cairo-Dock List of forums Problems at use | Problèmes à l'utilisation Cairo-dock 2.0 beta transparency settings affects other applications

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Problems at use | Problèmes à l'utilisation

	Subjects	Author	Language	Messages	Last message
	Cairo-dock 2.0 beta transparency settings affects other applications Page : 1 2 3	Godlikearg	English	51	FrankKubuntu [Read] 02 January 2010 à 19:37

FrankKubuntu, Monday 28 December 2009 à 07:07

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Subscription date : 21 October 2009
Messages : 1575

Ok so that didn't work well for me.

Editing .bashrc and adding

export XLIB_SKIP_ARGB_VISUALS=1
unset XLIB_SKIP_ARGB_VISUALS && compiz
unset XLIB_SKIP_ARGB_VISUALS && cairo-dock -o

was a real mess. X wasn't loading, black screen after log on and nothing happening.
I tried using 'sleep' in bashrc to delay the start but it didn't help. Also compiz must start with --replace --loose-binding options, but it didn't start at all anyway.

So I kept the export XLIB_SKIP_ARGB_VISUALS=1 in .bashrc.
I went into the AUTOSTART function in Configure Desktop and modified my CD command. Instead of launching 'cairo-dock -o', I changed for

unset XLIB_SKIP_ARGB_VISUALS && cairo-dock -o

So that KDE will start using that command.

Then, using CD to launch Compiz, I went into the Compiz configurator in CD and added a line in the COMMAND box:

unset XLIB_SKIP_ARGB_VISUALS && compiz --replace --loose-binding

And unchecked the Loose Binding option in CD (I already start it with the command line).

And that works.

It also HEAVILY reduced video card processing. When I had CD running with the ARGB options my video card was pedal-to-the-metal while viewing a video (whichever player) and GPU temps increased by 10C at least, to pretty much the max I've seen on my card (55C). Now it remains constant around 45-47C.

Mplayer and Compiz binaries are using a lot less cpu as well (around 20-25% before, now 1-5%).

Time for me to get some sleep (past 1am now lol).

Hope that might help the KDE guys hiding around.

FrankKubuntu, Monday 28 December 2009 à 07:16

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Subscription date : 21 October 2009
Messages : 1575

Aha!!

That export thing does affect the system. When I click on the KDE shutdown function, the dialog box that pops is now surrounded by a thick black line, which is I think the area inside which the box is painted.

I've seen that problem when I did a few tests before ending up with the above post's solution. I've seen CD's surrounded by a large black background and the Compiz sub-dock surrounded by a black square. Those 2 are fixed though.

But the shutdown dialog now has a permanent black line around it. It's good I don't give a shit about that dialog box lollll, but what else can it affect? Who knows...

If CD cannot work around this with its code, what type of bug should I log? QT? X? KDE? nVIDIA? Ugh...

The beauty of Linux...

matttbe, Monday 28 December 2009 à 21:34

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Subscription date : 24 January 2009
Messages : 12573

Is it not better to set these commands in

~/.xsession

The beauty of Linux

FrankKubuntu, Tuesday 29 December 2009 à 05:47

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Subscription date : 21 October 2009
Messages : 1575

I am not very good with startup scripts, so I didn't think about this one. I don't have such a file by default, so I guess I would need to create it and it ,may work better than .bashrc

But I must say the way I start up the applications right now (above posts) is great. Apart from that kdialog on shutdown (we would have it anyways when using global ARGB_VISUALS=1), but like I said who gives a damn about this? lolll Such a VERY small compromise to have CD running.

FrankKubuntu, Wednesday 30 December 2009 à 04:49

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Subscription date : 21 October 2009
Messages : 1575

Ok, after more testing I have found something.

The ARGB_VISUALS=1 set globally does have impacts in KDE. All the plasmoid dialogs show with a thick black border around them. So when you copy files KDE displays a pop-up notification and it is surrounded by that black border. I believe it delimits the container inside which the plasmoid is built. It looks like I am running a beta/non-mature version of KDE.

