OpenGL won't play in Root window

jiml8 · 12-11-2006, 08:43 PM

I sometimes like to run some of those openGL animations (lattice, plasma, and so forth) in the root window of my display, behind all the open application windows and the desktop icons, and so forth.

However, ever since upgrading to Mandriva 2007, it doesn't work. The OpenGL things start, and suck up CPU time, but don't display on the root window.

I even located the source and recompiled them for this kernel/release, but nothing happens although they work fine if I run them in their own window.

I have an nvidia GTS card with the latest nvidia driver for that card (old, but works for me) and XOrg7.1. Kernel is 2.6.17. Mesa libs are installed, though I'm not sure they are needed for this.

3D acceleration is working, but I don't have support for the 3D desktop.

Relevant sections of xorg.conf are these:

Code:

Section "Module"
    Load "dbe" # Double-Buffering Extension
    Load "v4l" # Video for Linux
    Load "extmod"
    Load "type1"
    Load "freetype"
    Load "glx" # 3D layer
EndSection

Section "Device"
    Identifier "device1"
    VendorName "nVidia Corp."
    BoardName "NVIDIA GeForce2 DDR (generic)"
    Driver "nvidia"
    Option "DPMS"
 #  Option "AllowGLXWithComposite" "true"
 #  Option "RenderAccel" "true"
EndSection

I've googled but haven't come up with anything useful. Anyone here have any idea?

jiml8 · 04-08-2007, 09:05 PM

...and, for the record, I just solved this problem.

Seems there is an option in KDE 3.5.4 which can be found in the KDE control panel. Under desktop->behavior, there is an option "Allow Programs in Desktop Window which, if not checked, will block things from the root window. I don't think that option was there on earlier versions of KDE, but it was unchecked and this was why I couldn't run programs in the window.