Video tearing problem
 

Hi!

I just finished up installing Slackware64-current on my shiny new computer and set up Xfce 4.10. First I used Ivy Bridge integrated graphics (I think they call it Intel HD 4000 graphics) but there was this irritating video tearing problem.
So I installed Nvidia GeForce GT220 graphics card because I used it on my old computer without problems. I went forward and installed Nvidia binary blob from SBo but the tearing problem continues.

I have tried the usual solutions I found with google:
1. Changed XServer XVideo sync to my TV
2. Changed my TVs refresh rate to 60Hz which is the same with my monitor
3. Enabled Sync to VBlank from OpenGL settings

I don't think that this is refresh rate problem because I used Fedora 16 and 17 with almost same setup for half a year without problems and without touching refresh rate settings.

Also, has anyone got VA-API or VDPAU working under 3.6 kernel and Slackware? I have tried anything I can think of but I just can't make it work. Compiled and installed fine but vainfo doesn't find necessary libraries and returns -1. I already removed those so I don't have any better info about that.

My setup:
CPU: Intel Core i7-3770K
GPU: Nvidia GeForce GT 220
DE: Xfce 4.10
OS: Slackware64-current
Kernel: 3.6.4
Video player: VLC 2.0.4 (from AlienBOB)
DFP-0: Dell U2412M (1920x1200, 60Hz)
DFP-1: Panasonic TX-L47E5Y (1920x1080, 24, 50 or 60Hz) <- this is my TV

I believe it's a limitation of XFCE's window manager. I've always had window tearing with XFCE, even using the NVIDIA drivers.

I tried Compiz Fusion on XFCE 4.8 and that got round the problem, but I wasn't able to change window decorations. It was far from ideal but it was a work around of sorts, I suppose.

Yes thank you.
I was just trying KDE and there is no tearing. I believe Xfwm is using XRender as compositing type and not OpenGL like KDE and that is causing the tearing problem. Even though I am not using compositing it is still a problem. But I am glad that there is a solution. I think I try to use KDE for now and if I am not satisfied with it I have to use Xfce with Compiz.

I was going to suggest that you try KDE - the composting works very well, especially with the 310.14 drivers.

Glad you've sorted it out.

Just out of curiosity, what do you mean you weren't able to change window decorations with compiz? Are you using emerald or gtk-window-decorator?

Can't really remember exactly why - it was ages ago! I'm more than happy with KDE these days.

It was a problem I had in 4.8 but definitely not in 4.6 - I might have a look and see if I can replicate the issue in 4.10. I think the problem was that I wanted to use the Shiki window decorations with compiz, which I could with 4.6 but not 4.8 for some reason. As I say though, it was a while back.

EDIT - there aren't valid Slackbuilds for most of compiz, so I guess we'll never know. Tearing's alive and kicking on 4.10 though. I guess it's a feature, not a bug!

I maintain the entire compiz-0.8 package set over at www.slackbuilds.org so there are valid builds for Slackware. I was just curious about the window decoration problem, were the window decorations just not showing up at all or was it a particular theme you couldn't get working?

OK - good to know. I searched in sbopkg and some of the packages you've put on your Slackbuild page weren't picked up. Not sure where the problem would be.

It was a while back with XFCE4.8. With XFCE4.6 I could use Compiz and use a GTK2 theme for window decoration. I couldn't do that in XFCE4.8. Whereas in 4.6 I could simply select the theme I wanted from within the XFCE options, the relevant section in 4.8 was blank.

A while back that was a problem because the compiz people changed their web addresses from compiz-fusion.org to just compiz.org which killed the download links, it's fixed now, all the download links should work. I don't use Xfce but Ill look into the problem, I have a theory though, With 14 the compiz package is missing the gtk-window-decorator since compiz would fail to build with it enabled. There are patches to fix that but they didn't make it into the official 14 release. So if your using Xfce you would be forced to use emerald. I was going to email Pat about this but I found the patch right after the release and since its not a security issue I am not sure he would add it to /patches

Would you like to share the patches?