Steam on Cinnamon vs other DEs

Please post suggestions for improvement of Cinnamon on:
https://github.com/linuxmint/Cinnamon
Forum rules
Before you post read how to get help. Topics in this forum are automatically closed 6 months after creation.
Locked
mcoumans

Steam on Cinnamon vs other DEs

Post by mcoumans »

With Steam on Linux getting more mainstream, there is still a complicated issue.

Whichever DE (Cinnamon is my main desktop environment), the main Steam on Linux programma works fine. But not all games play along just as well.

TeamFortress2 starts, but gives black screen (with correct sounds) with AMD Catalyst drivers (12.11 via xorg-edgers, fglrx 9.010.12) on Cinnamon (composited) desktop! Same for Trine2. The "normal" Trine2 version works just fine, btw.
Playing Cogs in windowed mode is no problem. And when I choose to play Trine2 windowed, it works like it should.

So, on a Cinnamon Desktop (with two workspaces) I can start TF2, wait till the sound plays, use the mouse on the screen edge to flip to the next workspace, then go back and have TF2 minimized (main Steam window is still open). Via window previews I can even see "inside" TF2, correctly displaying the proper menu (and even the in-game console I started).

On GnomeClassic (fallback, no effects) or XCFE desktop this does not happen.

Looks like it has something to do with Cinnamon (Compiz?), fullscreen games (other apps too?), possibly AMD Catalyst (getting an Nvidia GTX-660 GPU next week).

Any suggestions/solutions?
Last edited by LockBot on Wed Dec 28, 2022 7:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Topic automatically closed 6 months after creation. New replies are no longer allowed.
3.14159

Re: Steam on Cinnamon vs other DEs

Post by 3.14159 »

The official AMD drivers have issues with kernels > 3.5, it seems.

I had the same issues with TF2 until I went back to 3.5, installed the 3.5 headers and source and THEN installed the AMD drivers.

Not sure if this will help you, but it helped me. TF2 runs really, really well with this setup now. Much better than it ever ran in Windows.
mcoumans

Re: Steam on Cinnamon vs other DEs

Post by mcoumans »

Well, it runs well in GnomeClassic/XFCE, it just doesn't in Cinnamon. Not sure if and how that might berelated to 3.7 kernel, but I may give downgrading a try, to if it's better.

Haven't noticed anything bad using 3.7 kernel concerning other non-steam games or applications though.
mcoumans

Re: Steam on Cinnamon vs other DEs

Post by mcoumans »

No downgrade needed. Got my Nvidia GTX660 and everything works as a blast. Perhaps Catalyst-12.11beta & Kernel 3.7 are a bad combo, but I cannot try for now. Will do when I install my "old" AMD HD6770 in the kidsPC.
obidamnkenobi

Re: Steam on Cinnamon vs other DEs

Post by obidamnkenobi »

I have this issue too with the latest AMD proprietary drivers (13.1 I believe?) and the Cinnamon DE. Many things fullscreen don't work, specifically games and youtube videos( A VLC video did work). I just get a black screen with the sound running. I logged into a Mate session and everything was fine.
My first taste of Mate as well. A bit old school. And I was slower, hate hunting through menus. Miss my Cinnamon :(
Hope a cinnamon update can fix this!
obidamnkenobi

Re: Steam on Cinnamon vs other DEs

Post by obidamnkenobi »

Is there any fix for this issue? Does fullscreen video and games work with AMD drivers and Cinnamon now?? (or will it soon..?) Last I checked couple weeks ago it didn't.

I'm getting tired of using Mate, just might have to go to Ubuntu now. A bummer since I really like cinnamon, but no fullscreen youtube is really a dealkiller.
Locked

Return to “Cinnamon”