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xsnow not working in Etch KDE

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xsnow not working in Etch KDE

#1 Post by ComputerBob »

I'm a full-time Debian Etch KDE user, having installed my system from the Debian KDE installation CD #1. I also installed the nvidia drivers for my geforce 6200 graphics card, using "the Debian way." The nvidia drivers are working and I have really good 3D.

This morning, I used Synaptic to install xnow, the little toy that adds falling snowflakes to the desktop background. But when I run it by typing xsnow in a terminal window, the xsnow information appears in the terminal, telling me that it's running, but nothing happens on my desktop, other than it turns off the transparency of my kicker panel, and it takes a minute or so for the terminal prompt to appear again.

Has anyone here successfully run xsnow in Etch KDE? Did you have to do anything to make it work?
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#2 Post by llivv »

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Last edited by llivv on 2019-02-17 02:02, edited 1 time in total.

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#3 Post by ComputerBob »

Thanks for the suggestion, but nothing's getting it to work.

That made me wonder if it's an nvidia driver problem. So I went into screensavers and discovered that NONE of the OpenGL screensavers even appear, let alone work. All of the non-OpenGL screensavers work fine.

I have confirmed that direct rendering is working on my system:

computerbob@debian:~$ glxinfo | grep -i render
direct rendering: Yes
OpenGL renderer string: GeForce 6200/AGP/SSE/3DNOW!
GL_NVX_conditional_render, GL_SGIS_generate_mipmap, GL_SGIS_texture_lod,
computerbob@debian:~$ glxinfo | grep "direct"
direct rendering: Yes

The following post makes me think that maybe there's a problem with getting the nvidia driver to work with OpenGL:

http://forums.debian.net/viewtopic.php?t=10109

I guess I should start looking for help to get OpenGL screensavers to work with the nvidia drivers -- once I get that problem fixed, then MAYBE xsnow will start working.
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#4 Post by llivv »

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#5 Post by ComputerBob »

THAT WORKED!!!!!

Thanks so much for finding that and telling me about it!

My desktop currently shows snowflakes falling onto a tropical scene. :lol:

OpenGL screensavers still don't work, but since I think others have reported problems with those, and I never use a screensaver (power-down after 5 minutes), I won't worry about that "problem."

:lol: :lol: :lol:
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#6 Post by ComputerBob »

Here's a screenshot of xsnow running on my desktop (750 KB):

http://www.computerbob.com/

[EDIT - I changed the link so that it goes to my site's home page, where you'll see a thumbnail in today's Journal entry - December 22 - that will take you to the larger screenshot image.]
Last edited by ComputerBob on 2007-12-22 21:33, edited 3 times in total.
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#7 Post by Lavene »

ComputerBob wrote:Here's a screenshot of xsnow running on my desktop (750 KB):

http://www.computerbob.com/images/journ ... now_lg.png
Hmmmm
FORBIDDEN - YOU TRIED TO ACCESS A PAGE THAT YOU ARE FORBIDDEN FROM VIEWING. If you arrived here by clicking on a link from a search engine, then try clearing your browser's location bar and retyping the URL of the page that you want to see. If you believe that you should be able to view that page, you may send an email message to SECURITY403 at COMPUTERBOB.COM.
:?

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#8 Post by garrincha »

Lavene wrote:
ComputerBob wrote:Here's a screenshot of xsnow running on my desktop (750 KB):

http://www.computerbob.com/images/journ ... now_lg.png
Hmmmm
FORBIDDEN - YOU TRIED TO ACCESS A PAGE THAT YOU ARE FORBIDDEN FROM VIEWING. If you arrived here by clicking on a link from a search engine, then try clearing your browser's location bar and retyping the URL of the page that you want to see. If you believe that you should be able to view that page, you may send an email message to SECURITY403 at COMPUTERBOB.COM.
:?
Heh...I did see his screenshot by going up parent url:
http://www.computerbob.com/
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#9 Post by ComputerBob »

I'm very sorry everyone. I have a "bad-robot" script that automatically bans robots that ignore my robots.txt file, and apparently, it also bans people who try to visit my site's images directly.

