Unable to find compton settings that work perfectly

[Brett99]

Platform:
Arch Linux, running BSPWM

GPU, drivers, and screen setup:
Thinkpad T480, 1080p, no external monitor, integrated Intel graphics.
I've tried both xf86-video-intel and xf86-video-intel-git

Compton version:
I've tried the official compton arch package, and compton-git.
Currently on git-v0.1_beta2-87-g316eac0-2017-04-30 with compton-git

Compton configuration:
https://pastebin.com/raw/CkifKypn

Steps of reproduction

I've tried every suggested configuration I could find on the internet, but I haven't found a single one that works properly.

Here are some of the issues I've run into:

• text sometimes doesn't appear in urxvt until I manually force the window to refresh
• screentearing all the time
• screentearing only while playing fullscreen videos in chromium
• no screentearing, and then it mysteriously starts back up again
• terminal windows automatically unfocusing themselves when I type
• solid black terminal windows, no text
• screen blinking once every few seconds while using chromium
• white flashing when opening/closing things

Expected behavior

It should not do any of the things mentioned above.

Current Behavior & Other details

• I don't know how to reliably make it break urxvt, but I suspect it has something to do with xft. Perhaps mentioned in Compton w/ glx-backend causes lags in xterm, urxvt and dmenu when using xft-fonts #152.

• I don't remember every configuration I've tried, because I've tried so many in the past few days. Let me know if I should test any specific ones. If I can't completely fix this, I might have to return my laptop and get one with an NVidia card.

• I was able to get rid of the urxvt issue by using the xrender backend, but could not get rid of the tearing with compton. The solutions in xf86-intel-video tearing with compton #376 did not fix the problem. I was able to get rid of the tearing by changing the config files for the Intel driver, but this would sporadically stop working, resulting in tearing again.

[Brett99]

My compton.conf file has not changed. I've just been starting compton with different flags.

# this produces really bad screentearing
compton \
    --config ~/.config/compton/compton.conf \
    --backend xrender

# this does not fix it
compton \
    --config ~/.config/compton/compton.conf \
    --backend xrender \
    --xrender-sync \
    --xrender-sync-fence

# this produces really bad screentearing
compton \
    --config ~/.config/compton/compton.conf \
    --backend glx \

# this fixes some of the screentearing, but it's still really bad with chromium
compton \
    --config ~/.config/compton/compton.conf \
    --backend glx \
    --vsync {drm, opengl, opengl-oml, opengl-swc, opengl-mswc}

# this causes windows to quickly focus and unfocus
compton \
    --config ~/.config/compton/compton.conf \
    --backend xr_glx_hybrid \

[Brett99]

Enabling acceleration in Chromium seems to fix the tearing. I had turned it off because it's responsible for Chromium hanging for a few seconds sometimes. I guess I'll need to find another way to fix that.

I still don't have a way to prevent tearing without making urxvt lag.

[smlx]

What is your compton.conf?

[Brett99]

My compton.conf can be found in the original post.

Switching to the modesetting driver seemed to help, but I'm still getting tearing when playing fullscreen videos.

[smlx]

I've got a T430 with intel graphics. Here are the important settings from my compton.conf.
Note that fullscreen video will tear if unredir-if-possible is set - that's why I exclude vlc.

# Try to detect fullscreen windows, and unredirect them.
unredir-if-possible = true;
unredir-if-possible-exclude = "name *?= 'vlc'";
# reduce flickering on unredir
paint-on-overlay = true;

# Use the 3D renderer
backend = "glx";
vsync = "opengl-swc";
# recommended performance improvements
glx-no-stencil = true;
glx-no-rebind-pixmap = true;

[deviantfero]

do you get random freezes here and there with this settings @smlx ?

[smlx]

No, I don't. However I'm on Debian, not Arch.

[ChrisLahaye]

@deviantfero try without paint-on-overlay on false

[jEsuSdA]

Try this:
It works perfectly for me:
https://github.com/jEsuSdA/the-perfect-desktop/blob/master/compton/compton.conf

[gnuy]

Try this:
It works perfectly for me:
https://github.com/jEsuSdA/the-perfect-desktop/blob/master/compton/compton.conf

Worked for me as well, thank you!

[tferrerm]

Try this:
It works perfectly for me:
https://github.com/jEsuSdA/the-perfect-desktop/blob/master/compton/compton.conf

@jEsuSdA This URL returns 404, can you copy the contents of this file if you still have it? Thank you!

Edit: Maybe you still have it, @gnuy?

[meetnick]

I need that compton.conf file too! DO you still have it @gnuy ? the link give 404 not found