Official forums for BZFlag.org

Posted: **Sat May 10, 2008 1:43 pm**

BZFlag starts windowed instead of full screen and flickers. It doesn't do this when I turn off compiz/advanced effects. Is there a way to make BZFLAG work properly without having to manually disable desktop effects each time I want to run it?

I am running a Quad core intel cpu, ATI 3850, Ubuntu Hardy 8.04, and have Compiz installed.

Posted: **Sat May 10, 2008 3:19 pm**

From my experience gnome (what Ubuntu uses) is a bit rubbish doesn't work well with most stuff. You should try KDE, you can find it in synaptic.

Posted: **Sat May 10, 2008 11:10 pm**

big_dog1968 wrote:BZFlag starts windowed instead of full screen and flickers. It doesn't do this when I turn off compiz/advanced effects. Is there a way to make BZFLAG work properly without having to manually disable desktop effects each time I want to run it?

I think turning off "Unredirect Fullscreen Windows" in CompizConfig Settings Manager under the "General" tab should do it. When running bzflag with Compiz, I notice that there is quite a bit of lag and things slow down, although this might not happen for you.

PETER wrote:From my experience gnome (what Ubuntu uses) is a bit rubbish doesn't work well with most stuff. You should try KDE, you can find it in synaptic.

Compiz is a window manager. Desktop environments should have nothing to do with his problem, if anything, it should be compiz itself, as it uses OpenGL

Posted: **Sat May 10, 2008 11:16 pm**

I know compiz is a window manager

I was just saying that I have had similar problems with gnome, and that switching to KDE could solve them.

Posted: **Sun May 11, 2008 12:24 am**

BZFlag works fine on my Ubuntu 7.10 system with an nVidia 7600GT with Compiz enabled.

Posted: **Tue May 13, 2008 4:52 am**

The fix worked to stop Compiz from forcing it into a windo and it is not as bad, but there is still an issue. Now there is a kind of flicker that is like a horizontal bar that kind of works its way up the screen and starts at the bottom again. Also it seems to run sluggish as well.

Is there a way to automatically shut Compiz off while BZFLAG is running and have it back when BZFLAG is off?

Or barring that, a simple on/off for Compiz, so I can quickly disable it to run a game, and quickly re-enable it when I am done?

Posted: **Tue Jul 15, 2008 9:42 pm**

big_dog1968 wrote:Is there a way to automatically shut Compiz off while BZFLAG is running and have it back when BZFLAG is off?

sure there is a way.
create a wrapper script around bzflag. Name it for example "my-bzflag"

Code: Select all

#!/bin/bash
killall compiz
sleep1
bzflag
sleep1
compiz <your> <favorite> <compiz> <params>

put it in your ~/bin and give them exec rights

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chmod u+x my-bzflag

now start bzflag with "my-bzflag"

ok ok, it's dirty but works

Posted: **Wed Jul 16, 2008 1:03 am**

Aren't you supposed to use:

Code: Select all

kwin --replace

or

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metacity --replace

and

Code: Select all

compiz --replace

to change window managers? (works for Compiz Fusion, anyway)

FWIW, I used to have trouble with chattery performance while using Compiz, but either Nvidia fixed something in it's drivers, or Compiz fixed something, but BZFlag is now smooth as glass, and I don't need to turn it off. Ditto for running Unreal Tournament 2004. You've got better specs than my machine. Maybe the ATI driver is causing trouble?

Posted: **Sat Aug 16, 2008 12:12 pm**

Think_Different wrote:
big_dog1968 wrote:BZFlag starts windowed instead of full screen and flickers. It doesn't do this when I turn off compiz/advanced effects. Is there a way to make BZFLAG work properly without having to manually disable desktop effects each time I want to run it?
I think turning off "Unredirect Fullscreen Windows" in CompizConfig Settings Manager under the "General" tab should do it. When running bzflag with Compiz, I notice that there is quite a bit of lag and things slow down, although this might not happen for you.

SAME PROBLEM and......
wow...now it functions

I didn't think it would be so easy!
I Lav u!!! ^^
ps:sry for my english -_-'

Posted: **Sat Aug 16, 2008 9:44 pm**

Welcome back, Mrs Smith... haven't seen you in quite some time.

Posted: **Sun Aug 17, 2008 12:04 pm**

Donny!!!! I'm really happy of being here again!
I had problem with Vista -then hardly planed with Linux- and start university, and other things. But, I'll become over-sentimental, I really missed BZflag, and all you buddies...
Nice to see you again!

Posted: **Thu Aug 21, 2008 8:16 am**

big_dog1968 wrote:The fix worked to stop Compiz from forcing it into a windo and it is not as bad, but there is still an issue. Now there is a kind of flicker that is like a horizontal bar that kind of works its way up the screen and starts at the bottom again. Also it seems to run sluggish as well.

Is there a way to automatically shut Compiz off while BZFLAG is running and have it back when BZFLAG is off?

Or barring that, a simple on/off for Compiz, so I can quickly disable it to run a game, and quickly re-enable it when I am done?

I posted about this a few weeks ago: http://my.bzflag.org/bb/viewtopic.php?t=12751

This is not a fix for the problem, but you can just manage to play with no troubles by turning fancy desktop effects off. Go to System>Preferences>Apperance
then chose the "Visual Effects" tab and turn fancy desktop completely off (first option). This will most likely fix all your problems as the flicking is a problem with compiz.

You can turn compiz on doing the same again after you play.

This way around is equivalent to longhair's to run on a terminal "metacity --replace" (replaces the current window manager by the simple metacity manager) and "compiz --replace" (to replace the current whatever window manager by compiz).

I have checked both workarounds and both do the job.

Posted: **Thu Jun 11, 2009 5:07 am**

Try installing...

fusion-icon

it's in the Universe repository so make sure you have that enabled. You have to manually create a Startup Application entry with a command line like...

fusion-icon --no-start

Once it is running a tray icon appears that you can right-click on to change window managers.

Cheers

Posted: **Thu Jun 11, 2009 12:02 pm**

big_dog1968 wrote:Now there is a kind of flicker that is like a horizontal bar that kind of works its way up the screen and starts at the bottom again.

This "horizontal bar" is probably a sync issue. Try turning on vertical sync in your GL driver and/or BZFlag. "/localset vsync 1" should do it. Or add "set vsync 1" to your config.

Also BZFlag works fine on my Ubuntu 9.04 system with nVidia GeForce 8600M GT with compiz enabled. Changing to KDE will not solve these issues as noted in earlier posts. This is an issue with BZFlag and compiz trying to do different things with the same screen. As you found out, once compiz is configured it will work. If there is more lag that is due to your video card performance or configuration.

Official forums for BZFlag.org

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Re: Flicker with Compiz

Re: Better but still a problem