Desktop effects could not be enabled - ATi Radeon Xpress 1100 - Compiz
 

Fresh Install of Ubuntu 7.10 and all updates on ext3 file system. Then I followed this url ..

//news.softpedia.com/news/How-to-Install-Compiz-Fusion-on-Ubuntu-58113.shtml"]

to install Compiz Fusion.

When it came to using it, I got the 'Desktop effects could not be enabled' msg.

This was the response from Terminal when I typed in 'compiz' to attempt to check out why.

----------------------------------------

harrie@mumserver:~$ compiz
Checking for Xgl: not present.
Detected PCI ID for VGA: 01:05.0 0300: 1002:5975 (prog-if 00 [VGA])
Checking for texture_from_pixmap: present.
Checking for non power of two support: present.
Checking for Composite extension: present.
Comparing resolution (1280x800) to maximum 3D texture size (2048): Passed.
Checking for nVidia: not present.
Checking for FBConfig: present.
Checking for Xgl: not present.
Starting gtk-window-decorator
/usr/bin/compiz.real (core) - Fatal: No GLXFBConfig for default depth, this isn't going to work.
/usr/bin/compiz.real (core) - Error: Failed to manage screen: 0
/usr/bin/compiz.real (core) - Fatal: No manageable screens found on display :0.

-----------------------------------------

I apologize now if I have duped this error, I have seen a few posts on here but nothing that I could make any real sense of. Will someone who knows what the above means, let me know, cos right now, all I know is that it does not look good!

I really would appreciate any help.

Are you using the default video drivers? If so, Compiz definitely will not work.

First of all, thanks for replying LC!

In answer to your question, I believe so. It was originally a windows xp mce system with all drivers pre-installed. When I wiped the machine, formatted as ext3 and installed ubu, UBU installed its own drivers for all bits of hardware except for the Broadcom 802g wireless network card. I sorted that out now so all is working as hoped.

I assume in that case that Ubu installed its own driver for the video as it did with everything else. Am I required to get the latest driver for my video card then and install it? and if so, will Ubu recognise it for the ATI Radeon Xpress 1100? I guess what I am asking is if whether this video card is powerful enough..

regards

ATI and Compiz on Ubuntu
 

Hi m8, You need to run xgl to use compiz with an ATI card. to use XGL you need the ATI drivers 'fglrx'. the good news is that everything you need is in the standard ubuntu repo's. So here is how to do it.

1. Run Synaptic Package Manager and install the following.

xorg-driver-fglrx
xserver-xgl


2. Open a terminal and type sudo gedit /etc/X11/xorg.conf

3. Find Section "Device". Make sure it says- driver "fglrx" if it doesn't then change it

4. Save it and close gedit.

5. Follow this howto

http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/...GNOME_with_Xgl

to add an XGL session to GNOME.

WARNING: Do not try to run GDM with XGL as Default. This is another option to running XGL and although I haven't tried this in a while, In my experience if you try it you will find that your keyboard will become laggy and slow screens during log-in as GDM and XGL don't get on. Only add XGL as a session that you can choose.

6. Reboot. Change the Session to XGL on the log in window. Log in as normal. You Should be able to use compiz now.

In the unlikely event that fglrx does not work with your ATI card then you will get an error saying 'XServer Could not start'. Simply do the following.

sudo nano /etc/X11/xorg.conf

Change the driver "fglrx" to "vesa" or whatever it was before you changed it.

reboot


Linux and Compiz rule !!! Microsoft and Vista sucks. Have fun !!

Hiya

.. http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/...GNOME_with_Xgl.. Thank you!

Actually the current fglrx does not need XGL. I don't have the howto that I wrote before (and i'm too tired to rewrite it ATM, I'll do it later), but I notice that AIGLX is not listed by Compiz. FGLRX + AIGLX + Compiz Indirect Option = success. I think (I'll be testing it soon) that the this can also be accomplished using the open source R300 (radeon) driver, but I'll be testing that later this week.

Hi Armanox,

you shouldn't have said anything now, cos I'm looking forward to seeing your test results!!
regards

are you using Ubuntu? If so go to System>Administration>Restricted Drivers Manager and make sure your graphics card is checked. If not check it and it will install the drivers for you.

See if that works.

Well, it will be good to post. I plan to try it after installing Fedora 9 on my laptop, which *should* be today.

HOOP... you are wonderful. I followed the instructions given by a helpful member on the Ubuntu forums http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.p...13#post4727013 and then followed your link http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Xgl Method 1 and it worked! Im chuffed to bits. Thanks again.

kind regards

Hi Armanox,

I shall keep an eye out, thanks for your post!
regards

*tear* Radeon driver *still* does not support DRI for the Xpress 200M. And, sadly fglrx is build against an old version of Xorg, rendering the April driver useless for Fedora 9. Guess I'll have to wait till the middle of May to have Compiz on my lappy (because I don't feel like downgrading Xorg)

well I don't know how it work, if it does on Fedora but you could try a application call Envy

The problem isn't that I can't find a driver - it's that the driver I need doesn't exist in a form that's usable to me (the open source drivers don't support my card, the proprietary one is out of date).

It shouldn't be too hard to port such a program to Fedora though...