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diff --git a/doc/kompmgr/index.docbook b/doc/kompmgr/index.docbook new file mode 100644 index 000000000..2d70bc9d6 --- /dev/null +++ b/doc/kompmgr/index.docbook @@ -0,0 +1,433 @@ +<?xml version="1.0" ?> +<!DOCTYPE book PUBLIC "-//KDE//DTD DocBook XML V4.2-Based Variant V1.1//EN" "dtd/kdex.dtd" [ + <!ENTITY kappname "kompmgr"> + <!ENTITY package "kwin"> + <!ENTITY % English "INCLUDE"> + <!ENTITY % addindex "IGNORE"> +]> + +<book lang="&language;"> +<bookinfo> +<title>&kappname; Information</title> + +<authorgroup> +<author> +<personname><firstname>Thomas</firstname><surname>Luebking</surname></personname> +<email>thomas.luebking@web.de</email> +</author> + +<!-- TRANS:ROLES_OF_TRANSLATORS --> +</authorgroup> + +<copyright> +<year>2005</year> +<holder>Thomas Luebking</holder> +</copyright> + +<legalnotice>&FDLNotice;</legalnotice> + +<date>2005-01-15</date> +<releaseinfo>2.0.1</releaseinfo> + +<abstract> +<para>&kappname; is a composite rendering engine to be used by &kwin;.</para> +<para>This document is rather a general explanation of what it does, +how it works and what the restrictions are than a documentation how to use +it (as it works in the background automatically).</para> +</abstract> + +<keywordset> +<keyword>KDE</keyword> +<keyword>kwin</keyword> +<keyword>render engine</keyword> +</keywordset> +</bookinfo> + +<chapter id="introduction"> +<title>Introduction</title> + +<para>&kappname; is based upon <application>xcompmgr</application>, Keith +Packards reference composing implementation for the use of the new X +features.</para> + +<para>A composite manager catches the output of the X windows and renders +them into a single picture that will be displayed on the screen. The advantage +of doing so is that you can do basically anything with the windows contents, +including blending them together (translucency) or attaching shadows. You +could also tint them, add a nasty advertise on any window, squeeze them, +fract them, add scanlines, or anything else you can imagine, limited by +your hardware.</para> + +</chapter> + +<chapter id="xorg"> +<title>Xorg</title> + +<para>You necessarily need <emphasis>X.org 6.8 or later</emphasis> to have +&kappname; work. X.org 6.7 or older or XFree86 won't work.</para> + +<sect1 id="xsetup"> +<title>Setup</title> +<para>You need to explicitly enable the Composite extension. Add a +new Section to your X.org configuration file:</para> + +<programlisting> +Section "Extensions" + Option "Composite" "Enable" +EndSection +</programlisting> + +<para>If supported by your <acronym>GPU</acronym> (the complex chip that +powers a modern graphics card), activate the Render acceleration. This is +best supported by <trademark>NVIDIA</trademark>, and less completely by ATI +cards.</para> + +<programlisting> +Section "Device" +.... +.... + Option "RenderAccel" "true" +.... +.... +EndSection</programlisting> + +<para>&kappname; should be available now. For more information, please see +the <link linkend="problems">FAQ</link>.</para> + +</sect1> + +</chapter> + +<chapter id="settings"> +<title>Settings</title> + +<para>This chapter describes which parameters you can tweak, how they will +result visually and their performance impact.</para> + +<sect1 id="translucency"> +<title>Translucency</title> + +<para>A translucent object is one that allows light to pass through it. In +terms of windows on your desktop, that means that the contents of windows +can be seen through the one on the top.</para> + +<para>Translucency allows you to emphasize special windows, have a 3 +dimensional view on your desktop, keep track of covered windows, and just +looks cute. The price is, that blending things together costs some system +capacity.</para> + +<para>You can independently configure translucency for the following +items:</para> + +<variablelist> +<varlistentry> +<term><guilabel>Active windows</guilabel></term> +<listitem><para>It is suggested you deactivate translucency for the active +window. The main reason is for perfomance, and secondly because to scan the +content of a translucent window means your brain has to strip the irritating +throughshining information, which is tiring.</para> +</listitem> +</varlistentry> +<varlistentry> +<term><guilabel>Inactive windows</guilabel></term> +<listitem><para>If you set inactive windows translucent, active windows will +appear emphasized and are easier to focus. However, if you choose a lower +value, you may have trouble to find an inactive window. If you choose very +low values (< 20%) you may not be able to distinguish +windows in their stack order - so you may accidently click the +<guibutton>OK</guibutton> button of a dialog when you just wanted to +activate a window. Optimal values are between 60% and +80%.