Compiz Fusion, X11 freeze issue

**papashou** · 08-May-2009, 20:38

I've had OpenSuSe installed for about 2 months now on my new laptop. I know there must be a million threads about this by now. I just want to confirm a few things - if anyone could do so for me...

First two weeks, I've had compiz fusion running (I absolutely love it) but it causes X11 to 'freeze'. My mouse is still capable of moving around - the only escape is a hard reboot by holding the power button.

I've since then switched to xcompmgr which provides some of that transparency support I like to have with my terms. Since switching to xcompmgr, I have achieved an uptime of 14 days. Feeling cocky, I re-enabled compiz and froze up within 30 minutes.

Am I doomed?

Desktop Environment:
GNOME

More about my laptop:
Dell Inspiron 13
Core2Duo 2.0 Ghz
240GB disk size
3 GB of RAM
Intel X310 graphic adapter

I have wireless working just fine using ndiswrapper. (Freezing X11 problem occurred even before I figured out the ndiswrapper deal).

lspci output:

Code:

adam@loki:~> lspci
00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Mobile PM965/GM965/GL960 Memory Controller Hub (rev 0c)
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Mobile GM965/GL960 Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 0c)
00:02.1 Display controller: Intel Corporation Mobile GM965/GL960 Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 0c)
00:1a.0 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #4 (rev 02)
00:1a.1 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #5 (rev 02)
00:1a.7 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB2 EHCI Controller #2 (rev 02)
00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) HD Audio Controller (rev 02)
00:1c.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) PCI Express Port 1 (rev 02)
00:1c.1 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) PCI Express Port 2 (rev 02)
00:1c.3 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) PCI Express Port 4 (rev 02)
00:1c.5 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) PCI Express Port 6 (rev 02)
00:1d.0 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #1 (rev 02)
00:1d.1 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #2 (rev 02)
00:1d.2 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #3 (rev 02)
00:1d.7 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB2 EHCI Controller #1 (rev 02)
00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801 Mobile PCI Bridge (rev f2)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation 82801HEM (ICH8M) LPC Interface Controller (rev 02)
00:1f.1 IDE interface: Intel Corporation 82801HBM/HEM (ICH8M/ICH8M-E) IDE Controller (rev 02)
00:1f.2 SATA controller: Intel Corporation 82801HBM/HEM (ICH8M/ICH8M-E) SATA AHCI Controller (rev 02)
00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) SMBus Controller (rev 02)
03:01.0 FireWire (IEEE 1394): Ricoh Co Ltd R5C832 IEEE 1394 Controller (rev 05)
03:01.1 SD Host controller: Ricoh Co Ltd R5C822 SD/SDIO/MMC/MS/MSPro Host Adapter (rev 22)
03:01.2 System peripheral: Ricoh Co Ltd R5C843 MMC Host Controller (rev 12)
03:01.3 System peripheral: Ricoh Co Ltd R5C592 Memory Stick Bus Host Adapter (rev 12)
03:01.4 System peripheral: Ricoh Co Ltd xD-Picture Card Controller (rev ff)
09:00.0 Ethernet controller: Broadcom Corporation NetLink BCM5906M Fast Ethernet PCI Express (rev 02)
0c:00.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4328 802.11a/b/g/n (rev 03)

**ednso** · 09-May-2009, 10:53

Hi,

It is possible that your problem is related to your graphics adapter.
I used to have Compiz working fine in openSUSE 11.0, but for hardware
subjects, I have to use openSUSE 11.1. I have tried Compiz with both
KDE 3.5 and 4.1, but it does not work in none.

Well, my lspci results:

Code:

linux-8z8e:/home/ednilton # lspci | grep VGA
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Mobile GM965/GL960 Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 03)

See? The same of your graphics card (unfortunately).

The good news is that there are new drivers for Intel graphics cards
available since April 15 (see Intel Linux Graphics). The bad news are that I am afraid about installing this driver this drivers in my system
and have it bad working, and I do not know if there will be a openSUSE
update with this driver. Maybe it will be available only on the next release
of openSUSE (11.2). I really do not know.

For now, I have given up from Compiz and 3D games on my laptop.

Any way, if I am wrong, good look.

**papashou** · 09-May-2009, 17:43

I, too, have given up on Compz and 3D games. I don't really care too much about 'eye' candy, but it is NICE. I might take a look at the new drivers but.. I have 2 children and a more than full-time job.. so barely any time to mess around with something that might make my desktop unusable.

I Just got a new case from my friend so I may be able to setup a desktop for OpenSuse and let my wife have this laptop. I'll aim for a netbook shortly after.

Maybe someone more daring can test and see if Intel X310 graphics adapter does not freeze up with compiz.

At this point I'm thankful for xcompmgr as I have no issues with that.

**papashou** · 11-May-2009, 19:50

Can anyone offer any alternative assistance with this?

somebody_else · 12-May-2009, 05:29

papashou wrote:
> Can anyone offer any alternative assistance with this?

with a wife, two kids, more than a full time job and unable to devote
loads of time to tweaking for "eye candy", then a good alternative is
to NOT do that...just use your tool as a tool and stop wanting it to
be cool LOOKING..

turn off compiz, desktop effects and see if the time to get it to work
goes WAY down...if not, then i have to GUESS (since you never said)
that you are using KDE4.x and, if so and you want REAL stability, then
install and use KDE3.x or GNOME..

--
somebody_else

**papashou** · 12-May-2009, 18:38

Certainly other people have run into this issue?

**quinness** · 19-May-2009, 11:30

I had almost the same problem, but the system didn't freeze, but verry slow. Checked and ALL graphics was slowed down 24 times. This happens when the auto-hide of the (Plasma)start-panel (if it is called start-panel?) is enabled. Disable makes the system run at normal speed. Even the clock slowed down. Haven't checked if there are som other things makes it slow down, but thats the only thing I found that causes it for me.
openSuSE 11.1, KDE 4.2, Plasma ???, Compiz-Fusion 0.7.8

**papashou** · 21-May-2009, 23:10

Just for the hell of it , I installed ArchLinux i686 (my CPU supports x64). My freezing issue disappeared entirely, and the compiz effects are extremely quick / responsive.

I'm starting to think it's opensuse...

I will be installing the X64 version of Arch tomorrow or this Sat... when I get time.

**Chrysantine** · 21-May-2009, 23:25

Originally Posted by papashou

I'm starting to think it's opensuse...

I wish people would learn to detach the concept of a distribution of that of a single component, in this case a single driver.

The intel driver that shipped with 11.1 is notoriously bad, unfortunately for reason or another there have been no adapter driver updates (and no one has packaged the driver in the build service) and since I don't have an Intel adapter anywhere, I can't package it reliably as I have no test platform to try it on.

**papashou** · 21-May-2009, 23:34

Again, my statement is still correct..

"The intel driver that shipped with 11.1 is notoriously bad".. I'm not going to get into a debate on this and that.