[SOLVED] The desktop background does not refresh in Openbox

Colonel Panic · 2019-09-12 17:16:03

Hello all. This is a problem I've not had in Bunsen, but have had in other distros; so people here might want to know about it and how I solved it. I wasn't sure where to post it but thought this would be the best place.

What happens is that when I'm in Openbox and try to move a window around the desktop, the desktop doesn't refresh and the window leaves a trail all around the screen, making the distro unusable very quickly.

Fortunately there's a fix for it, which I found from a Ubuntu forum. You have to look for a directory called /usr/lib/x86-64-linux-gnu and then, in that, a file called openbox-autostart. Then uncomment this line;

#test -z $BG || $BG -solid "#303030"

That will fix it in my experience. I've had this problem in two distros (Siduction and TTOS), and on both occasions it worked to solve the problem.

Best,

CP .

Last edited by Colonel Panic (2019-09-12 17:20:57)

ohnonot · 2019-09-12 18:22:10

So after that you have a solid grey background?

Colonel Panic · 2019-09-12 18:47:16

ohnonot wrote:

So after that you have a solid grey background?

Hi ohnonot,

When it's going wrong? You get a long procession of titlebars all over the screen where the window has been dragged, obliterating whatever else was on there.

Last edited by Colonel Panic (2019-09-12 18:47:43)

damo · 2019-09-12 20:37:07

The trail of windows is usually caused by a graphics issue. Do you still get the problem if you disable compositing? If it is due to compton then try different --vsync or --backend settings in compton.conf

Menu -> Preferences -> Compositor

ohnonot · 2019-09-14 08:20:23

Colonel Panic wrote:

When it's going wrong?

No, after this:

Colonel Panic wrote:

uncomment this line;
#test -z $BG || $BG -solid "#303030"

do you have a solid grey background?

Colonel Panic · 2019-09-15 18:38:31

ohnonot wrote:

Colonel Panic wrote:
When it's going wrong?
No, after this:
Colonel Panic wrote:
uncomment this line;
#test -z $BG || $BG -solid "#303030"
do you have a solid grey background?

Yes you do; I think that's the Openbox default if there's no wallpaper selected. From then on though there's no problem in setting a new one with feh, nitrogen etc. (I generally use geeqie because I've known it longer and am more used to it).

Last edited by Colonel Panic (2019-09-15 18:42:21)

Colonel Panic · 2019-09-15 18:40:44

damo wrote:

The trail of windows is usually caused by a graphics issue. Do you still get the problem if you disable compositing? If it is due to compton then try different --vsync or --backend settings in compton.conf
Menu -> Preferences -> Compositor

Thanks for replying Damo, and for the advice. To be honest though I've never had this problem in Bunsen and couldn't even reproduce it in Bunsen when I tried to earlier. Either your devs are smarter and more meticulous than those of other distros or you use a better video driver. :)

Last edited by Colonel Panic (2019-09-15 18:44:36)

damo · 2019-09-15 18:56:40

Colonel Panic wrote:

[... Either your devs are smarter and more meticulous than those of other distros or you use a better video driver.

Any drivers are supplied by Debian, not BL But there are some smart devs, who have added fixes for possible screen-tearing. You can add your own tweaks to compton.conf or /etc/bunsen/compton-startup.

ohnonot · 2019-09-17 06:56:55

Colonel Panic wrote:

Yes you do; I think that's the Openbox default if there's no wallpaper selected. From then on though there's no problem in setting a new one with feh, nitrogen etc. (I generally use geeqie because I've known it longer and am more used to it).

Thanks for clarifying.
I am absolutely mystified how this manages to solve anything.
Is this maybe Xorg on top of wayland or sth like that?

Colonel Panic · 2019-09-17 19:22:30

Hi ohnonot,

I don't understand it either. This is the only detailed reference I could find;

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+sour … ug/1733125

Last edited by Colonel Panic (2019-09-17 19:34:55)

#1 2019-09-12 17:16:03

[SOLVED] The desktop background does not refresh in Openbox

#2 2019-09-12 18:22:10

Re: [SOLVED] The desktop background does not refresh in Openbox

#3 2019-09-12 18:47:16

Re: [SOLVED] The desktop background does not refresh in Openbox

#4 2019-09-12 20:37:07

Re: [SOLVED] The desktop background does not refresh in Openbox

#5 2019-09-14 08:20:23

Re: [SOLVED] The desktop background does not refresh in Openbox

#6 2019-09-15 18:38:31

Re: [SOLVED] The desktop background does not refresh in Openbox

#7 2019-09-15 18:40:44

Re: [SOLVED] The desktop background does not refresh in Openbox

#8 2019-09-15 18:56:40

Re: [SOLVED] The desktop background does not refresh in Openbox

#9 2019-09-17 06:56:55

Re: [SOLVED] The desktop background does not refresh in Openbox

#10 2019-09-17 19:22:30

Re: [SOLVED] The desktop background does not refresh in Openbox

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