Using Arch Linux (4.14.13-1-ARCH) as well as the nvidia drivers from 'extra' repository (I am currently using a GTX 1070 for a GPU), the screen occasionally flickers with black flickering artifacts. Upon opening a subwindow, the flickering increases dramatically, and covers the whole screen save for the opened window. This can be temporarily solved by dragging the window around the screen, upon which the black flickering areas will disappear if the window crosses it. To reproduce, set your Rendering backend to OpenGL 2.0, or OpenGL 3.1 Setting to XRender eliminates the problem. Here is the output of 'qdbus org.kde.KWin /KWin supportInformation': ========================== Version ======= KWin version: 5.11.5 Qt Version: 5.10.0 Qt compile version: 5.10.0 XCB compile version: 1.12 Operation Mode: X11 only Build Options ============= KWIN_BUILD_DECORATIONS: yes KWIN_BUILD_TABBOX: yes KWIN_BUILD_ACTIVITIES: yes HAVE_INPUT: yes HAVE_DRM: yes HAVE_GBM: yes HAVE_X11_XCB: yes HAVE_EPOXY_GLX: yes HAVE_WAYLAND_EGL: yes X11 === Vendor: The X.Org Foundation Vendor Release: 11906000 Protocol Version/Revision: 11/0 SHAPE: yes; Version: 0x11 RANDR: yes; Version: 0x14 DAMAGE: yes; Version: 0x11 Composite: yes; Version: 0x4 RENDER: yes; Version: 0xb XFIXES: yes; Version: 0x50 SYNC: yes; Version: 0x31 GLX: yes; Version: 0x0 Decoration ========== Plugin: org.kde.breeze Theme: Blur: 0 onAllDesktopsAvailable: false alphaChannelSupported: true closeOnDoubleClickOnMenu: false decorationButtonsLeft: 0, 2 decorationButtonsRight: 6, 3, 4, 5 borderSize: 3 gridUnit: 10 font: Noto Sans,10,-1,0,50,0,0,0,0,0,Regular smallSpacing: 2 largeSpacing: 10 Options ======= focusPolicy: 0 nextFocusPrefersMouse: false clickRaise: true autoRaise: false autoRaiseInterval: 0 delayFocusInterval: 0 shadeHover: false shadeHoverInterval: 250 separateScreenFocus: false placement: 4 focusPolicyIsReasonable: true borderSnapZone: 10 windowSnapZone: 10 centerSnapZone: 0 snapOnlyWhenOverlapping: false rollOverDesktops: true focusStealingPreventionLevel: 1 legacyFullscreenSupport: false operationTitlebarDblClick: 5000 operationMaxButtonLeftClick: 5000 operationMaxButtonMiddleClick: 5015 operationMaxButtonRightClick: 5014 commandActiveTitlebar1: 0 commandActiveTitlebar2: 30 commandActiveTitlebar3: 2 commandInactiveTitlebar1: 4 commandInactiveTitlebar2: 30 commandInactiveTitlebar3: 2 commandWindow1: 7 commandWindow2: 8 commandWindow3: 8 commandWindowWheel: 31 commandAll1: 10 commandAll2: 3 commandAll3: 14 keyCmdAllModKey: 16777251 showGeometryTip: false condensedTitle: false electricBorderMaximize: true electricBorderTiling: true electricBorderCornerRatio: 0.25 borderlessMaximizedWindows: false killPingTimeout: 5000 hideUtilityWindowsForInactive: true inactiveTabsSkipTaskbar: false autogroupSimilarWindows: false autogroupInForeground: true compositingMode: 2 useCompositing: true compositingInitialized: true hiddenPreviews: 1 glSmoothScale: 2 xrenderSmoothScale: false maxFpsInterval: 16666666 refreshRate: 0 vBlankTime: 6000000 glStrictBinding: false glStrictBindingFollowsDriver: true glCoreProfile: false glPreferBufferSwap: 0 glPlatformInterface: 1 windowsBlockCompositing: true Screen Edges ============ desktopSwitching: false desktopSwitchingMovingClients: false cursorPushBackDistance: 1x1 timeThreshold: 150 reActivateThreshold: 350 actionTopLeft: 0 actionTop: 0 actionTopRight: 0 actionRight: 0 actionBottomRight: 0 actionBottom: 0 actionBottomLeft: 0 actionLeft: 0 Screens ======= Multi-Head: no Active screen follows mouse: no Number of Screens: 1 Screen 0: --------- Name: DVI-D-0 Geometry: 0,0,1920x1080 Refresh Rate: 60 Compositing =========== Compositing is active Compositing Type: XRender Loaded Effects: --------------- zoom kwin4_effect_translucency kwin4_effect_morphingpopups kwin4_effect_dialogparent kwin4_effect_fade kwin4_effect_logout kwin4_effect_windowaperture kwin4_effect_maximize kwin4_effect_login kwin4_effect_frozenapp slidingpopups slide screenshot minimizeanimation desktopgrid presentwindows highlightwindow screenedge kscreen Currently Active Effects: ------------------------- Effect Settings: ---------------- zoom: zoomFactor: 1.2 mousePointer: 0 mouseTracking: 0 enableFocusTracking: false followFocus: true focusDelay: 350 moveFactor: 20 targetZoom: 1 kwin4_effect_translucency: kwin4_effect_morphingpopups: kwin4_effect_dialogparent: kwin4_effect_fade: kwin4_effect_logout: kwin4_effect_windowaperture: kwin4_effect_maximize: kwin4_effect_login: kwin4_effect_frozenapp: slidingpopups: fadeInTime: 150 fadeOutTime: 250 slide: screenshot: minimizeanimation: desktopgrid: zoomDuration: 300 border: 10 desktopNameAlignment: 0 layoutMode: 0 customLayoutRows: 2 usePresentWindows: true presentwindows: layoutMode: 0 showCaptions: true showIcons: true doNotCloseWindows: false ignoreMinimized: false accuracy: 20 fillGaps: true fadeDuration: 150 showPanel: false leftButtonWindow: 1 rightButtonWindow: 2 middleButtonWindow: 0 leftButtonDesktop: 2 middleButtonDesktop: 0 rightButtonDesktop: 0 highlightwindow: screenedge: kscreen:
The supportInformation is for XRender. Please provide support information for when the problem is visible.
If you can provide the information requested in comment #1, please add it.
Bug appears to occur with proprietary NVIDIA drivers. It is fixed by using the NVIDIA control panel, and turning off "Sync to VBlank". Here is the output regardless. ========================== Version ======= KWin version: 5.11.5 Qt Version: 5.10.0 Qt compile version: 5.10.0 XCB compile version: 1.12 Operation Mode: X11 only Build Options ============= KWIN_BUILD_DECORATIONS: yes KWIN_BUILD_TABBOX: yes KWIN_BUILD_ACTIVITIES: yes HAVE_INPUT: yes HAVE_DRM: yes HAVE_GBM: yes HAVE_X11_XCB: yes HAVE_EPOXY_GLX: yes HAVE_WAYLAND_EGL: yes X11 === Vendor: The X.Org Foundation Vendor Release: 11906000 Protocol Version/Revision: 11/0 SHAPE: yes; Version: 0x11 RANDR: yes; Version: 0x14 DAMAGE: yes; Version: 0x11 Composite: yes; Version: 0x4 RENDER: yes; Version: 0xb XFIXES: yes; Version: 0x50 SYNC: yes; Version: 0x31 GLX: yes; Version: 0x0 Decoration ========== Plugin: org.kde.breeze Theme: Blur: 0 onAllDesktopsAvailable: false alphaChannelSupported: true closeOnDoubleClickOnMenu: false decorationButtonsLeft: 0, 2 decorationButtonsRight: 6, 3, 4, 5 borderSize: 3 gridUnit: 10 font: Noto Sans,10,-1,0,50,0,0,0,0,0,Regular smallSpacing: 2 largeSpacing: 10 Options ======= focusPolicy: 0 nextFocusPrefersMouse: false clickRaise: true autoRaise: false autoRaiseInterval: 0 delayFocusInterval: 0 shadeHover: false shadeHoverInterval: 250 separateScreenFocus: false placement: 4 focusPolicyIsReasonable: true borderSnapZone: 10 windowSnapZone: 10 centerSnapZone: 0 snapOnlyWhenOverlapping: false rollOverDesktops: true focusStealingPreventionLevel: 1 legacyFullscreenSupport: false operationTitlebarDblClick: 5000 operationMaxButtonLeftClick: 5000 operationMaxButtonMiddleClick: 5015 operationMaxButtonRightClick: 5014 commandActiveTitlebar1: 0 commandActiveTitlebar2: 30 commandActiveTitlebar3: 2 commandInactiveTitlebar1: 4 commandInactiveTitlebar2: 30 commandInactiveTitlebar3: 2 commandWindow1: 