</para> +</listitem> +</varlistentry> +<varlistentry> +<term><guilabel>Moving windows</guilabel></term> +<listitem><para>Though it's a nice effect to have heavily translucent +(opacity < 20%) moving windows, there is a heavy price to pay in +performance, especially if you do not deactivate shadows (see below). Just +try out and if you feel your system is too slow, keep moving windows +opaque. This value also applies to windows in resize state.</para> +</listitem> +</varlistentry> +<varlistentry> +<term><guilabel>Dock windows</guilabel></term> +<listitem><para>As docks like kicker are seldom if ever moved and usually of +limited size, this is purely visual and won't detrimentally affect your +system's performance.</para> +</listitem> +</varlistentry> +<varlistentry> +<term><guilabel>Treat "keep above" windows as active ones</guilabel></term> +<listitem><para>If you set a window to keep above others, you usually want +to keep focus on it, so it can make sense to give it the same +emphasis.</para> +</listitem> +</varlistentry> +<varlistentry> +<term><guilabel>Disable ARGB windows</guilabel></term> +<listitem><para>XRender supports windows with an alpha mask, &ie; +translucent sections. Currently there are no or only very few applications +that would make use of this feature, as it doesn't make any sense without +using a composite manager. This may change in the future.</para> +<para>On the other side, most gtk 1.x applications (⪚ +<application>xmms</application>) set such an alpha mask, resulting in +almost unusable windows (as long as the sublying windows are not black), so +you can disable the support for ARGB windows here to make use of gtk +applications. There will hopefully be a patch for gtk in the near future to +fix this.</para> +</listitem> +</varlistentry> +</variablelist> +</sect1> + +<sect1 id="shadows"> +<title>Shadows</title> +<para>Why should anyone want his windows to throw shadows? Well, maybe just +because it looks cute, or because it allows a better window separation, +or... because it looks cute!</para> +<variablelist> +<varlistentry> +<term><guilabel>Use shadows</guilabel></term> +<listitem><para>As shadows cost some additional cpu/gpu power, they can be +deactivated, while keeping a general alpha channel capability.</para> +</listitem> +</varlistentry> +<varlistentry> +<term><guilabel>Active window size</guilabel></term> +<term><guilabel>Inactive window size</guilabel></term> +<term><guilabel>Dock window size</guilabel></term> +<listitem><para>You may select different shadow sizes for different window +states/types. The values are not absolute, but will apply to your screen +resolution.</para> +<para>In principle, you can set every value you want (if you edit the config +file with a text editor, far beyond the offered <quote>32</quote>), but +bigger shadows cost more cpu/gpu power.</para> +</listitem> +</varlistentry> +<varlistentry> +<term><guilabel>Vertical offset</guilabel></term> +<term><guilabel>Horizontal offset</guilabel></term> +<listitem><para>By default, the window would throw a <quote>all around +equal</quote> shadow, implying a frontal light source. Users familiar with +&MacOS; may like a vertical offset, &Windows; users may prefer a +slighter offset to the southeast. Experiment with the values until you are +happy.</para> +</listitem> +</varlistentry> +<varlistentry> +<term><guilabel>Shadow color</guilabel></term> +<listitem><para>Usually shadows as the absence of light appear in shades of +grey (so the maximum shadow color is black, or no light at all). But hey, +this is a virtual world, and if you'd like to have even pink shadows, why +not?</para> +</listitem> +</varlistentry> +<varlistentry> +<term><guilabel>Remove shadows on move</guilabel></term> +<listitem><para>Check this if you need more performance (especially when +using translucent moving windows).</para> +</listitem> +</varlistentry> +<varlistentry> +<term><guilabel>Remove shadows on resize</guilabel></term> +<listitem><para>It's a good idea to check this item whether using +translucent resizing (moving) windows, or not. The windows shadow pixmap has +to be permanently recreated on resizes what has a deep impact on the system +performance.</para> +</listitem> +</varlistentry> +</variablelist> +</sect1> + +<sect1 id="effects"> +<title>Effects</title> +<variablelist> +<varlistentry> +<term><guilabel>Fade-in windows</guilabel></term> +<term><guilabel>Fade between opacity changes</guilabel></term> +<listitem><para>Instead of just popping up a new window, you might want to +slowly fade it in. While this looks impressive, there is an equally +impressive price to pay in performance speed, and it is difficult to interact +meaningfully with windows that are in the process of fading. +</para> +</listitem> +</varlistentry> + +<varlistentry> +<term><guilabel>Fade-in speed</guilabel></term> +<term><guilabel>Fade-out speed</guilabel></term> +<listitem><para>For the usability reasons mentioned under <guilabel>Fade-in +windows</guilabel>, it is most practical to use a fast fade in speed and +(for more eye candy) a slow fade out speed. This will provide you nice +effects and a smooth feeling system as well as low latency before +information appears.