Compiz, Puppy 3.01 NOP and an ATI 9000 success story

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tombh
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Compiz, Puppy 3.01 NOP and an ATI 9000 success story

#1 Post by tombh »

Please note that this howto was done for Puppy 3.01 NOP -- as Xorg7.2 and Xfce are already installed on it.

Of invaluable use to my success was this thread started by wow. I'd recommend having a good look at that first.

First thing was to get 3D acceleration going.
For Compiz you need either AIGLX or XGL. I think XGL is preferred but it appears that Puppy's Xorg would need something complicated doing to it which I'd rather avoid. Fortunately Puppy 3 has Xorg7.2 which has AIGLX already built into it :) Choosing to use AIGLX forced me to then use the open source driver for my card because the propitiatory ATI driver doesn't support AIGLX. (Well actually the very latest one does but then it also happens to have dropped support for the radeon 9000 :()

So, Xorgwizard had automatically set up the OS radeon driver when I installed Puppy. All I needed to do then was update the DRI modules and OpenGL library for Xorg7.2 using these handy packages:

xorg_DRI_MODULES-7.2.pet
xorg_OPENGL-7.2.pet

Unfortunately Puppy has a little niggle at this point, it might just be applicable to ATI cards but I'm not sure. Anyway first you need to open up /usr/sbin/findhostbridge and find line 97, which reads:

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shell("ls /lib/modules/2.6/char/agp/*.ko>/tmp/findhostbridge.tmp")
IT MUST READ:

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shell("ls /lib/modules/2.6/kernel/drivers/char/agp/*.ko>/tmp/findhostbridge.tmp")  
Next I had to add the line:

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modprobe sis_agp
to /etc/rc.d/rc.local

For these fixes to take effect a FULL REBOOT is needed!

Now, perhaps the trickiest bit of the whole thing --

Getting xorg.conf sorted.
xorg.conf is found at /etc/X11/
PLEASE MAKE SURE TO MAKE A BACKUP FIRST!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In order to activate 3D accelaration

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Load "glx"
Load "dri"
must be present within the section indicated by:

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Section "Module"
...
EndSection
of xorg.conf

Things essential for Compiz are:
the addition of:

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Option "AIGLX" "true"
within:

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Section "Server Layout"
...
EndSection
and:
the addition of this code at the end of xorg.conf:

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Section "Extensions"
    Option "Composite" "Enable"
EndSection
In order to activate these changes X must be restarted. A full reboot is not needed, you can simply press CTRL+ALT+BACKSPACE to exit to the command line and restart X by typing xwin. If X fails to start because of a bad xorg.conf file you can always edit it from the command line with:

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e3 /etc/X11/xorg.conf
or restore your backup with:

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cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf.bak /etc/X11/xorg.conf
Basically DRI must be active for Compiz to work. After installing glxinfo and typing

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 glxinfo | grep dri 


at the command line will tell you whether DRI is active and if it is not, typing

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cat /var/log/Xorg.0.log | grep dri
may give you some idea as to why.

Specifically applying to the Open Source radeon drivers are these other recommended additions to xorg.conf for better performance with compiz:

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        Option	  "backingstore" "true"
	Option	  "EnablePageFlip" "true"
	Option	  "SubPixelOrder" "none"
	Option	  "AccelMethod" "XAA"
	Option	  "RenderAccel" "true"
	Option	  "AGPMode" "4"
	Option	  "ColorTiling"   "on"
	Option	  "DynamicClocks" "on"
	Option	  "mtrr" "on"
	Option	  "VideoOverlay" "on"
	Option	  "OpenGLOverlay" "off"

	Option "XAANoOffscreenPixmaps" "true"
	Option "AddARGBGLXVisuals" "True"
They go in the section indicated by:

Code: Select all

Section "Device"
...
End Section
You can download a copy of my working xorg.conf from here.

Installing Compiz
Now for the gold and a million billion squillion thankyous to wow for compiling it and mark2 for hosting it:

wow's Compiz-Fusion dotpet

Now before running compiz the line:

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export XLIB_SKIP_ARGB_VISUALS=1
in /etc/profile (it's near the top somewhere) must be disabled by adding a # to the beginning of it, like so:

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#export XLIB_SKIP_ARGB_VISUALS=1
and then full rebooting the computer. This fix allows the cool see-through window borders to work.

