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yochaigal

Member

Registered: 2011-10-14

Posts: 24

Compositor: flickering when changing workspaces

DE: XFCE 4.14
Kernel: 5.3.0-24-generic x86_64 bits: 64 Desktop: Xfce 4.14.1 Distro: Ubuntu 19.10 (Eoan Ermine)
Machine: Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 4th /  20FBCTO1WW
Graphics:
Intel Skylake GT2 [HD Graphics 520] driver: i915 v: kernel
Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.5 driver: modesetting unloaded: fbdev,vesa resolution: 1920x1080~60Hz
OpenGL: renderer: Mesa DRI Intel HD Graphics 520 (Skylake GT2) v: 4.5 Mesa 19.2.1

I've had an issue with flickering when switching workspaces (particularly if there is a fullscreen app involved). See an example here.

Can someone help me figure out how to get tear-free XFCE?
Thanks!

Note: running xfwm4 --compositor=on --vblank=xpresent --replace does not resolve the issue; see this post. Also, this occurs with XFCE's compositor as well as when I use compton.

Last edited by yochaigal (2019-12-17 19:18:21)

ToZ

Administrator

From: Canada

Registered: 2011-06-02

Posts: 11,491

Re: Compositor: flickering when changing workspaces

AFAIK, the modesetting driver doesn't support the tearfree option. Have you tried the intel driver with Tearfree enabled?

Also, give the other xfwm4 vblank options a try to see if they help. Specifically "off" and "glx".

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Skaperen

Member

From: right by Jesus, our Saviour

Registered: 2013-06-15

Posts: 862

Re: Compositor: flickering when changing workspaces

can you describe the flickering and what it looks like?  i'm assuming it happens only for a finite time during the switch?

what means are you using to cause the workspace switch when a fullscreen app is involved?  in my own case, i use a keyboard shortcut to run "wmctrl -s <ws>".  i also use a keyboard shortcut for user switch to run "dm-tool switch-to-user  <user>".  they work quite smoothly, though a user switch to a user not yet logged in flickers a bit as xfce starts up.

yochaigal

Member

Registered: 2011-10-14

Posts: 24

Re: Compositor: flickering when changing workspaces

You can see an example of the flickering in the original post; basically this: https://imgur.com/5i7Nkwp

I use the default shortcut(s) which seem to be:
ctrl+f1-f3 or ctrl+alt+right arrow/left arrow.
The flickering happens on both.

Using wmctrl -s 0/1/2 as keyboard shortcuts still cause the flickering to occur.

Skaperen

Member

From: right by Jesus, our Saviour

Registered: 2013-06-15

Posts: 862

Re: Compositor: flickering when changing workspaces

what command are those shortcuts set to run?  i don't have those set here.

it looks like the web browser is doing it in this case.  does this happen with other apps, unrelated to the browser, running?  i do know that workspaces are implemented by keeping groups of windows together and hiding those you move away from and exposing those you move to.  there is no real workspace.  it's exposure trickery so they really are just virtual.  in that video, it looks like the browser you are leaving is being hidden and something (perhaps itself) is re-exposing it.  that's why i wonder if other apps do this, and which command is being run.

maybe you can also open a little terminal window and type the command in there to switch away.  also try "wmctrl -s <number>" if yours is not the same.

yochaigal

Member

Registered: 2011-10-14

Posts: 24

Re: Compositor: flickering when changing workspaces

I don't know what command is being run; it doesn't show up in the keyboard shortcut GUI but you can see them reflected here:
~/.config/xfce4/xfconf/xfce-perchannel-xml/xfce4-keyboard-shortcuts.xml   

As for the flickering itself, it happens for any fullscreen apps; I've run wmctrl -s (desktop #) from terminal, as well as binding it to a key. I often see it when using Remmina in fullscreen and switching to other apps.