OpenGL + X Windows

[Khordes]

Hey all, this is my first time posting on a linux forum and I am pretty much a linux newbie. Anyway, my problem is this:

no matter what GUI I use, the desktop looks...washed out is the only way I know how to describe it. It simply looks not as bright nor as sharp as I get with XP. However, if I start a game, change the resolution in the game, then change it back everything looks awesome and perfect. I have the latest NVIDIA drivers installed for my system and everything works fine. If i exit x-windows and then reenter, however, the ugliness is back. I just don't like having to start a game in order to make the desktop look decent. I really have no idea where even to begin looking for the problem. Any ideas? Thank you very much!

Khordes

[Dolda2000]

Can you fire up a terminal and post the first part of the output of "xpdyinfo"? By the first part, I mean before all this "visual:" sections start.

[Khordes]

I'm not quite sure what you mean by "xpdyinfo" I tried typing that into a terminal window and it's not a command I have...or am i missing the point? Thanx so much for responding, by the way!

[Khordes]

Okay, I figured out what you meant...here it is:

name of display: :0.0
version number: 11.0
vendor string: Mandrake Linux (XFree86 4.3, patch level 24.1.92mdk)
vendor release number: 40300000
XFree86 version: 4.3.0
maximum request size: 4194300 bytes
motion buffer size: 256
bitmap unit, bit order, padding: 32, LSBFirst, 32
image byte order: LSBFirst
number of supported pixmap formats: 7
supported pixmap formats:
depth 1, bits_per_pixel 1, scanline_pad 32
depth 4, bits_per_pixel 8, scanline_pad 32
depth 8, bits_per_pixel 8, scanline_pad 32
depth 15, bits_per_pixel 16, scanline_pad 32
depth 16, bits_per_pixel 16, scanline_pad 32
depth 24, bits_per_pixel 32, scanline_pad 32
depth 32, bits_per_pixel 32, scanline_pad 32
keycode range: minimum 8, maximum 255
focus: window 0x200003f, revert to PointerRoot
number of extensions: 30
BIG-REQUESTS
DOUBLE-BUFFER
DPMS
Extended-Visual-Information
FontCache
GLX
LBX
MIT-SCREEN-SAVER
MIT-SHM
MIT-SUNDRY-NONSTANDARD
NV-CONTROL
NV-GLX
RANDR
RENDER
SECURITY
SHAPE
SYNC
TOG-CUP
X-Resource
XC-APPGROUP
XC-MISC
XFree86-Bigfont
XFree86-DGA
XFree86-Misc
XFree86-VidModeExtension
XInputExtension
XKEYBOARD
XTEST
XVideo
XVideo-MotionCompensation
default screen number: 0
number of screens: 1

screen #0:
dimensions: 1280x1024 pixels (342x271 millimeters)
resolution: 95x96 dots per inch
depths (7): 24, 1, 4, 8, 15, 16, 32
root window id: 0xb0
depth of root window: 24 planes
number of colormaps: minimum 1, maximum 1
default colormap: 0x20
default number of colormap cells: 256
preallocated pixels: black 0, white 16777215
options: backing-store NO, save-unders NO
largest cursor: 64x64
current input event mask: 0xda6f31
KeyPressMask EnterWindowMask LeaveWindowMask
Button1MotionMask Button2MotionMask Button3MotionMask
Button4MotionMask ButtonMotionMask KeymapStateMask
StructureNotifyMask SubstructureNotifyMask SubstructureRedirectMask
PropertyChangeMask ColormapChangeMask
number of visuals: 40
------------------------Visuals were underneath this point...

This is when it's running crisp and clear. I hope this helps.