Now! compiz is run by typing:

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compiz-manager
and can be made to load at startup by adding something like:

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compiz-manager &
sleep 3
near the begininng of /root/.xinitrc

Configuring Compiz
In order to run the Compiz Config Settings Manager (CCSM) that came with wow's dotpet Python (a programming language) needs to be installed.

python_for_CCSM.pet

Once installed Settings->CCSM from the menu should work. There is SOOOO much you can do with compiz, it's not just about wobbily windows you know!

Although CCSM provides all the various key combinations to activate the various special effects the default settings have been collected in this neat little text file:

keybindings


Post Script
I was so incredibly happy when I finally got this working. When I first saw the Aero theme on Vista I was gobsmacked and have to say a little jealous, it seemed such a beautiful perfection of this technology we call the computer. But! Then I saw Beryl! It wiped the floor with Vista AND what's more it was completely free and open source! That was earlier this year and it just looked way to complicated for humble Puppy.

After trying in 2.15CE without success some months ago I finally found the time to get Compiz working on Kubuntu on my laptop. However it was sluggish, but still loads of fun, so much I even considered making it my main system! But inspired to discover that Compiz was compatible with my hardware I got a copy of 3.01 NOP and started messing about. And my goodness when I got this little wipper snapper going, boy did it fly -- like this is what my laptop had been waiting for all its life!

Compiz just brings so much joy to my computing experience, I know it may be just 'bling' to some but for me it adds a subtle and natural beauty -- an extraordinary fusion of art and science. And to get it not just running on Puppy but leaping! Well, truly awesome.

Thankyou Puppy and Thankyou Compiz-Fusion :)
Last edited by tombh on Wed 07 Nov 2007, 15:56, edited 4 times in total.

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#2 Post by cb88 »

I believe that that your improved experience may be due to use of aiglx since it is hardware accelerated and xgl is not so much....

aiglx runs 3D only if i remember correctly xgl needs to switch back and forth
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#3 Post by Lobster »

Well done tombh :D
I can't do it :oops:

Everything in Puppy starts this way.
Pioneers taking the time to document the process of setting something up.
Then it is simplified. Others try.
The sense of achievement is worth it.

Maybe I will have another go . . . Using Shard (based on NOP) as the basis

Well done again :)
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Compiz

#4 Post by gray »

Hey, sounds cool tombh,

How about a screenshot for us to drool over ? :P

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#5 Post by tombh »

Thankyou Lobster!

Compiz and Puppy have so much, I could never take enough screenshots to describe it fully!

For instance a picture cannot describe the joy of corners. I have all my corners activated; top-left does expo, top-right does scale, bottom-right clears desktop and bottom-left gives a konsole widget. That last one is my favorite at the moment (see the top-right image of the screenshots). The widget layer plugin pops up a transparent konsole and darkens everything else, it's also sticky so works on every workspace. So if I ever need the command line I just touch the bottom-left corner and start typing and then touch it gain to get back to what I was doing. Brilliant :)
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#6 Post by panzerpuppy »

The link to the findhostbridge-bugfix .pup package is broken.

Is the findhostbridge-bugfix.pup really needed if you don't plan to run compiz-fusion (like only for getting OpenGL and DRI support)?

I'm not sure,but those with different chipsets other than SiS should probably add a different string to the modprobe line for the agp bridge,like ati_agp, nv_agp, etc.

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#7 Post by tombh »

Thanks panzerpuppy :) I edited my post to now show the manual way of fixing that bug.

And yes the findhostbridge-fix was essential (in my case) to getting full graphics acceleration and DRI, regardless of compiz-fusion.

About having to add relevant agp modules to /etc/rc.d/rc.local for other cards -- I'm not 100% sure. But my impression is that it only effects ATI cards. What I do know is that a relevant agp module (eg: via_agp, nv_agp) is essential for any 3D card and if there isn't one returned by a

Code: Select all

lsmod
command then DRI will not work. Although it is not essential to just get Xorg itself working.

