How to update drivers in Devuan (Miyo)?

Ron · 2018-05-29 02:21:01

I'm running Miyo ASCII (with Mate DE). I'm noticing screen tearing when I scroll in my web browser. I'm thinking that maybe I need to update my graphics and/or video drivers. I think I have Intel drivers, but I'm not sure. How can I check? And, how do I check if there are newer drivers available? An internet search has so far been fruitless. Thanks.

MiyoLinux · 2018-05-29 02:39:55

Ron, I no longer have a miyo mate since working on miyo awesome...so this is guess work.

Do you have any type of compositing enabled?

Miyo came with Compton and a compton config file. I don't remember, but does Mate have a native "run command"? If so...and if you haven't removed compton (or the configuration file), open the run command and type in --> compton

This should also work with the terminal (leave the terminal open if you have to use it for the test).

With compton now running, see if you experience screen tearing. If not, we'll need to figure out how to add compton to autostart in Mate.

Ron · 2018-05-29 02:44:51

I looked in Synaptic, and compton is installed. I typed "compton" in the terminal, and when I pressed enter, the screen blinked for a split-second, but nothing else showed up in the terminal, not even a new ron@ron:~$. After this (still with the terminal opened), I still get the screen tearing.

EDIT
This is weird. After closing the terminal screen and opening a new one and again typing compton in it, I now get the message that "Another composite manager is already running".

Last edited by Ron (2018-05-29 02:49:18)

MiyoLinux · 2018-05-29 02:49:24

Yes, that's normal. You would've needed to run --> killall compton
...before trying it again in another instance.

Open your file manager, show hidden files, go to .config, and see if you have a compton.conf file.

Last edited by MiyoLinux (2018-05-29 02:55:39)

Ron · 2018-05-29 02:55:29

MiyoLinux wrote:

Open your file manager, show hidden files, go to .config, and see if you have a compton.conf file.

I do.

While you were typing your response, I did a reboot of my computer and again ran "compton" in the terminal, and got this:

[     8.81 ] error    3 BadWindow    request    2 minor    0 serial   8180: "BadWindow (invalid Window parameter)"
[    12.91 ] error    9 BadDrawable  request  139 minor    4 serial  16002: "BadDrawable (invalid Pixmap or Window parameter)"
[    12.91 ] error  143 BadPicture   request  139 minor    8 serial  16003: "RenderBadPicture (invalid Picture parameter)"
[    12.91 ] error    9 BadDrawable  request   14 minor    0 serial  16015: "BadDrawable (invalid Pixmap or Window parameter)"
[    12.91 ] error  143 BadPicture   request  139 minor    7 serial  16016: "RenderBadPicture (invalid Picture parameter)"
[    12.91 ] error    4 BadPixmap    request   54 minor    0 serial  16017: "BadPixmap (invalid Pixmap parameter)"
[   128.52 ] error    3 BadWindow    request    2 minor    0 serial  87074: "BadWindow (invalid Window parameter)"
[   142.18 ] error    3 BadWindow    request    2 minor    0 serial 109319: "BadWindow (invalid Window parameter)"

MiyoLinux · 2018-05-29 03:35:01

Sorry Ron...I lost my connection.

In looking at the compton.conf file, what does it show for "backend"... glx or xrender ?

Try substituting one with the other to see if that helps. Then again, seems as though my memory recalls that Mate works best with Compiz for compositing...which I'm not sure is available in Devuan. (I'm on my phone and can't check).

devuser · 2018-05-29 12:29:17

Likely not related to the actual problem but in general updating drivers (modules) comes down to updating the kernel (probably using backports). You could also compile a new module for your current kernel or a whole new kernel but i guess that's out of scope here. Graphics are a bit of an exception as at least for NVIDIA and ATI there should be newer versions available in backports and easily installable standalone modules from the given vendor. Never actually needed to do that though and you probably won't have either as long as you aren't running some rather bleeding edge hardware. Anyways as MiyoLinux said the tearing problem is more likely related to some configuration issue than the module version.

ivanovnegro · 2018-05-29 17:32:33

The tearing issue with Mate and Intel is known. They fixed it upstream for Mate 1.20 if you use the built-in compositor.
If you use the built-in compositor on older versions of Mate like in Devuan you will experience tearing. I disable it but that does not change that you will see tearing by scrolling in Firefox.

The solution is to force hardware acceleration in Firefox and even then you will see some slightly tearing hear and there but it will stop it on HTML5 content.

You can of course use compton as it resolves all tearing but you have to use OpenGL, that works here. See man compton, there are a ton of options, or if you want I will pass you my configs. You can easily add compton to your autostart by putting the exact command you would use to start compton with your specified options.

And yes, there is even another option, using Compiz, either from the regular Devuan repos or from backports. But it is more heavyweight. You have to start it, put it in your autostart and install the Mate Compiz compatibility settings. If you need further assistance just leave me a shout.

