#1 2017-08-24 00:12:58

NickC

New Member

Registered: 2017-07-06

Posts: 3

root-tail text corrupted

I use root-tail to provide a one-line status bar across the top of my screen.  During setup, it locates the fake "root" window ID generated by BL and uses that window, not the actual root. (I moved tint2 and openbox down by 30 px to accommodate the status line.)

The line's text gradually corrupts itself, hard to say exactly but it looks like the font graphics are just being overwritten rather than blanked and replaced with each write.

If I move a window over the top and back, the line goes blank until root-tail writes to it and it is clear and normal as expected before it corrupts over time.  Occasionally, it fixes itself and is clear, I suspect when I switch desktops but it isn't every time I switch, so I can't repeat the fix and don't really know what causes it.

Standard BL conky is running (interfering?), but the behaviour continues when I stop conky.  I suspect that BL's method of generating a window as root window isn't playing nicely with root-tail, but root-tail does work with fake root windows -- when I ran LXDM which uses a fake root window also, root-tail worked fine.  It also works fine with vanilla Debian Jessie and recent Sid.

My fall-back is to use a second conky instead of root-tail, but I would prefer to use root-tail if I can fix this.

Last edited by NickC (2017-08-24 00:13:22)

Head_on_a_Stick

Member

From: London

Registered: 2015-09-29

Posts: 9,093

Website

Re: root-tail text corrupted

BL's method of generating a window as root window

We just run the Openbox window manager with nitrogen painting the background, there is no modification otherwise.

Have you tried disabling the compositor?

It also works fine with vanilla Debian Jessie and recent Sid.

With which desktop environment or window manager did you test?

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ohnonot

...again

Registered: 2015-09-29

Posts: 5,592

Re: root-tail text corrupted

The line's text gradually corrupts itself, hard to say exactly but it looks like the font graphics are just being overwritten rather than blanked and replaced with each write.

If I move a window over the top and back, the line goes blank until root-tail writes to it and it is clear and normal as expected before it corrupts over time.

i have been using root-tail for a little while, and i remember this behavior.
i am also sure that it can be fixed from within root-tail's options; the way it works is mysterious, but it can be done.

sorry i can't be more specific, it has been a while.

of course the compositor might be interfering as well.

otoh, a simple additional conky might be more suited for the task?
or maybe something like osd_cat (part of xosd-bin or osdsh package)?

NickC

New Member

Registered: 2017-07-06

Posts: 3

Re: root-tail text corrupted

Thanks for the replies.

• Desktop was lxde with openbox, then I moved to plain openbox without a desktop.

• I've had this behaviour before too, but so long ago that I don't remember the fix. :-|

It turns out it is compton's interaction: disabling compton fixes the problem.

Thanks for the help, now to decide whether I want compton enough to put in a workaround.  The output is a line of simple text, which of conky or dzen2 is lighter and more suitable, do you think?

tknomanzr

BL Die Hard

From: Around the Bend

Registered: 2015-09-29

Posts: 1,057

Re: root-tail text corrupted

^ I just want to interject and say thanks for the great explantion.

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