Try going to my home page instead, where today's Journal entry has a thumbnail that leads to the larger screenshot.

ComputerBob.com

In the meantime, I'll work on that "bad-robot" script.

If you still get the "FORBIDDEN" message, even when you try to visit my home page, then PLEASE PM me your IP address and I will manually remove it from my .htaccess file, or else you'll never be allowed to view any of my site's pages. :shock:
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#10 Post by bluesdog »

..I went into screensavers and discovered that NONE of the OpenGL screensavers even appear, let alone work.
Post your /etc/X11/xorg.conf
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#11 Post by ComputerBob »

bluesdog wrote: Post your /etc/X11/xorg.conf

Code: Select all

# /etc/X11/xorg.conf (xorg X Window System server configuration file)
#
# This file was generated by dexconf, the Debian X Configuration tool, using
# values from the debconf database.
#
# Edit this file with caution, and see the /etc/X11/xorg.conf manual page.
# (Type "man /etc/X11/xorg.conf" at the shell prompt.)
#
# This file is automatically updated on xserver-xorg package upgrades *only*
# if it has not been modified since the last upgrade of the xserver-xorg
# package.
#
# If you have edited this file but would like it to be automatically updated
# again, run the following command:
#   sudo dpkg-reconfigure -phigh xserver-xorg

Section "Files"
	FontPath	"/usr/share/fonts/X11/misc"
	FontPath	"/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/misc"
	FontPath	"/usr/share/fonts/X11/cyrillic"
	FontPath	"/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/cyrillic"
	FontPath	"/usr/share/fonts/X11/100dpi/:unscaled"
	FontPath	"/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi/:unscaled"
	FontPath	"/usr/share/fonts/X11/75dpi/:unscaled"
	FontPath	"/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi/:unscaled"
	FontPath	"/usr/share/fonts/X11/Type1"
	FontPath	"/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/Type1"
	FontPath	"/usr/share/fonts/X11/100dpi"
	FontPath	"/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi"
	FontPath	"/usr/share/fonts/X11/75dpi"
	FontPath	"/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi"
	# path to defoma fonts
	FontPath	"/var/lib/defoma/x-ttcidfont-conf.d/dirs/TrueType"
EndSection

Section "Module"
	Load	"bitmap"
	Load	"ddc"
	Load	"extmod"
	Load	"freetype"
	Load	"glx"
	Load	"int10"
	Load	"vbe"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
	Identifier	"Generic Keyboard"
	Driver		"kbd"
	Option		"CoreKeyboard"
	Option		"XkbRules"	"xorg"
	Option		"XkbModel"	"pc104"
	Option		"XkbLayout"	"us"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
	Identifier	"Configured Mouse"
	Driver		"mouse"
	Option		"CorePointer"
	Option		"Device"		"/dev/input/mice"
	Option		"Protocol"		"ImPS/2"
	Option		"Emulate3Buttons"	"true"
EndSection

Section "Device"
	Identifier	"nVidia Corporation NV44A [GeForce 6200]"
	Driver		"nvidia"
	BusID		"PCI:3:0:0"
	Option		"UseFBDev"		"true"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
	Identifier	"Envision_G22LWk"
	Option		"DPMS"
	HorizSync	30-90
	VertRefresh	50-60
EndSection

Section "Screen"
	Identifier	"Default Screen"
	Device		"nVidia Corporation NV44A [GeForce 6200]"
	Monitor		"Envision_G22LWk"
	DefaultDepth	16
	SubSection "Display"
		Depth		1
		Modes		"1680x1050"
	EndSubSection
	SubSection "Display"
		Depth		4
		Modes		"1680x1050"
	EndSubSection
	SubSection "Display"
		Depth		8
		Modes		"1680x1050"
	EndSubSection
	SubSection "Display"
		Depth		15
		Modes		"1680x1050"
	EndSubSection
	SubSection "Display"
		Depth		16
		Modes		"1680x1050"
	EndSubSection
	SubSection "Display"
		Depth		24
		Modes		"1680x1050"
	EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
	Identifier	"Default Layout"
	Screen		"Default Screen"
	InputDevice	"Generic Keyboard"
	InputDevice	"Configured Mouse"
EndSection