Last edited by ivanovnegro (2018-05-29 17:34:18)

Ron · 2018-05-29 18:08:58

MiyoLinux wrote:
In looking at the compton.conf file, what does it show for "backend"... glx or xrender?

Here's what it reads:

backend = "xrender";
#backend = "glx";

So I take it that I should change it to this . . .?

#backend = "xrender";
backend = "glx";

MiyoLinux wrote:
Then again, seems as though my memory recalls that Mate works best with Compiz for compositing...which I'm not sure is available in Devuan.

It is available in Synaptic. If I need to download it, how do use it in place of the others?

FTR, I don't recall having this issue in Jessie. But it could have been that I just missed it then, but I don't think so.

Last edited by Ron (2018-05-29 18:19:05)

MiyoLinux · 2018-05-29 21:14:32

Yes, try that change to see if it helps. After changing it, make sure to run

killall compton

...if compton is already running. Then run...

compton

The compton.conf file that I supply is pretty basic. It may or may not work well on some machines. I have one machine that I have to use a completely different compton.conf file on.

Ron, I've never used Compiz, so I can't be of any assistance as to how to use it.

If ivanovnegro is willing to help as he indicated (thank you ivanovnegro), that may be your best route since I have such limited experience with Mate. I didn't even use my miyo-mate long enough to know there's a built-in compositor.

Ron · 2018-05-29 21:47:05

Made the change and ran killall compton. Got message that compton wasn't running. So I then ran compton. Seems better so far.

Question: Why wasn't compton already running? Does that mean some other compositor was running? How can I check? And if I close the terminal, it says that will kill compton. How do I get compton running from boot?

EDIT
Closed the terminal and obvious screen tearing is back.

Last edited by Ron (2018-05-29 21:48:10)

golinux · 2018-05-29 22:11:41

Doesn't mate have a startup menu in settings where you can add whatever you want?

MiyoLinux · 2018-05-29 22:37:27

Hooray!

Yes, running things like compton from the terminal is done basically to test to see how it works. Once you close the terminal, you effectively kill whatever you were running.

As I'm unfamiliar with Mate, I can only assume there's a way to add items to autostart as golinux said. Perhaps someone more familiar with Mate can intercede here. All that I can tell you is that if you find where to add it, the command should simply be compton...unless Mate is different than what I'm used to.

I'm glad that worked, and I do hope you can get it added to autostart soon. Wish I still had my Mate version to figure it out for you. I'm so sorry.

EDITED TO ADD: Until the autostart situation is figured out, and if Mate has a "Run command" (or something similar), you can use that to run compton too. Same thing...just type compton in the Run command, and compton will continue running until you log out, reboot, etc...

Last edited by MiyoLinux (2018-05-29 22:43:23)

ivanovnegro · 2018-05-29 22:54:44

OK, let's do it this way, if you want. I know how to make Compiz working but I guess we prefer a more simple and minimal approach. It works here on Mate Devuan Ascii installed from backports but it should also work on Mate 1.16.

I would suggest you remove the compton config you made or have, will be easier for me.

Firstly go to the Mate Control Center, to Windows and disable the built-in compositor, that could also be what was interfering.

Then start compton from the terminal with OpenGL:

compton -b --backend glx

That's it.

Do you see the appended -b, that makes an application running from terminal even if you close that terminal, so you do not kill the process.

Now take that command from above and put it into your autostart. Open again the control center and go to start programs and add it there.
It should look like this:

Report back.

Edit: One more thing. If compton was or is already running, kill it like mentioned, killall compton, before proceeding with my solution.

It is not a driver problem btw, at least not really, it is a vsync issue on Intel cards that is not present if you use a compositor that uses OpenGL by default like Mutter, Muffin, KWin or Compiz. Xfce has the same problem. Mate 1.20 fixed that finally.

Here a nice read from the compton dev:

https://github.com/chjj/compton/wiki/vsync-guide

Last edited by ivanovnegro (2018-05-29 23:00:56)

Ron · 2018-05-29 23:09:42

Thank you MiyoLinux and ivanovnegro. It seems to be working now as it should.

EDIT
There is one weird thing. Now when opening a new window, instead of it immediately appearing, it kind of fades in instead. I think I can live that though.

EDIT #2
I found a line in compton.conf that read fading = true;. I changed it to false and that seems to have taken care of the fade in.

Last edited by Ron (2018-05-29 23:16:22)

MiyoLinux · 2018-05-29 23:24:48

Look at the compton.conf file...

There should be a line for fade-in...or fade-in-step

It's probably something like...

fade-in-step = 0.03

...or something similar.

Edit it to a lower number (0.00 would be no fade in) and see if that helps.

