I'm using Linux Mint 18 with Cinnamon, Nvidia GTX 980 Ti with proprietary 361.42 drivers. I'm experiencing desktop tearing, at least when viewing YouTube videos (Firefox).
I've read several places that using Compton as a compositor can fix tearing issues. However, based on several >1 year old threads on tearing/vsync issues in Cinnamon, it seems that Cinnamon's default compositor (Clutter? Muffin? Not sure) cannot be replaced, and I'd have to install e.g. MATE in order to use Compton. Even so, I haven't come across anyone saying that it simply can't be done.
My question, then, is this: Can Compton be used with Cinnamon? Of course, if there's a quick fix for fixing tearing nowadays, I'll just take that.
I ask because I don't want to make significant changes to my system only to find out I've messed everything up, and I haven't been able to find this information elsewhere.
[Solved] Possible to use Compton with Cinnamon? (Getting screen tearing in Cinnamon)
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[Solved] Possible to use Compton with Cinnamon? (Getting screen tearing in Cinnamon)
Last edited by cmeeren on Sat Mar 25, 2017 5:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Possible to use Compton with Cinnamon? (Getting screen tearing in Cinnamon)
Installing another compositor would be the worst way to try to fix this ... tearing is a more low level area. Generate some system info by copying/pasting this into terminal and then copy/paste the text output here:
inxi -Fxz
inxi -Fxz
For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong - H. L. Mencken
Re: Possible to use Compton with Cinnamon? (Getting screen tearing in Cinnamon)
Sorry for taking so long, I forgot to enable notification of answers. Here's the output:
Code: Select all
System: Host: Midna-Linux Kernel: 4.4.0-36-generic x86_64 (64 bit gcc: 5.4.0)
Desktop: Cinnamon 3.0.7 (Gtk 3.18.9-1ubuntu3.1) Distro: Linux Mint 18 Sarah
Machine: System: ASUS product: All Series
Mobo: ASUSTeK model: Z97-A v: Rev 1.xx Bios: American Megatrends v: 1304 date: 07/11/2014
CPU: Quad core Intel Core i5-4690K (-MCP-) cache: 6144 KB
flags: (lm nx sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx) bmips: 27984
clock speeds: max: 3900 MHz 1: 3500 MHz 2: 3516 MHz 3: 3493 MHz 4: 3476 MHz
Graphics: Card: NVIDIA GM200 [GeForce GTX 980 Ti] bus-ID: 01:00.0
Display Server: X.Org 1.18.3 drivers: nvidia (unloaded: fbdev,vesa,nouveau)
Resolution: 1920x1200@59.95hz
GLX Renderer: GeForce GTX 980 Ti/PCIe/SSE2 GLX Version: 4.5.0 NVIDIA 361.42 Direct Rendering: Yes
Audio: Card-1 Intel 9 Series Family HD Audio Controller driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 00:1b.0
Card-2 NVIDIA Device 0fb0 driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 01:00.1
Card-3 Creative Labs SB X-Fi driver: snd_ctxfi port: d000 bus-ID: 04:01.0
Card-4 Philips (or NXP) SPC 900NC PC Camera / ORITE CCD Webcam(PC370R)
driver: USB Audio usb-ID: 003-006
Sound: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture v: k4.4.0-36-generic
Network: Card-1: Intel Ethernet Connection (2) I218-V driver: e1000e v: 3.2.6-k port: f040 bus-ID: 00:19.0
IF: eno1 state: up speed: 100 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>
Card-2: Microsoft Xbox 360 Wireless Adapter usb-ID: 003-003
IF: null-if-id state: N/A mac: N/A
Drives: HDD Total Size: 4741.0GB (36.4% used) ID-1: /dev/sda model: OCZ size: 240.1GB
ID-2: /dev/sdb model: HGST_HDS724040AL size: 4000.8GB
ID-3: /dev/sdc model: Samsung_SSD_850 size: 500.1GB
Partition: ID-1: / size: 51G used: 8.8G (19%) fs: ext dev: /dev/sdc5
ID-2: /home size: 54G used: 34G (66%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sdc6
ID-3: swap-1 size: 8.81GB used: 0.00GB (0%) fs: swap dev: /dev/sda5
RAID: No RAID devices: /proc/mdstat, md_mod kernel module present
Sensors: System Temperatures: cpu: 29.8C mobo: 27.8C gpu: 0.0:28C
Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: 0
Info: Processes: 213 Uptime: 16 min Memory: 1970.0/15989.9MB Init: systemd runlevel: 5 Gcc sys: 5.4.0
Client: Shell (bash 4.3.421) inxi: 2.2.35
Re: Possible to use Compton with Cinnamon? (Getting screen tearing in Cinnamon)
Code: Select all
nvidia-settings --assign CurrentMetaMode="$(xrandr | sed -nr '/(\S+) connected (primary )?[0-9]+x[0-9]+(\+\S+).*/{ s//\1: nvidia-auto-select \3 { ForceCompositionPipeline = On }, /; H }; ${ g; s/\n//g; s/, $//; p }')"
Copy and paste the above code into the command window and press enter and the screen should flash for a millisecond and then come back again.
Previously you had to find your video connection and resolution type to add the pipeline fix but the above code does it all for you.
Re: Possible to use Compton with Cinnamon? (Getting screen tearing in Cinnamon)
Thanks. I've been burned before when copy-pasting console commands from the net without knowing what they do. Could you describe for me what the two commands do, and whether they are permanent?
Re: Possible to use Compton with Cinnamon? (Getting screen tearing in Cinnamon)
It's just a fix i've seen people mention around the linux forums to fix Nvidia tearing by forcing on Vsync through a new command that Nvidia added a couple of years ago to fix the issue of Vsync not locking in linux and seems to work for 90% of people.
For a better explanation ( as i'm not an expert on how it works ) google ForceCompositionPipeline or copy and paste the above code into google and search and you'll see it mention around the forums.
For a better explanation ( as i'm not an expert on how it works ) google ForceCompositionPipeline or copy and paste the above code into google and search and you'll see it mention around the forums.
Re: Possible to use Compton with Cinnamon? (Getting screen tearing in Cinnamon)
For the record, this problem turned out to be due to missing hardware acceleration in recent versions of Firefox. I solved it by setting layers.acceleration.force-enabled to true in about:config. More info here.
Re: [Solved] Possible to use Compton with Cinnamon? (Getting screen tearing in Cinnamon)
much appreciated, ty
[i did the firefox fix first, still had some tearing so did the pipeline fix and that seems to have done it; i feel like the firefox fix is good anyway though]
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Re: [Solved] Possible to use Compton with Cinnamon? (Getting screen tearing in Cinnamon)
Moderator note: Locking 6 year old topic. Software can change quite a bit over time so it is really best to create a new topic for issues rather than using old solutions which may not apply to your current installation.
A woman typing on a laptop with LM20.3 Cinnamon.