Gray screen when logging in with compositor

herbie643 · 2017-02-20 21:51:48

Whenever I login with either the compositor provided by Sfce or Compton, the screen goes gray for about 5secs. Is there any way to inhibit that action, like make it black?

ToZ · 2017-02-21 01:21:29

This used be a problem years ago but was fixed. Which version of Xfce are you using? And which display manager are you using?

herbie643 · 2017-02-21 01:28:12

Xfce 4.12, SDDM and Arch and 4.9.10.r201702162016-1-grsec though it happens with all kernels.
EDIT: I just stopped SDDM and started my session with
startx -- -keeptty -nolisten tcp > ~/.xsession-errors 2>&1
and still have the gray issue.

Last edited by herbie643 (2017-02-21 01:31:21)

ToZ · 2017-02-21 02:32:34

Do you have an ~/.xinitrc file? If so, whats in it?

Also, try clearing your sessions cache. Delete the contents of ~/.cache/sessions before you log in.

herbie643 · 2017-02-21 02:41:45

As you will see, not much really as it isn't used with SDDM. If I have it, then logging out SDDM complains about something, can't remember what, and you have to logout again and it will then work.
So I move .xinitrc to .xxinitrc for SDDM and move it back for startx startup.

#!/bin/sh

#
# ~/.xinitrc
#
# Executed by startx (run your window manager from here)
#

# export GTK2_RC_FILES="$HOME/.gtkrc-2.0"
#

# Here Xfce is kept as default
#DEFAULT_SESSION=xfce4-session
#case $1 in
##xfce) exec dbus-launch xfce4-session ;;
#*) exec dbus-launch $DEFAULT_SESSION ;;
#esac
#/usr/bin/numlockx on
exec dbus-launch xfce4-session
#userresources=$HOME/.Xresources
#usermodmap=$HOME/.Xmodmap
#sysresources=/etc/X11/xinit/.Xresources
#sysmodmap=/etc/X11/xinit/.Xmodmap
#[[ -f ~/.Xresources ]] && xrdb -merge -I$HOME ~/.Xresources

Kind of a mess, right?

ToZ · 2017-02-21 02:45:53

Rename your .xinitrc file and try starting your X session with the "startxfce4" command (no sddm). Does it make any difference?

Did you clear your sessions cache?

EDIT: Also create a secondary account and try logging in using that account - to rule out a profile issue.

Last edited by ToZ (2017-02-21 02:48:21)

ToZ · 2017-02-21 02:56:43

Here is the link to the other thread I was recalling. Looks like you were there as well. Has it been an issue for you all this time?

herbie643 · 2017-02-21 03:02:40

You got it. Lonnnnnnnggggg time issue. Not really a big deal, just would be nice if screen was Black, just the splash or wallpaper.

a_shemp · 2019-03-09 23:18:03

Have there been any new insights in this matter?

I'm running Arch right now. After LightDM there are 1-3 seconds of grey before the desktop loads. Installing Compton gets rid of it, but unfortunately my hardware doesn't seem to work with it very well.

I would even be happy with a workaround, like delaying LightDM for a few seconds while the desktop boots up in the background. Any ideas would be much appreciated.

ToZ · 2019-03-10 01:22:26

Can you give this a try? It seems to work for me (slowed down the VM to see the effect).

Create the file /usr/local/bin/startxfce4 with the following content:

#!/bin/bash

xsetroot -solid black
exec /usr/bin/startxfce4

...and make the file executable.

When starting Xfce, lightdm will call this file first which sets the desktop background to black using xsetroot then calls the real startxfce4 program to continue with the startup.

BTW, welcome to the forums.

ctac · 2019-03-10 07:58:58

This work with bash and if /usr/local/bin come before /usr/bin in the $PATH.
It's not the case on OpenBSD.
If the session start from LightDM, you can take a look in lightdm.conf.
There is some configuration variables ended with -script ...

a_shemp · 2019-03-11 10:24:38

ToZ wrote:

BTW, welcome to the forums.

Thank you, glad to be here!

ToZ wrote:

Create the file /usr/local/bin/startxfce4 with the following content:
#!/bin/bash

xsetroot -solid black
exec /usr/bin/startxfce4
...and make the file executable.

Thanks for the idea. I followed your instructions, but there's no discernible difference on my setup.

Last edited by a_shemp (2019-03-11 11:02:55)

a_shemp · 2019-03-11 10:32:24

ctac wrote:

This work with bash and if /usr/local/bin come before /usr/bin in the $PATH.
It's not the case on OpenBSD.
If the session start from LightDM, you can take a look in lightdm.conf.
There is some configuration variables ended with -script ...

I'm using Arch/Xfce, so this doesn't apply to me, right?

Still, I also thought about the config file. Unfortunately, I'm not an advanced enough user to prepare custom scripts.

As far as I can gather, there are the following options:

session-wrapper = Wrapper script to run session with
# greeter-wrapper = Wrapper script to run greeter with
# guest-wrapper = Wrapper script to run guest sessions with
# display-setup-script = Script to run when starting a greeter session (runs as root)
# display-stopped-script = Script to run after stopping the display server (runs as root)
# greeter-setup-script = Script to run when starting a greeter (runs as root)
# session-setup-script = Script to run when starting a user session (runs as root)
# session-cleanup-script = Script to run when quitting a user session (runs as root)

Last edited by a_shemp (2019-03-11 10:35:00)

ToZ · 2019-03-11 12:32:17

a_shemp wrote:

ToZ wrote:
BTW, welcome to the forums.
Thank you, glad to be here!
ToZ wrote:
Create the file /usr/local/bin/startxfce4 with the following content:
#!/bin/bash

xsetroot -solid black
exec /usr/bin/startxfce4
...and make the file executable.
Thanks for the idea. I followed your instructions, but there's no discernible difference on my setup.