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#8 Post by cb88 »

download and install the binary of xvidcap it works ok in puppy (sound capture is beyond me...)

that way you can take videos of you screen...
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Nop 3.01 + Nvidia More success

#9 Post by Lobster »

Lobster wrote: I can't do it :oops:
8) Update

I dun it :D

I followed all the instructions for the radeon

When I got to this point
typing at terminal

Code: Select all

compiz-manager
I found I did not have the Nvidia drivers and megaglut installed
So I went back near the top of your howto

and read Wow's thread which explained how to install nvidia drivers
Did that

tried

Code: Select all

compiz-manager
again

got some error messages BUT then
a very cool logo for compiz-fusion came up
and I was in . . .
wobbling things, rotating things, exploding things
Eye-candy for visual sweetness

Oh and I am using the NOP 3.01r1

Be jealous! :mrgreen:

Thanks guys

Update:
Did not understand what to do with the keybindings?
There are loads of settings and key combinations in compiz so wow supplied the default keybindings list to get us started:

keybindings
Last edited by Lobster on Sun 04 Nov 2007, 07:18, edited 1 time in total.
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#10 Post by mark2 »

excellent, thank you, it works :D
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#11 Post by cb88 »

videos....please! Of course we can wait until you get it alll tweaked up to your likeing first. :)
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#12 Post by panzerpuppy »

Everything looks nice and all...only if I could actually download that compiz-fusion package.
If only someone could host/mirror the compiz-fusion package on a different site or filehoster. That would be very nice.
Just please don't use Filefront,Rapidshare or MediaFire.
$%@&*# Filefront :(

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#13 Post by Lobster »

To get this effect move the mouse top left (or ctrl+alt and down arrow key)
Image

To get that impressive cube effect
press ctrl+alt and left mouse

I must admit after using the fiz (what we olde hands call Compiz-Fusion :oops: ) Xfce seems very flat.

I had some difficulties instaling programs in NOP - no idea why and the safest bet so far has been placing sfs in mnt/home

I wanted to start with NOP 301r1 but in many ways Shard would have included many essential programs . . .
http://tmxxine.com/Wikka/wikka.php?wakk ... xxineShard

The Shard page also has details of adding sfs files

:)
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#14 Post by mark2 »

I can make a torrent of the various packages needed or upload the files to my webspace if anyone is interested pm me.
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#15 Post by tombh »

I must admit after using the fiz (what we olde hands call Compiz-Fusion Embarassed ) Xfce seems very flat.
I know exactly what you mean Lobster! I realise now that there is no going back for me. If only my table and chairs were transparent and wobbily and touching the corner of my room would clear the floor!

cb88: I installed xvidcap but during recording my desktop becomes so sluggish it's unusable. I haven't got the fastest computer in the world, do you think it's just a resources problem? I tried to get some video with my digital camera but the quality is awful and I can't seem to get more than 10 seconds of it :(

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#16 Post by lokster »

I installed these pup's on my Puppy 3.01 NOP and got all compiz effects, except, there is no window decoration.
I am using the nvidia binary drivers (and they a re configured correctly).
Where is the problem?

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#17 Post by Lobster »

I don't think every plug in and effect is included. For example I have no raindrops. :)
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#18 Post by tombh »

Hi lokster,

Do you mean absolutely no decoration, as in not even buttons to close and minimise? If so, then I reckon that's almost definitely because the line:

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export XLIB_SKIP_ARGB_VISUALS=1  
in etc/profile

has not been changed to:

Code: Select all

#export XLIB_SKIP_ARGB_VISUALS=1
Notice the # sign at the very beginning of the line.

I know that some graphics cards cannot do all the effects, for instance my card doesn't have pixel shaders and so cannot render snow, fire or blurry windows even though I have the plugins :(

But I reckon window decoration is pretty basic and should almost certainly work on any 3D card, certainly if you're getting the rest of the compiz effects.

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#19 Post by Lobster »

No I get decorations and flashing close and minimize buttons - I think I added that line you suggest (if it was suggested in the ATI setup which I followed)

I am back in Linux Tmxxine Prism. Rather neat. Due to the different versions CD loading, I can have radically different Puppys. Today I have run NOP with Compiz, Puppy Dingo (Puppy 4 Alpha) and Prism. All from DVD

I rather like that :)
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#20 Post by lokster »

OMG! It worked! :D

But it required reboot. After changing /etc/profile and restarting X, it did't worked, so i have done it the windows way - reboot :)

And wow! Finally, after 3 days of doing this and that, and no decorations at all...

Thank you very much! Puppy rulez :D

PS: just to be clear: lokster is NOT Lobster despite our nicknames sound similar. Its just a coincidence.

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