#1 2024-11-21 00:45:07

MarkW

Member

Registered: 2024-11-03

Posts: 297

Spot The Syntax Error

Line 235 of my picom.conf

# detect-rounded-corners = false

For some reason picom has ceased to function after I tried to reactivate rounded corners and blurring

picom [ 21/11/24 00:47:58.164 parse_config_libconfig FATAL ERROR ] Error when reading configuration file "/home/mark/.config/picom.conf", line 235: syntax error [ 21/11/24 00:47:58.164 main FATAL ERROR ] Failed to create new session. mark@Mark-Home:~$

Last edited by MarkW (2024-11-21 00:49:55)

MarkW

Member

Registered: 2024-11-03

Posts: 297

Re: Spot The Syntax Error

The relevant section of the script

Try to detect windows with rounded corners and don't consider them # shaped windows. The accuracy is not very high, unfortunately.
#
# detect-rounded-corners = false
detect-rounded-corners = true;

johnraff

nullglob

From: Nagoya, Japan

Registered: 2015-09-09

Posts: 12,652

Website

Re: Spot The Syntax Error

Maybe the syntax error is somewhere else in the file.

Also detect-rounded-corners = true; is not strictly necessary to get rounded corners. That's done with setting a corner radius, eg corner-radius = 10;

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MarkW

Member

Registered: 2024-11-03

Posts: 297

Re: Spot The Syntax Error

Is it possible to download a new copy of the file?  I'll never find this syntax error.

MarkW

Member

Registered: 2024-11-03

Posts: 297

Re: Spot The Syntax Error

I deleted the file and I'm still getting the same error when I try to start picom from the terminal

picom [ 21/11/24 09:57:11.482 parse_config_libconfig FATAL ERROR ] Error when reading configuration file "/home/mark/.config/picom.conf", line 235: syntax error [ 21/11/24 09:57:11.482 main FATAL ERROR ] Failed to create new session.

WTH?

Last edited by MarkW (2024-11-21 10:00:41)

johnraff

nullglob

From: Nagoya, Japan

Registered: 2015-09-09

Posts: 12,652

Website

Re: Spot The Syntax Error

Is it possible to download a new copy of the file?  I'll never find this syntax error.

All the default user config files are in /usr/share/bunsen/skel

---

...elevator in the Brain Hotel, broken down but just as well...
( a boring Japan blog (currently paused), now on Bluesky, there's also some GitStuff )

Introduction to the Bunsenlabs Boron Desktop

MarkW

Member

Registered: 2024-11-03

Posts: 297

Re: Spot The Syntax Error

I copied the default from there to my .config/picom folder and it's still telling me I have a syntax error at 235.

How is this even possible?  It's a virgin file.

Last edited by MarkW (2024-11-21 10:26:52)

MarkW

Member

Registered: 2024-11-03

Posts: 297

Re: Spot The Syntax Error

Whatever happened seems to be indelibly burned into the system now, so I guess the only way I'm getting compositing back is with a fresh install.

brontosaurusrex

Middle Office

Registered: 2015-09-29

Posts: 2,746

Re: Spot The Syntax Error

Did you tried to specify config 'directly' like

picom --config /path/to/conf
#or 
picom --config /dev/null # to define none

?

from man page:

--config PATH

Look for configuration file at the path. See CONFIGURATION FILES section below for where picom looks for a configuration file by default. Use /dev/null to avoid loading configuration file.

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MarkW

Member

Registered: 2024-11-03

Posts: 297

Re: Spot The Syntax Error

picom --config /dev/null # to define none produced

Xlib: ignoring invalid extension event 146

And

Xlib: ignoring invalid extension event 161

picom --config /home/mark/.config/picom produces

input in flex scanner failed

picom --config /home/mark/.config/picom/picom.conf produces

Xlib: ignoring invalid extension event 161

MarkW

Member

Registered: 2024-11-03

Posts: 297

Re: Spot The Syntax Error

If only I knew what  extension events 146 and 161 were

MarkW

Member

Registered: 2024-11-03

Posts: 297

Re: Spot The Syntax Error

I've switched to xcompmgr since picom has decided to stop working.

MarkW

Member

Registered: 2024-11-03

Posts: 297

Re: Spot The Syntax Error

DAMN IT.  I was looking at the wrong file.  Turns out there're two picom.conf files in the .config folder.  One in the picom sub directory and one in the .config directory.  It's the latter that had the syntax error.  Which turned out to be a stray ]; at line 235.

So I guess this is solved.  But why are there two files for the same thing?

johnraff

nullglob

From: Nagoya, Japan

Registered: 2015-09-09

Posts: 12,652

Website

Re: Spot The Syntax Error

Are there two picom.conf files in /usr/share/bunsen/skel?
There should only be skel/.config/picom.conf and in your files, ~/.config/picom.conf

See CONFIGURATION FILES in 'man picom'.

If you've migrated from a different distro then you might have inherited a ~/.config/picom/picom.conf, but as the manual says, ~/.config/picom.conf will take priority.

---

...elevator in the Brain Hotel, broken down but just as well...
( a boring Japan blog (currently paused), now on Bluesky, there's also some GitStuff )

Introduction to the Bunsenlabs Boron Desktop

MarkW

Member

Registered: 2024-11-03

Posts: 297

Re: Spot The Syntax Error

No there are two in ~/.config.  One in the .config folder and one in a second folder inside .config called picom.  It was the one in the picom folder that was vexing me.  I'll delete that folder.