theme causes graphics glitches

numzob · 2014-08-04 21:48:51

Background

So I learned how to switch themes in xfce. Then I learned how to find themes and install them so that they show up as a choice. So far so good. There was a theme I liked but it looked so small on my system, so i learned how to copy an existing theme, rename and modify it. I'm using the theme. There is only one problem.

The Problem

The problem is that I have intermittant graphics corruptions. A few pixels, sometimes in horizontal rows, get corrupted. usually in the title bar but sometimes in the actual window body area. This only happens when I use my theme. Resizing erases the glitches but also makes new ones in different locations.

What I Have Already Done

What I have previously done to check/verify/find-bugs in my theme is to (a) look at each .xpm in a text editor to see if columns and rows indicated match the actual and (b) load each image in gimp. Gimp will complain that the file is corrupt if anything is wrong, so this is rather handy.

The Actual Question

I've fixed every problem I can identify, yet the graphic glitches still happen. Could someone please recommend other methods of checking a theme?

Thank you in advance.

--
p.s. Currently running Debian Testing 64-bit, if that matters?

p.p.s. what I mean by "theme" in teh above is the window decoration bits, usually in ~/.themes/my-theme-name/xfwm4, not the gtk parts.

p.p.p.s corruption is only in windows, not the menu bar, menus nor the actual desktop & icons.

Last edited by numzob (2014-08-04 21:49:16)

ToZ · 2014-08-04 23:14:24

Out of curiosity, which video card do you have and which driver are you using? If its an intel driver, are you using SNA or UXA acceleration?

numzob · 2014-08-05 14:02:57

It's an Intel driver. I have no idea how to ascertain those other things.

Recall that these glitches only happen on the theme that I modified, so I suspect an error in my theme, not in the hardware.

ToZ · 2014-08-05 17:12:14

This will help you tell which acceleration method you are using:

cat /var/log/Xorg.0.log | grep -i accelmethod

I get what sounds like a similar glitch (though rarely) in one theme only (Blackbird) with my intel card. I'm using SNA acceleration. (Now that I think about it, I haven't seen the glitch for a while and there have been some intel driver updates recently) SNA acceleration causes graphical artifacts on some intel cards and the workaround is to switch to UXA. I know of a few instances where switching back to UXA resolved the glitching. I've been meaning to test UXA, to see if it repeats itself but haven't gotten around to it (its so infrequent a glitch for me).

If you're willing to share your theme, I can load it up here to see if I get a repeat of the glitch that you are seeing.

numzob · 2014-08-06 17:56:30

That command yeild nothing, gulp.

I changed the grep to just "accel" and got this:

[    46.699] (II)         Composite (RENDER acceleration)
[    46.710] (II)         composite (RENDER acceleration)
[    47.350] (**) Logitech USB Optical Mouse: (accel) keeping acceleration scheme 1
[    47.350] (**) Logitech USB Optical Mouse: (accel) acceleration profile 0
[    47.350] (**) Logitech USB Optical Mouse: (accel) acceleration factor: 2.000
[    47.350] (**) Logitech USB Optical Mouse: (accel) acceleration threshold: 4
[    47.660] (**) synaptics: ETPS/2 Elantech Touchpad: (accel) MinSpeed is now constant deceleration 2.5
[    47.660] (**) synaptics: ETPS/2 Elantech Touchpad: (accel) MaxSpeed is now 1.75
[    47.660] (**) synaptics: ETPS/2 Elantech Touchpad: (accel) AccelFactor is now 0.053
[    47.660] (**) ETPS/2 Elantech Touchpad: (accel) keeping acceleration scheme 1
[    47.660] (**) ETPS/2 Elantech Touchpad: (accel) acceleration profile 1
[    47.660] (**) ETPS/2 Elantech Touchpad: (accel) acceleration factor: 2.000
[    47.660] (**) ETPS/2 Elantech Touchpad: (accel) acceleration threshold: 4

The only part that appears to me of relavance is the once repeated "Composite (RENDER acceleration)" part? Odd, as I don't have the compositing turned on.

I could certainly upload the theme. Is there a preferd location? method? Thanks in advance.

ToZ · 2014-08-07 11:19:39

What does the following command return:

lspci -k | grep -iA2 VGA

As for uploading the theme, do you use a cloud service from which you could share the file? If not, just upload it to one of the many free file hosting websites.

numzob · 2014-08-07 22:38:33

OK, doing that yielded this result:

00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation 4th Gen Core Processor Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 06)
	Subsystem: Toshiba America Info Systems Device fa89
	Kernel driver in use: i915

BTW, I never knew about the -A option for grep. Wow! Thank you.

The theme is downloadable here: http://vvardenfell.webege.com/theme_p.tar.bz2

ToZ · 2014-08-07 23:43:04

Interesting. Can you try just grepping for SNA or UXA like this:

cat /var/log/Xorg.0.log | grep -i SNA

...and:

cat /var/log/Xorg.0.log | grep -i UXA

What version of Xorg and the intel driver are you using?

I'll run your theme to see if I get the glitching.

numzob · 2014-08-08 01:28:52

Grepping for SNA reveals nothing.

For UXA reveals:

[    48.300] (II) UXA(0): Driver registered support for the following operations:

Grepping again with -A6 reveals ...

[    48.300] (II) UXA(0): Driver registered support for the following operations:
[    48.300] (II)         solid
[    48.300] (II)         copy
[    48.300] (II)         composite (RENDER acceleration)
[    48.300] (II)         put_image
[    48.300] (II)         get_image
[    48.300] (==) intel(0): Backing store enabled

Xorg version X.Org X Server 1.15.99.904 (1.16.0 RC 4)

xserver-xorg-video-intel: 2:2.21.15-2+b2

ToZ · 2014-08-08 13:22:16

Okay. So you are using UXA. Looks like Debian hasn't transitioned yet to SNA.

I've been using your theme for a few hours now and haven't seen any glitches. I am running intel driver version 2.99-914-4 (on an Arch system). Not sure what else to suggest.

numzob · 2014-08-09 17:21:15

Wow. This must mean that my edited theme is correct. Most unexpected! smile

Thank you for looking at it. big_smile

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#1 2014-08-04 21:48:51

theme causes graphics glitches

#2 2014-08-04 23:14:24

Re: theme causes graphics glitches

#3 2014-08-05 14:02:57

Re: theme causes graphics glitches

#4 2014-08-05 17:12:14

Re: theme causes graphics glitches

#5 2014-08-06 17:56:30

Re: theme causes graphics glitches

#6 2014-08-07 11:19:39

Re: theme causes graphics glitches

#7 2014-08-07 22:38:33

Re: theme causes graphics glitches

#8 2014-08-07 23:43:04

Re: theme causes graphics glitches

#9 2014-08-08 01:28:52

Re: theme causes graphics glitches

#10 2014-08-08 13:22:16

Re: theme causes graphics glitches

#11 2014-08-09 17:21:15

Re: theme causes graphics glitches

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