Also, depending on which compton.conf I included in the Miyo you're using, there may be a line for no fading at all (opening or closing windows), if it's there, edit the line...

fading = true

to...

fading = false

There should be several options available for fading that you can play around with until you find what works best for you.

EDITED TO ADD: I posted this after you found the line.

Last edited by MiyoLinux (2018-05-29 23:25:57)

Ron · 2018-05-29 23:28:50

Thanks again MiyoLinux and ivanovnegro. I'll be watching this for a day or so, and mark as solved if all holds ups.

[To be honest, Mate is starting to get long in the tooth for me. ]

Last edited by Ron (2018-05-29 23:31:00)

golinux · 2018-05-30 00:01:09

Long before Mate, gnome2 got very long in the tooth for me.

Ron · 2018-05-30 02:06:46

golinux wrote:

Long before Mate, gnome2 got very long in the tooth for me.

So I'm curious, what DE do you use now?

golinux · 2018-05-30 03:07:45

Ron wrote:

golinux wrote:
Long before Mate, gnome2 got very long in the tooth for me.
So I'm curious, what DE do you use now?

Xfce since wheezy. I actually tried Mate on wheezy too but it still had all the annoyances of gnome2 so that was the end of it. I do use some Mate apps - pluma, atril etc.. Several of those aren't available for ascii - mate-system-monitor, mate-system-tools - which is a bit of a bummer.

catprints · 2018-05-30 13:17:44

Mate startup applications is in menu system-prefererences-personal-startup applications.
Also I have mate-system-monitor in ascii. I wonder if mate-system-tools is in different package. mate-utils?
I'm unfamiliar with their use. also, I don't know what menu is used in Miyo-ASCII(mate) so, for what it is worth.

Last edited by catprints (2018-05-30 13:43:52)

ivanovnegro · 2018-05-30 15:49:03

mate-system-monitor is in the Ascii repos.

I like both Mate and Xfce but as of late slightly prefer Mate. Everybody has his/her preference but making compton work in Mate or in Xfce is just the same. The problem is using a preconfigured compton.conf and probably the default compositor at the same time.

golinux · 2018-05-30 16:26:34

ivanovnegro wrote:

mate-system-monitor is in the Ascii repos.

Yes, I checked and saw it there. It wasn't when I installed that VM several months ago. AntoFox must have updated some pkgs.

ivanovnegro wrote:

I like both Mate and Xfce but as of late slightly prefer Mate. Everybody has his/her preference but making compton work in Mate or in Xfce is just the same. The problem is using a preconfigured compton.conf and probably the default compositor at the same time.

The default Xfce compositor works fine here so I've never experimented with other options. I did resort to using compiz to address deficiencies in gnome2 maybe 10 years ago. Really more trouble than it's worth. The rotating cube was kind of neat though. Choice is a good thing . . .

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#1 2018-05-29 02:21:01

How to update drivers in Devuan (Miyo)?

#2 2018-05-29 02:39:55

Re: How to update drivers in Devuan (Miyo)?

#3 2018-05-29 02:44:51

Re: How to update drivers in Devuan (Miyo)?

#4 2018-05-29 02:49:24

Re: How to update drivers in Devuan (Miyo)?

#5 2018-05-29 02:55:29

Re: How to update drivers in Devuan (Miyo)?

#6 2018-05-29 03:35:01

Re: How to update drivers in Devuan (Miyo)?

#7 2018-05-29 12:29:17

Re: How to update drivers in Devuan (Miyo)?

#8 2018-05-29 17:32:33

Re: How to update drivers in Devuan (Miyo)?

#9 2018-05-29 18:08:58

Re: How to update drivers in Devuan (Miyo)?

#10 2018-05-29 21:14:32

Re: How to update drivers in Devuan (Miyo)?

#11 2018-05-29 21:47:05

Re: How to update drivers in Devuan (Miyo)?

#12 2018-05-29 22:11:41

Re: How to update drivers in Devuan (Miyo)?

#13 2018-05-29 22:37:27

Re: How to update drivers in Devuan (Miyo)?

#14 2018-05-29 22:54:44

Re: How to update drivers in Devuan (Miyo)?

#15 2018-05-29 23:09:42

Re: How to update drivers in Devuan (Miyo)?

#16 2018-05-29 23:24:48

Re: How to update drivers in Devuan (Miyo)?

#17 2018-05-29 23:28:50

Re: How to update drivers in Devuan (Miyo)?

#18 2018-05-30 00:01:09

Re: How to update drivers in Devuan (Miyo)?

#19 2018-05-30 02:06:46

Re: How to update drivers in Devuan (Miyo)?

#20 2018-05-30 03:07:45

Re: How to update drivers in Devuan (Miyo)?

#21 2018-05-30 13:17:44

Re: How to update drivers in Devuan (Miyo)?

#22 2018-05-30 15:49:03

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#23 2018-05-30 16:26:34

Re: How to update drivers in Devuan (Miyo)?

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