As a sanity check, can you post back:

ls -al /usr/local/bin/startxfce4
echo $PATH
echo $SHELL

a_shemp · 2019-03-11 13:12:40

ToZ wrote:

As a sanity check, can you post back:
ls -al /usr/local/bin/startxfce4
echo $PATH
echo $SHELL

Sure, here it comes:

-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 60 Mar 11 14:03 /usr/local/bin/startxfce4
/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/local/sbin:/opt/cxoffice/bin:/usr/lib/jvm/default/bin:/usr/bin/site_perl:/usr/bin/vendor_perl:/usr/bin/core_perl
/bin/bash

ToZ · 2019-03-11 16:23:04

Some research and background.

This mailing list thread walked through the issue and I believe that this commit was supposed to fix the problem.

However, for the 4.12.x branch of xfwm4, I believe you need to pass a build flag (CFLAGS="$CFLAGS -DMONITOR_ROOT_PIXMAP=1" ) during the compilation to enable it that it doesn't look like Arch's build does. (source: http://xfce.10915.n7.nabble.com/Xfwm4-c … 46260.html)

For the 4.13.x branch, this has been auto-enabled. So, long story short, is there any chance you could try the xfwm4-git package from the AUR? It will have the root pixmap functionality enabled.

a_shemp · 2019-03-11 17:38:05

Wow, thanks for the detailed research!

ToZ wrote:

For the 4.13.x branch, this has been auto-enabled. So, long story short, is there any chance you could try the xfwm4-git package from the AUR? It will have the root pixmap functionality enabled.

I‘d love try it. Can I remove the current package from within Xcfe or will that break everything?

ToZ · 2019-03-11 17:55:16

In Arch, if you install the AUR package, it (pacman) will automate the process of removing the older one for you. You can also revert at a later time by just re-installing the regular xfwm4 package.

ctac · 2019-03-11 19:19:12

a_shemp wrote:

I'm using Arch/Xfce, so this doesn't apply to me, right?
Still, I also thought about the config file. Unfortunately, I'm not an advanced enough user to prepare custom scripts.

Hi
I can't solve your problem because your PATH ... is OK.
I try what ToZ suggest and it's ok for me in my debian testing.

To use the startup script with lightdm, try this way :

At root

1 - Add a line like this one in lightdm.conf in the section [Seat:*]

session-setup-script =/etc/lightdm/start_user_session.sh

2 - Create a file /etc/lightdm/start_user_session.sh

echo 'hello' >/tmp/start_lightdm
xsetroot -solid black
xterm -hold -T Information -geometry 50x8+400+400 -bg white -fg blue -e printf "bonjour\nHow nice is xfce\n" &

The first line is for know if the script is run.
The second line is the command from ToZ to get a black screen.
The third show a message in a xterm window (hope you have xterm)

This file must be executable.

You must reboot to force lightdm to re read configurations files.

a_shemp · 2019-03-11 23:27:34

ToZ wrote:

In Arch, if you install the AUR package, it (pacman) will automate the process of removing the older one for you. You can also revert at a later time by just re-installing the regular xfwm4 package.

Thanks, I just finished installing the git-xfwm4-package. The grey screen is gone! Now it's just half a second of black.

Strangely, when the compositor is off I'm now getting massive screen tearing, which was never an issue under the previous version (Intel graphics chip). When it's enabled everything seems to be fine.

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#1 2017-02-20 21:51:48

Gray screen when logging in with compositor

#2 2017-02-21 01:21:29

Re: Gray screen when logging in with compositor

#3 2017-02-21 01:28:12

Re: Gray screen when logging in with compositor

#4 2017-02-21 02:32:34

Re: Gray screen when logging in with compositor

#5 2017-02-21 02:41:45

Re: Gray screen when logging in with compositor

#6 2017-02-21 02:45:53

Re: Gray screen when logging in with compositor

#7 2017-02-21 02:56:43

Re: Gray screen when logging in with compositor

#8 2017-02-21 03:02:40

Re: Gray screen when logging in with compositor

#9 2019-03-09 23:18:03

Re: Gray screen when logging in with compositor

#10 2019-03-10 01:22:26

Re: Gray screen when logging in with compositor

#11 2019-03-10 07:58:58

Re: Gray screen when logging in with compositor

#12 2019-03-11 10:24:38

Re: Gray screen when logging in with compositor

#13 2019-03-11 10:32:24

Re: Gray screen when logging in with compositor

#14 2019-03-11 12:32:17

Re: Gray screen when logging in with compositor

#15 2019-03-11 13:12:40

Re: Gray screen when logging in with compositor

#16 2019-03-11 16:23:04

Re: Gray screen when logging in with compositor

#17 2019-03-11 17:38:05

Re: Gray screen when logging in with compositor

#18 2019-03-11 17:55:16

Re: Gray screen when logging in with compositor

#19 2019-03-11 19:19:12

Re: Gray screen when logging in with compositor

#20 2019-03-11 23:27:34

Re: Gray screen when logging in with compositor

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