[kde-linux] Disappearing X windows

Wed Jan 27 08:39:23 UTC 2010

Doug Cartwright posted on Tue, 26 Jan 2010 20:58:47 -0400 as excerpted:

> <head>
> <style><!--
> .hmmessage P
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[Some of it snipped.]

Please turn off the HTML.  Many regulars on various lists believe HTML is 
not only unsightly where it's not supported and entirely unnecessary (if 
the content is worth reading, it's worth reading in /plain/ text, which 
does _not_ have to be so plain after all, given appropriate markup), but 
the tool of spammers, malware distributors (it's insecure), and aoler/
newbie types who simply don't know better.  Presuming you're not one of 
the former, that leaves only that you don't know better, but are hopefully 
willing to change if asked...

> I have older X windows programs written in C. The windows open fine but
> any sub-windows only flash briefly and then disappear. For example one
> of the programs displays a colour coded grid which normally allows you
> to select a portion of the grid to display in a separate window, but in
> KDE it just flashes briefly. I have tried every possible combination in
> the "window behaviour" system settings without success. Any ideas would
> be appreciated. I am very impressed with KDE and I appreciate all the
> work that has obviously gone into it, it would be painful to go back to
> a regular desktop.

(The below is for kde 4.3.x but 4.2 should be similar.  I'm not running 
the 4.4 pre-releases so don't know how much they might have changed 
settings layout.)

I don't know for sure, but I'm guessing this _may_ be due to inappropriate 
reaction to the window composite and/or 3D effects.  The problem may be 
compounded by the hide child windows if the parent is hidden option.

Try turning off all window effects (the application formerly known as 
kcontrol, aka system settings, look and feel, desktop, desktop effects, 
general tab, try the suspend compositing button).  If that helps but you 
like your effects, try turning it back on, but on the all effects tab, 
turn off individual ones, until you find the one that's the problem.  In 
particular, try turning off translucency there, and perhaps back on the 
general tab, uncheck "Various animations" and set Animation speed to 
"Immediate".  Tinkering with the settings on the advanced tab may help as 
well.  Just don't disable the functionality checks unless you want X to 
potentially start crashing on you!  They're there for a reason! =:^)

Another potential setting to try toggling is again under look and feel, 
but now under window behavior, window behavior, on the advanced tab, the 
checkbox for hide utility windows for inactive applications.

If either of the above works, you /might/ be able to leave the effects 
enabled in general, but simply turn them off for specific windows.  Under 
window specific settings, for specific windows as described on the first 
couple of tabs of the window specific settings dialog, you may have some 
luck with the opacity settings (active and inactive) on the preferences 
tab, and /maybe/ (altho I've never personally found this one useful, so 
I'm not sure of the actual practical effect) the window type setting on 
the workarounds tab.

That's a bit of a shot in the dark as they say, but it's what I'd try 
first if I were seeing such behavior.  With a bit of luck in my educated 
guessing...

> <br>
> <br>Thanks in advance 		 	   		  <br /
><hr />Tell the whole story with
> photos, right from your Messenger window. <a
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Um... please do turn off the HTML?

-- 
Duncan - List replies preferred.   No HTML msgs.
"Every nonfree program has a lord, a master --
and if you use the program, he is your master."  Richard Stallman