Some of the desktop effects are not working on my system. I am especially missing the very useful "Taskbar Thumbnails" effect, but others such as Explosion are also not working. Some effects, such as Blur and Translucency are working fine. The broken effects are available in the Desktop Effects configuration dialog, but when I activate them, nothing happens.
The Taskbar Thumbnails effect used to work on my system, but I am unsure why and when it stopped working. I recently upgraded to Mesa 8, but I'm not sure if this is what broke the effects.

My system: KDE 4.8.1, Mesa 8.0.1, Xorg-server 1.11.3, Kernel 3.3.0
Display card: ATI Radeon Mobility X1400

Any help greatly appreciated.

Are you using the open source or proprietary Ati drivers?

I'm using the open-source gallium drivers (r300).

Did you try playing with the scaling method in the advanced options? What if you move from "accurate" to "smooth"?

Yes, I tried changing all the options in the Desktop Effects dialog, including scale method and compositing type.
Nothing makes the broken effects active again

The explosion effect requires GLSL
-> please run "kwin --replace &" from konsole and post the output
but the taskbar thumbnail should not require anything specific
-> please define "does not work" in this context - if there's not even a frame to hold the thumbnail that's some taskbar config setting issue (kwin just paints the thumbnail there on request, it does not actively assist the taskbar)

There's not even a frame to hold the taskbar. It's as if the effect is not enabled.

Here's the output from "kwin --replace":

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QDBusConnection: session D-Bus connection created before QCoreApplication. Application may misbehave.
kwin(1710) KWin::Extensions::init: Extensions: shape: 0x "11"  composite: 0x "4"  render: 0x "b"  fixes: 0x "50"  non_native_pixmaps:  true
kwin(1710) KWin::CompositingPrefs::detect: glx version is  1 . 4
OpenGL vendor string:                   X.Org R300 Project
OpenGL renderer string:                 Gallium 0.4 on ATI RV515
OpenGL version string:                  2.1 Mesa 8.0.1
OpenGL shading language version string: 1.20
Driver:                                 R300G
GPU class:                              R500
OpenGL version:                         2.1
GLSL version:                           1.20
Mesa version:                           8.0.1
X server version:                       1.11.3
Linux kernel version:                   3.3
Direct rendering:                       yes
Requires strict binding:                yes
GLSL shaders:                           limited
Texture NPOT support:                   limited
kwin(1710) KDecorationPlugins::loadPlugin: kwin : path  "/opt/kde-4.8.1/lib/kde4/kwin3_oxygen.so"  for  "kwin3_oxygen"
kwin(1710) KWin::Extensions::init: Extensions: shape: 0x "11"  composite: 0x "4"  render: 0x "b"  fixes: 0x "50"  non_native_pixmaps:  true
kwin(1710) KWin::Extensions::init: Extensions: shape: 0x "11"  composite: 0x "4"  render: 0x "b"  fixes: 0x "50"  non_native_pixmaps:  true
kwin(1710) KWin::Workspace::setupCompositing: Initializing OpenGL compositing
kwin(1710) KWin::SceneOpenGL::initBufferConfigs: Drawable visual (depth  24 ): 0x "13c"
kwin(1710) KWin::SceneOpenGL::initBufferConfigs: Drawable visual (depth  32 ): 0x "66"
kwin(1710) KWin::SceneOpenGL::initBuffer: Buffer visual (depth  24 ): 0x "140"
kwin(1710): Shaders are not supported
kwin(1710) KWin::ShaderManager::initShaders: Orho Shader is not valid
kwin(1710) KWin::SceneOpenGL::SceneOpenGL: No Scene Shaders available
kwin(1710) KWin::SceneOpenGL::SceneOpenGL: DB: true , Direct: true
kwin(1710) KWin::currentRefreshRate: Refresh rate  60 Hz
kwin(1710)/kdecore (KSycoca) KSycocaPrivate::openDatabase: Trying to open ksycoca from "/var/tmp/kdecache-ragnar/ksycoca4"
kwin(1710) KWin::EffectsHandlerImpl::loadEffect: Trying to load  "kwin4_effect_highlightwindow"
kwin(1710) KWin::EffectsHandlerImpl::loadEffect: Trying to load  "kwin4_effect_logout"
kwin(1710) KWin::EffectsHandlerImpl::loadEffect: Trying to load  "kwin4_effect_desktopgrid"
kwin(1710) KWin::EffectsHandlerImpl::loadEffect: Trying to load  "kwin4_effect_translucency"
kwin(1710) KWin::EffectsHandlerImpl::loadEffect: Trying to load  "kwin4_effect_taskbarthumbnail"
kwin(1710) KWin::EffectsHandlerImpl::loadEffect: Trying to load  "kwin4_effect_presentwindows"
kwin(1710) KWin::EffectsHandlerImpl::loadEffect: Trying to load  "kwin4_effect_login"
kwin(1710) KWin::EffectsHandlerImpl::loadEffect: Trying to load  "kwin4_effect_blur"
kwin(1710) KWin::EffectsHandlerImpl::loadEffect: Trying to load  "kwin4_effect_dialogparent"
kwin(1710) KWin::Workspace::updateClientArea: screens:  1 desktops:  1
kwin(1710) KWin::Workspace::updateClientArea: Done.
kwin(1710) KWin::Client::readUserTimeMapTimestamp: User timestamp, ASN: 4294967295
kwin(1710) KWin::Client::readUserTimeMapTimestamp: User timestamp, final: 'ID: 18874879 ;WMCLASS: "plasma" : "plasma" ;Caption: "plasma-desktop" ' : 4294967295
kwin(1710) KWin::Workspace::allowClientActivation: Activation: No client active, allowing
kwin(1710) KWin::Workspace::updateClientArea: screens:  1 desktops:  1
kwin(1710) KWin::Workspace::updateClientArea: Done.
kwin(1710) KWin::Client::readUserTimeMapTimestamp: User timestamp, ASN: 459764
kwin(1710) KWin::Client::readUserTimeMapTimestamp: User timestamp, final: 'ID: 27263175 ;WMCLASS: "firefox" : "navigator" ;Caption: "Non-functional desktop effects ? KDE Community Forums - Mozilla Firefox" ' : 459764
kwin(1710) KWin::Workspace::allowClientActivation: Activation: No client active, allowing
kwin(1710) KWin::Workspace::updateClientArea: screens:  1 desktops:  1
kwin(1710) KWin::Workspace::updateClientArea: Done.
kwin(1710) KWin::Client::readUserTimeMapTimestamp: User timestamp, ASN: 477265
kwin(1710) KWin::Client::readUserTimeMapTimestamp: User timestamp, final: 'ID: 4194330 ;WMCLASS: "konsole" : "konsole" ;Caption: "~ : kwin" ' : 477265
kwin(1710) KWin::Workspace::allowClientActivation: Activation: No client active, allowing
kwin(1710) KWin::Workspace::updateClientArea: screens:  1 desktops:  1
kwin(1710) KWin::Workspace::updateClientArea: Done.
kwin(1710) KWin::Client::readUserTimeMapTimestamp: User timestamp, ASN: 472752
kwin(1710) KWin::Client::readUserTimeMapTimestamp: User timestamp, final: 'ID: 18874870 ;WMCLASS: "plasma" : "plasma" ;Caption: "plasma-desktop" ' : 472752
kwin(1710) KWin::Workspace::allowClientActivation: Activation: No client active, allowing
kwin(1710) KWin::Workspace::updateClientArea: screens:  1 desktops:  1
kwin(1710) KWin::Workspace::updateClientArea: Done.
kwin(1710) KWin::Workspace::updateClientArea: screens:  1 desktops:  1
kwin(1710) KWin::Workspace::updateClientArea: Done.

