Ubuntu

Desktop effects failure: white screen

Asked by Gringras

I am using a Mac Pro (OS X) with Paralles 3.0. I have Ubuntu 7.04 and Win XP as guest OS's. When I try to use the Desktop Effects the Ubuntu screen goes white. There is no cursor visible and I must restart the OS. I don't know what type of drivers or video cards would be required to make this work. I don't know anything about drivers, really. My video card is an ATI Radeon X1900 XT 512 MB and I have 4 GB RAM. Like many others, I am new to Linux and want to learn. Can anyone help me with this problem?

Secondly, does anyone have recommendations on books on Linux/Unix that would enhance my education?

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Bryan Haskins (bryan-h) said : 		#1

Sorry but it's never simple with ATI cards, nvidia cards allow you to just
flick it on, ATI cards however take a bit of work. Try searching around the
forums for ATI + XGL or the like. It's not a fun trip, but if you really
want the glam, it's worth it.

On 7/31/07, Gringras <email address hidden> wrote:
>
> Question #10759 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/10759
>
> Description changed to:
> I am using a Mac Pro (OS X) with Paralles 3.0. I have Ubuntu 7.04 and
> Win XP as guest OS's. When I try to use the Desktop Effects the Ubuntu
> screen goes white. There is no cursor visible and I must restart the
> OS. I don't know what type of drivers or video cards would be required
> to make this work. I don't know anything about drivers, really. My
> video card is an ATI Radeon X1900 XT 512 MB and I have 4 GB RAM. Like
> many others, I am new to Linux and want to learn. Can anyone help me
> with this problem?
>
> Secondly, does anyone have recommendations on books on Linux/Unix that
> would enhance my education?
>
> --
> You received this question notification because you are an answer
> contact for Ubuntu.
>

--
Cheers,
Bryan

Revision history for this message
Gringras (gringras50) said : 		#2

Thanks, but I wouldn't know how or where to begin. Can you provide a little more detail?

Revision history for this message
Gringras (gringras50) said : 		#3

I looked up ATI and found a website with some instructions. As I said before I am new to Linux an, frankly, I haven't written any code since Basic and DOS, so I was floundering there. I followed the directions as best I could (I wasn't always sure about when to press enter). It mostly went throu but I did get a few strange messages. In the end, it didn't work. There was no change in the effect. Fortunately, the system still works, so I didn't screw up too badly. Here is the website I used:

http://wiki.cchtml.com/index.php/Ubuntu_Feisty_Installation_Guide

Revision history for this message
Benoit Malet (benoit-malet) said : 		#4

Hello !

In fact, the post you saw tells how to install an ati driver. If you want to use Desktop effects on Ubuntu, you can follow the instructions on this address : http://obtown.com/2007/06/15/how-to-beryl-on-ubuntu-feisty-with-ati/

The instructions, while clear, are a bit advanced (this is due to a problem with ATI drivers which don't support "composite" options, so you have to use XGL).

Hope this helps !

Regards,
Benoît

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