Section "DRI"
	Mode	0666
EndSection
I installed the latest nvidia drivers "the Debian way" and I haven't made any changes to xorg.conf, so there really shouldn't be anything wrong with it, should there?

BTW, if I go into the OpenGL section in the list of screensavers, and select any of them, the "preview" remains black. If I click on the "Setup" button, it tells me "No configuration available for (name of screensaver)."
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#12 Post by ComputerBob »

Good news -- I did some more experimenting and discovered that a few of my OpenGL screensavers DO work -- I just had to click on every OpenGL screensaver in the long list to find the few that work.

At least now I know that OpenGL is working correctly for the following screensavers:

Bitmap Flag (GL)
Euphoria (GL)
Fireworks 3D (GL)
Flux (GL)
Gravity (GL)
Pendulum (GL)
KRotation (GL)
Particle Fountain (GL)
Solar Winds (GL)

All of the other OpenGL screensavers just show a black preview screen and don't work.

I'm really relieved to see that those few of them are working just fine, but do the rest of them not work because Debian "thinks" I have a whole bunch of other OpenGL screensavers that I really don't have?
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#13 Post by llivv »

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#14 Post by bluesdog »

First make a backup copy of your /etc/X11/xorg.conf
Example:

Code: Select all

# cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf /etc/X11/xorg_backup.conf
Then edit the file, using your fav plain text editor.

Example:

Code: Select all

# nano /etc/X11/xorg.conf
Add the following to Section "Module"

Code: Select all

Load    "record"
Load    "dbe"
Load    "type1"
Under Section "Device"
Try commenting out the framebuffer device option:

Code: Select all

# Option  "UseFBDev"  "true"
Add the following to Section "Screen"

Code: Select all

Option         "RenderAccel" "true"
Option         "NvAGP" "3"
Comment out or remove the entire Section "DRI"
nvidia GPU has direct rendering built in, so this stanza in /etc/X11/xorg.conf conflicts with the built in dri

You'll probably have to restart the x-server to see any changes.
Switch to a different terminal
Example: <ctrl><alt><f2>
Login as root, and issue command appropriate to your system. Example

Code: Select all

# /etc/init.d/kdm restart
If you inadvertantly mis-typed something, or the x-server refuses to start, you can restore your original /etc/X11/xorg.conf by typing at the CLI:

Code: Select all

# mv /etc/X11/xorg_backup.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf
You can also use the nvidia configuration tool: nvidia-xconfig to create a basic, nicely-formatted /etc/X11/xorg.conf.

See man nvidia-xconfig for more details, and visit the nvidia README for details on various configuration options

Happy tweaking!
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#15 Post by ComputerBob »

llivv wrote:I wouldn't know if debian thinks you have them or not. The package maintainer might think you have them though.
So I would think that would be a good place to start checking as to what you think debian is thinking, I think.
:lol:
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#16 Post by ComputerBob »

@bluesdog

Thanks very much for your unusually clear instructions and explanations. I really, really appreciate that you took the time to figure all of that out and tell me. I've seen bits and pieces of your suggestions in other threads, but I've never seen anything as complete and comprehensive as what you wrote here. I've bookmarked it and also printed it out to keep in my "Linux Notebook." :D

Unfortunately, even after doing everything that you suggested, nothing has changed.

I kept all of the changes that you suggested, except that I re-enabled the framebuffer, since it didn't make any difference to comment it out.

1. 3D acceleration was enabled before -- it's still enabled now.