kwin(1710): Shaders are not supported

There goes the explosion effect - reason it the limitedNPOT support what means that actually NPOT textures are not supported by the GPU, but rectangular ones are, which unfortunately require different shader code what makes the whole thing slow if they're mixed with "regular" POT 2D textures.

About the taskbar config, i don't know.
I've little experience with taskbars, but they're not restricted from kwin's side (even do work with xrender) so there's possibly a config item for them OR you're using a third party taskbar implementation which simply does not support them at all.

I too have noticed that thumbnail effects on the taskbar appear to be missing from KDE 4.8.1, following an upgrade from 4.7.4.

Could it be that this is the culprit?

System config

Kernel: 3.2.12-gentoo

Chipset: "AMD Radeon HD 6800 Series"

media-libs/mesa-7.11.2 USE="classic egl gallium gles llvm nptl shared-glapi -bindist -debug -gbm -motif -openvg -osmesa -pax_kernel -pic (-selinux) -shared-dricore" VIDEO_CARDS="radeon -intel -mach64 -mga -nouveau -r128 -savage -sis -tdfx -via -vmware"

x11-base/xorg-server-1.11.2-r2 USE="ipv6 kdrive nptl udev xorg -dmx -doc -minimal -static-libs -tslib -xnest -xvfb"

kde-base/kwin-4.8.1 USE="gles opengl xinerama (-aqua) -debug"

x11-drivers/xf86-video-ati-6.14.3

bpkent wrote:I too have noticed that thumbnail effects on the taskbar appear to be missing from KDE 4.8.1, following an upgrade from 4.7.4.

Could it be that this is the culprit?

No, the commit is only in git master (-> 4.9)

The taskbar thumbnail issue is likely around plasma or more precise the taskbar plasmoid (since kwin doesn't provide the holding frame) - you got to ask around there (i get them and have absolutely no cue about the taskbar and its config options, sorry)

The only thing i could think of was the selectionowner (ie. KWindowsSystem::compositingActive() does not work and therefore the taskbar doesn't show thumbnails - would it show another popup w/o compositing?)

Another thing to check is the Task Manager Settings - as there is a Task Manager specific option to control the status of Tooltips being enabled. I can confirm that it works properly here on my Intel Ironlake, KDE Trunk system.

I have now tested this on a completely different computer running KDE 4.8.2, but the problem remains. The taskbar thumbnails are missing. They were working at a time, but suddenly stopped working for no obvious reason. I have tried three different task managers (the default, icon-only and smooth tasks), no thumbnails in any of them. I double-checked that tooltips are enabled.

My new system:
Intel Sandy Bridge graphics, Mesa 8.0.2 (intel driver).

I solved the problem

It was caused by using this tip:
http://forum.kde.org/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=91649
to reduce the startup time of KDE by changing the line:

Code: Select all

LD_BIND_NOW=true /usr/lib/kde4/libexec/start_kdeinit_wrapper +kcminit_startup

to

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LD_BIND_NOW=true /usr/lib/kde4/libexec/start_kdeinit_wrapper +kcminit_startup +kwrapper4 plasma-desktop

in the /opt/kde4/bin/startkde script.

Apparently this breaks the taskbar thumbnails effect.

Same problem here, KDE 4.10.2, Icon-Tasks.
The line in startkde mentioned above is unchanged.
Thumbnails work after log out and log in until next restart.

I bet for https://git.reviewboard.kde.org/r/107983/