Anybody can think of another workaround? I am not very good for that type of problem. I tried to modify the launch command when dolphin launches smplayer (smplayer &f) by adding unset XLIB_SKIP_ARGB_VISUALS before, but that does not work, it thinks the application is UNSET. lolll

matttbe, Wednesday 30 December 2009 à 14:09

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Subscription date : 24 January 2009
Messages : 12573

Anybody can think of another workaround?

And what about reporting this bug to KDE dev

fabounet, Wednesday 30 December 2009 à 14:39

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Subscription date : 30 November 2007
Messages : 17118

a beta/non-mature version of KDE

isn't it the definition of KDE ?

+1 for reporting this bug (again and again) to the devs

and meanwhile, try to modify the .desktop of smplayer

matttbe, Wednesday 30 December 2009 à 14:53

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Subscription date : 24 January 2009
Messages : 12573

isn't it the definition of KDE ?

FrankKubuntu, Wednesday 30 December 2009 à 19:42

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Subscription date : 21 October 2009
Messages : 1575

Nahnahnah, KDE 4.3.1 is mature.

4.0 was not!!

The .desktop of smplayer? Ok, I'll see about that. I might post something on linuxquestions too, in case someone would know a reliable way of launching one single application with a special command, when dolphin or any other file manager, triggers it.

I don't have much information to log KDE a bug for, so hopefully they could guide me through the steps to provide them the required information. But as said in another post, I am fighting against a broken MB at the moment, still trying to finalize my opensuse 11.2 installation, so once I'm done I will start working more on a few little things in CD.

FrankKubuntu, Thursday 31 December 2009 à 07:06

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Subscription date : 21 October 2009
Messages : 1575

Adding XLIB_SKIP_ARGB_VISUALS=1 in the EXEC line before SMPLAYER &f works fine!

Dolphin launches it perfectly.

I have found many of the plasmoids notifications/dialog boxes were affected by a global XLIB in bashrc. There does not seem to be any .desktop for vlc, not sure I can create one? But my vlc works fine, so I guess I am ok. I'll see if after a few days of intensive work everything will still be fine.

I also tried the NO ARGB VISUALS function in COMPIZ SETTINGS, but that works by window role, name, title, class, etc. Sometimes it doesn't work, depending on the window. For me it didn't, otherwise it would have been great too. Actually so far all the apps I've tried to set particular rules to through compiz did not work. Firefox, smplayer... well, all = 2 apps. lolll I need rules on many apps, sizes and placement and workspace. So maybe my compiz doesn't work, I have to fix or use kwin, which is bad cuz I need the CUBE and kwin will NEVER have it (I have asked for it and they said Go f yourself lolll). Now usually it should work, so if you use compiz it should work using the option in the WINDOWS RULES of Window Management in the CCSM.

fabounet, Thursday 31 December 2009 à 15:40

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Subscription date : 30 November 2007
Messages : 17118

Kwin does have a cube effect.
anyway, setting the XLIB_SKIP_ARGB_VISUALS=1 in the .desktop seems a good option, except that it may be overwritten by updates.

FrankKubuntu, Saturday 02 January 2010 à 19:37

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Subscription date : 21 October 2009
Messages : 1575

KWin's Cube effect is bullshit.

Yes you can switch viewports and view the cube from outside, but you cannot have a transparency to view through the cube when you are in your viewport, working.

Presently I set transparency on Compiz's cube so that while I am typing here, I can see some applications from behind on the 3 other viewports and I can see my skydome picture as well. It gives a totally different perspective, it gives a nice deep perspective, which you don't have when you can't see through your wallpaper.

And I love that perspective.

It also changes the style of your wallpaper, so it opens up more styling options.

What Kwin will never have is the Cube's transparency. I should have been more precise, sorry.

If updates overwrite the .desktop, it's no big deal as it is SUPER EASY to re-add it.

So far that option worked FLAWLESSLY for me and DOES NOT impact anything else around.

#1 on my choice of options.

Problems at use | Problèmes à l'utilisation

	Subjects	Author	Language	Messages	Last message
	Cairo-dock 2.0 beta transparency settings affects other applications Page : 1 2 3	Godlikearg	English	51	FrankKubuntu [Read] 02 January 2010 à 19:37

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