2. glxgears -printfps worked before -- it still works now, and it reports the exact same frames per second that it did before.

3. Of the 76 OpenGL screensavers that appear as choices, only the very few that worked before are working now.

Does 76 OpenGL screensavers seem like an awful lot of screensavers to have been installed by default by the Debian KDE installation? I would've been surprised to find 76 screensavers all together, let alone 76 OpenGL screensavers, PLUS all of the non-OpenGL screensavers.

I wonder if maybe I was supposed to "get" only the OpenGL screensavers that are currently working, but the installer somehow incorrectly added the names of all of those other OpenGL screensavers to my list of choices. :?:

At least at this point, I KNOW for sure that OpenGL itself is working correctly, even though only a few of my 76 OpenGL screensavers are working. 8)

BTW, I was very careful to DE-select DRI during the dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg portion of installing the nvidia drivers "the Debian way." Apparently, from what I can tell with my limited knowledge, it looks to me like de-selecting DRI during that process doesn't REMOVE DRI from xorg.conf -- instead it leaves the DRI lines in there but it doesn't put in a line that will load DRI. (???)
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#17 Post by bluesdog »

BTW, I was very careful to DE-select DRI during the dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg portion of installing the nvidia drivers "the Debian way." Apparently, from what I can tell with my limited knowledge, it looks to me like de-selecting DRI during that process doesn't REMOVE DRI from xorg.conf -- instead it leaves the DRI lines in there but it doesn't put in a line that will load DRI. (???)
Dunno. I've never bothered putting the DRI section in the configuration file, and rarely used the dpkg-reconfigure xserver command anyway --
I prefer to manually edit the file, then run nvidia-xconfig to make it look pretty :wink:
Note that nvidia-xconfig will remove the DRI section, if present. This suggests nvidia considers it fairly important...

If your display system is othewise working ok, for example if

Code: Select all

$ glxgears
results in a decent framerate, the problem with the screensavers is likely a problem with ... the screensavers!

Check the install: What is output of

Code: Select all

$ dpkg -l xscreensaver-gl
btw, there are apparently 78 open-gl screensavers on this box :shock:
Tips & Tricks

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#18 Post by ComputerBob »

bluesdog wrote:Check the install: What is output of

Code: Select all

$ dpkg -l xscreensaver-gl

Code: Select all

computerbob@debian:~$ dpkg -l xscreensaver-gl
Desired=Unknown/Install/Remove/Purge/Hold
| Status=Not/Installed/Config-files/Unpacked/Failed-config/Half-installed
|/ Err?=(none)/Hold/Reinst-required/X=both-problems (Status,Err: uppercase=bad)
||/ Name           Version        Description
+++-==============-==============-============================================
un  xscreensaver-g <none>         (no description available)
I installed Debian with KDE only (no GNOME), using Debian KDE CD #1. Before I installed, I made sure that the md5sums matched perfectly between the published md5sum, the download, and the burned CD. And my installation of the nvidia drivers "the Debian way" was flawless, with no errors and with everything working exactly the way it was supposed to. I'm not going to mention the "b" word, but I'm beginning to wonder if it could be one.:shock:
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#19 Post by llivv »

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#20 Post by ComputerBob »

OK, I think I feel happy! :lol:

But I don't know enough to know exactly what I'm looking at on that page.... when it says :
Half Broken Build-Depends
(not necessarily bugs)
What does that mean to a user, in practical terms? Does it mean, "We know about that problem, but we're not going to treat it like a bug and fix it?" :?:

Or is there some fix described there that I don't know enough to recognize? :?:

This whole problem-tracking process has been kind of fun, and it's nice to know that I ended up in a place that other people already know about. :wink:

It's just like I said in My Debian Adventure:
Debian has plenty of really great sources of information and support — it's been around a long time, it has many, many users, and no matter what problem I discover, it seems like "they've seen it all before." That makes it relatively pain-free to find all the answers that I need.
:D
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