7 commandWindow2: 8 commandWindow3: 8 commandWindowWheel: 31 commandAll1: 10 commandAll2: 3 commandAll3: 14 keyCmdAllModKey: 16777251 showGeometryTip: false condensedTitle: false electricBorderMaximize: true electricBorderTiling: true electricBorderCornerRatio: 0.25 borderlessMaximizedWindows: false killPingTimeout: 5000 hideUtilityWindowsForInactive: true inactiveTabsSkipTaskbar: false autogroupSimilarWindows: false autogroupInForeground: true compositingMode: 1 useCompositing: true compositingInitialized: true hiddenPreviews: 1 glSmoothScale: 2 xrenderSmoothScale: false maxFpsInterval: 16666666 refreshRate: 0 vBlankTime: 6000000 glStrictBinding: false glStrictBindingFollowsDriver: true glCoreProfile: true glPreferBufferSwap: 0 glPlatformInterface: 1 windowsBlockCompositing: false Screen Edges ============ desktopSwitching: false desktopSwitchingMovingClients: false cursorPushBackDistance: 1x1 timeThreshold: 150 reActivateThreshold: 350 actionTopLeft: 0 actionTop: 0 actionTopRight: 0 actionRight: 0 actionBottomRight: 0 actionBottom: 0 actionBottomLeft: 0 actionLeft: 0 Screens ======= Multi-Head: no Active screen follows mouse: no Number of Screens: 1 Screen 0: --------- Name: DVI-D-0 Geometry: 0,0,1920x1080 Refresh Rate: 60 Compositing =========== Compositing is active Compositing Type: OpenGL OpenGL vendor string: NVIDIA Corporation OpenGL renderer string: GeForce GTX 1070/PCIe/SSE2 OpenGL version string: 3.1.0 NVIDIA 387.34 OpenGL platform interface: GLX OpenGL shading language version string: 1.40 NVIDIA via Cg compiler Driver: NVIDIA Driver version: 387.34 GPU class: Unknown OpenGL version: 3.1 GLSL version: 1.40 X server version: 1.19.6 Linux kernel version: 4.14.15 Direct rendering: Requires strict binding: no GLSL shaders: yes Texture NPOT support: yes Virtual Machine: no OpenGL 2 Shaders are used Painting blocks for vertical retrace: no Loaded Effects: --------------- zoom kwin4_effect_translucency kwin4_effect_morphingpopups kwin4_effect_dialogparent kwin4_effect_fade kwin4_effect_logout kwin4_effect_windowaperture kwin4_effect_maximize kwin4_effect_login kwin4_effect_frozenapp slidingpopups slide screenshot minimizeanimation desktopgrid colorpicker presentwindows highlightwindow blur contrast startupfeedback screenedge kscreen Currently Active Effects: ------------------------- blur contrast Effect Settings: ---------------- zoom: zoomFactor: 1.2 mousePointer: 0 mouseTracking: 0 enableFocusTracking: false followFocus: true focusDelay: 350 moveFactor: 20 targetZoom: 1 kwin4_effect_translucency: kwin4_effect_morphingpopups: kwin4_effect_dialogparent: kwin4_effect_fade: kwin4_effect_logout: kwin4_effect_windowaperture: kwin4_effect_maximize: kwin4_effect_login: kwin4_effect_frozenapp: slidingpopups: fadeInTime: 150 fadeOutTime: 250 slide: screenshot: minimizeanimation: desktopgrid: zoomDuration: 300 border: 10 desktopNameAlignment: 0 layoutMode: 0 customLayoutRows: 2 usePresentWindows: true colorpicker: presentwindows: layoutMode: 0 showCaptions: true showIcons: true doNotCloseWindows: false ignoreMinimized: false accuracy: 20 fillGaps: true fadeDuration: 150 showPanel: false leftButtonWindow: 1 rightButtonWindow: 2 middleButtonWindow: 0 leftButtonDesktop: 2 middleButtonDesktop: 0 rightButtonDesktop: 0 highlightwindow: blur: blurRadius: 12 cacheTexture: true contrast: startupfeedback: type: 3 screenedge: kscreen:
There seems to be an appropriate workaround. The flickering is due to the driver. Not much we can do anyway. KWin performs vsync. There is no point in having the driver also perform vsync.