</para> +</listitem> +</varlistentry> +</variablelist> +</sect1> + +</chapter> + +<chapter id="problems"> +<title>Problems</title> + +<para>The whole Composite extension is quite new. It may cause several +problems and even crash X, so <emphasis>it is strongly suggested to not even +enable the Composite extension in Xorg.conf on mission critical production +systems</emphasis>. If you however can risk a slightly more unstable system, +it's certainly nice to have some eye candy around.</para> + +<para> +In this case you may notice some glitches. +Here are some common problems - and workarounds: +</para> + +<qandaset> +<qandaentry> +<question> +<para>I have X.org 6.8.x, but &kappname; fails to start</para> +</question> +<answer> +<para>You need to explicitly enable the Composite extension, add a new Section to /etc/X11/XorgConfig:</para> +<programlisting>Section "Extensions" + Option "Composite" "Enable" +EndSection</programlisting> +</answer> +</qandaentry> + +<qandaentry> +<question> +<para>Ok, &kappname; works, but it's horribly slow</para> +</question> +<answer> +<para>If supported by your <acronym>GPU</acronym> (mainly +<trademark>NVIDIA</trademark>, and somewhat by ATI cards), first make sure +you activated the Render acceleration</para> +<programlisting> +Section "Device" +.... +.... +Option "RenderAccel" "true" +.... +.... +EndSection +</programlisting> + +<para>If it's still slow, you can try to adjust your memory usage. Either +decrease you screen depth (⪚ from 24 to 16) or lower your resolution +(⪚ from 1280x1024 to 1024x768).</para> + +<para>Please notice that the currently limiting factor for the Composite +extension seems to be the CPU cache size.</para> + +</answer> +</qandaentry> + +<qandaentry> +<question> +<para>After enabling the Composite extension, I cannot run any +<acronym>GLX</acronym> applications anymore. I've got an +<trademark>NVIDIA</trademark> card.</para> +</question> +<answer> +<para>To prevent some problems, <trademark>NVIDIA</trademark> deactivated the +GLX support when Coposite is active. Reactivating is possible, but may cause +problems on some kernel/driver/GPU combinations.</para> +<programlisting> +Section "Device" +.... +.... +Option "AllowGLXWithComposite" "true" +.... +.... +EndSection +</programlisting> +</answer> +</qandaentry> + +<qandaentry> +<question> +<para>I wanted to play a game using <acronym>SDL</acronym> (but not +<acronym>GL</acronym>), say <application>scummvm</application>, but when the +compmgr is active, all I can see is a shadow!</para> +</question> +<answer> +<para>This is a problem with the PictType reported by SDL.</para> + +<para>Workaround:</para> +<screen> +Instead of calling <command>scummvm</command> directly, call +<command>SDL_VIDEO_X11_VISUALID=0x24 scummvm</command> This will tell SDL to +use a supported format and you can play as ever. </screen> +</answer> +</qandaentry> + +<qandaentry> +<question> +<para> Application XXX refuses to start after enabling the Composite +extension.</para> +<para>Application YYY breaks X after enabling the Composite +extension.</para> +<para>Application ZZZ looks weird after activating the composite +manager.</para> +</question> +<answer> +<para>The Composite extension is still experimental.</para> +<para>Workaround:</para> +<para>Instead of calling <command>appName</command> directly, call <command>XLIB_SKIP_ARGB_VISUALS=1 appName</command></para> +<para>Applications that are known to cause problems:</para> +<itemizedlist> +<listitem><para>All gtk1 applications (⪚ <application>gmplayer</application>, +<application>xmms</application>, <application>gaim</application>) - failing +startup or look unusable weird or crash X</para></listitem> +<listitem><para>&kuickshow; - displays only a black frame</para></listitem> +<listitem><para>&Qt; <application>Designer</application> - crashes +X</para></listitem> +<listitem><para>&kopete; - crashes X</para></listitem> +<listitem><para>&kolf; - crashes X</para></listitem> +</itemizedlist> +</answer> +</qandaentry> + +<qandaentry> +<question> +<para>I try to watch a video, but only see artefacts in the Video +Window.</para> +</question> +<answer> +<para>You're using <quote>xv</quote> as video backend. This is the overlay +mode, where the video content is written directly into the video card +memory, bypassing X. Therefore the window seems to be static (colored +background) and is not updated by the damage extension.</para> +<para> There will hopefully be a fix for this in the future. Currently I had +the best results using <application>Xine</application> but displaying +translucent videos isn't fast anyway.</para> +</answer> +</qandaentry> + +</qandaset> +</chapter> + +<chapter id="credits-and-licenses"> +<title>Credits and Licenses</title> + +<sect1 id="authors"> +<title>Authors</title> +<para>Thomas Luebking <email>baghira-style@gmx.net</email> - Editor</para> + +&underFDL; +&underGPL; +</sect1> + + +</chapter> + +</book> +<!-- +Local Variables: +mode: sgml +sgml-omittag: nil +sgml-shorttag: t +End: +--> + |