[Khordes]

Here is the same command when the image is not so crisp:

name of display: :0.0
version number: 11.0
vendor string: Mandrake Linux (XFree86 4.3, patch level 24.1.92mdk)
vendor release number: 40300000
XFree86 version: 4.3.0
maximum request size: 4194300 bytes
motion buffer size: 256
bitmap unit, bit order, padding: 32, LSBFirst, 32
image byte order: LSBFirst
number of supported pixmap formats: 7
supported pixmap formats:
depth 1, bits_per_pixel 1, scanline_pad 32
depth 4, bits_per_pixel 8, scanline_pad 32
depth 8, bits_per_pixel 8, scanline_pad 32
depth 15, bits_per_pixel 16, scanline_pad 32
depth 16, bits_per_pixel 16, scanline_pad 32
depth 24, bits_per_pixel 32, scanline_pad 32
depth 32, bits_per_pixel 32, scanline_pad 32
keycode range: minimum 8, maximum 255
focus: window 0x1c0003f, revert to PointerRoot
number of extensions: 30
BIG-REQUESTS
DOUBLE-BUFFER
DPMS
Extended-Visual-Information
FontCache
GLX
LBX
MIT-SCREEN-SAVER
MIT-SHM
MIT-SUNDRY-NONSTANDARD
NV-CONTROL
NV-GLX
RANDR
RENDER
SECURITY
SHAPE
SYNC
TOG-CUP
X-Resource
XC-APPGROUP
XC-MISC
XFree86-Bigfont
XFree86-DGA
XFree86-Misc
XFree86-VidModeExtension
XInputExtension
XKEYBOARD
XTEST
XVideo
XVideo-MotionCompensation
default screen number: 0
number of screens: 1

screen #0:
dimensions: 1280x1024 pixels (342x271 millimeters)
resolution: 95x96 dots per inch
depths (7): 24, 1, 4, 8, 15, 16, 32
root window id: 0xb0
depth of root window: 24 planes
number of colormaps: minimum 1, maximum 1
default colormap: 0x20
default number of colormap cells: 256
preallocated pixels: black 0, white 16777215
options: backing-store NO, save-unders NO
largest cursor: 64x64
current input event mask: 0xd84031
KeyPressMask EnterWindowMask LeaveWindowMask
KeymapStateMask SubstructureNotifyMask SubstructureRedirectMask
PropertyChangeMask ColormapChangeMask
number of visuals: 40
default visual id: 0x21
---------------Visuals begin at this point------

Hope this helps...

[Dolda2000]

Hmmm... I would have thought that it would be set to a low color depth, so that it would be dithering. However, that output doesn't seem to confirm that. Could you try and describe more closely what it looks like? Maybe post a screen shot?

[Khordes]

I tried getting screenshots that illustrate the difference, but I guess it's too subtle to show up, at least I couldn't tell the difference in the screens. Anyway, to describe it more closely and add some new information:

when i load any of the gui's the text looks not as sharp and the colors aren't as defined. It's not unreadable by anymeans, it simply is not very sharp and defined. If i enter an OpenGL game, switch the resolution down, then switch it back up to the same resolution as my desktop (that is very important, i must go down and then back up to the resolution of my desktop), then exit the game everything is sharper and more defined. The icons colors are more vibrant, the text stands out much better, there is no difference in performance or anything like that, it seems to be purely visual. I suspect it has something to do with the OpenGL drivers or options getting loaded by the game, and being not otherwise called upon until the game starts, I thought maybe there's a config option in XF86Config that initializes whatever the game initializes, but just by starting the GUI rather than starting the game. The game in which I usually use to get the effect is ArmageTron, it came with my Mandrake installation. I've tried a previous installation of Mandrake 9.1, and am now using 9.2 and have had the same problem on each system. I also was considering trying a different distro, though I don't know if the problem lies with that. I have an NVIDIA based card, and other than this have no problems with its acceloration or operation.

[lordnothing]

are you using the nvidia drivers or the opensource nv drivers??

[Khordes]

I have the NVIDIA drivers installed, not the open source ones.

[lordnothing]

can you post the Device section of your XF86Config file?