Bug 272899

Summary: the blur effect in kwin does not work with the git version of the 3-d nouveau driver
Product: [Plasma] kwin Reporter: avlas <jsardid>
Component: effects-variousAssignee: KWin default assignee <kwin-bugs-null>
Status: RESOLVED UPSTREAM    
Severity: normal CC: fredrik
Priority: NOR    
Version: unspecified   
Target Milestone: ---   
Platform: Ubuntu   
OS: Linux   
Latest Commit: Version Fixed In:
Sentry Crash Report:

Description avlas 2011-05-10 01:45:03 UTC 
Version:           unspecified (using KDE 4.6.2) 
OS:                Linux

OpenGL vendor string:                   nouveau
OpenGL renderer string:                 Gallium 0.4 on NV86
OpenGL version string:                  1.3 Mesa 7.11-devel
OpenGL shading language version string: 1.20
Driver:                                 Nouveau
GPU class:                              G80/G90
OpenGL version:                         1.3
GLSL version:                           1.20
Mesa version:                           7.11
X server version:                       1.10.1
Linux kernel version:                   2.6.38
Direct rendering:                       yes
Requires strict binding:                yes
GLSL shaders:                           yes
Texture NPOT support:                   no
kwin(6167) KWin::EffectsHandlerImpl::loadEffect: EffectsHandler::loadEffect : Effect  "kwin4_effect_blur"  is not supported

Hi,

I'm using libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental
7.11.0+git20110509.7074801e-0ubuntu0sarvatt from the [xorg-edgers] ppa
(https://edge.launchpad.net/~xorg-edgers/+archive/ppa) because it works great
in kubuntu natty (when using the default stable version of the driver I suffer
from random lockups and performance is also worse). I'm very happy using the
git version to remove all these problems, but on the other side there is an
issue with the blur desktop effect which is not working anymore in kwin when
using the git version (it works with the default stable version). This is
especially bad when transparency is enabled, which is my case. I wouldn't like
to have to renounce to nouveau by nvidia, nor to the benefits of the git
version and I really enjoy transparency when the blur effect is working
properly, so please let me know if there is any way I can help to solve this
issue.

Thanks in advance.

PS: I filed a bug in mesa: https://bugs.freedesktop.org/show_bug.cgi?id=37042

Reproducible: Always
Comment 1 avlas 2011-05-10 05:32:32 UTC 
the workaround "KWIN_DIRECT_GL=1 kwin --replace &" doesn't fix the issue
Comment 2 Thomas Lübking 2011-05-10 22:04:53 UTC 
> kwin(6167) KWin::EffectsHandlerImpl::loadEffect: EffectsHandler::loadEffect :
> Effect  "kwin4_effect_blur"  is not supported

and the cause is this
> Texture NPOT support:                   no

for the moment an upstream bug (the GPU can do that, nouveau implementation just lacks support)

@Fredrik
is the npot a hard requirement or just "if the gpu can't npot it's to lousy for blurring anyway"
Comment 3 avlas 2011-05-10 22:21:48 UTC 
There is one thing I don't quite understand, I had the blur effect working with previous versions of the driver. Do you mean that the nouveau driver has changed recently?
Comment 4 avlas 2011-05-10 22:26:33 UTC 
It's curious that mesa developers say it's a downstream bug and kde developers say it's upstream

I write the comment on the two sides to see if we together can clarify the issue

https://bugs.freedesktop.org/show_bug.cgi?id=37042
https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=272899
Comment 5 Martin Flöser 2011-05-10 22:36:39 UTC 
well the information in the freedesktop bug tracker is not correct. It is true that we had a problem 
with mesa changing the version string. But if they would not link to Phoronix but to my original 
blog post, they would notice that it only affects Intel drivers and not nouveau. Also the 
workaround would fix the issue of the version string change.

So something else is causing the regression.
Comment 6 avlas 2011-05-10 22:48:33 UTC 
Ok, I apologize for the mess, it seems it's not related with the mesa driver: I removed the transparency in the oxygen transparent decoration and blur effect came back to kde, so it seems the issue is in the oxygen transparent decoration.
Comment 7 avlas 2011-05-10 22:51:46 UTC 
This is what I get now after doing kwin --replace &

OpenGL vendor string:                   nouveau
OpenGL renderer string:                 Gallium 0.4 on NV86
OpenGL version string:                  2.1 Mesa 7.11-devel
OpenGL shading language version string: 1.20
Driver:                                 Nouveau
GPU class:                              G80/G90
OpenGL version:                         2.1
GLSL version:                           1.20
Mesa version:                           7.11
X server version:                       1.10.1
Linux kernel version:                   2.6.38
Direct rendering:                       yes
Requires strict binding:                yes
GLSL shaders:                           yes
Texture NPOT support:                   yes
Comment 8 Thomas Lübking 2011-05-10 22:55:33 UTC 
> Texture NPOT support:                   yes
did you update the nouveau driver inbetween?
Comment 9 avlas 2011-05-10 23:13:04 UTC 
you're right as I tried again for non-zero transparency levels and it's working now. sorry!
Comment 10 avlas 2011-05-10 23:35:05 UTC 
mesa developers have just confirmed this:
https://bugs.freedesktop.org/show_bug.cgi?id=37042#c10