[R] rgl/compiz problem

[Marc Schwartz]

on 08/13/2008 06:03 PM Duncan Murdoch wrote:
> Barry Rowlingson wrote:
>> I have just encountered the problem with rgl where plot3d figures
>> don't interact with the mouse. My plots zoom in and out with the mouse
>> wheel but the mouse buttons do nothing. I can't rotate the plot.
>>
>> This has been mentioned and discussed here and in other lists before,
>> and the solution is to turn off Ubuntu's fancy graphics.  Back in
>> March, Ben Bolker said:
>>
>> """
>> unfortunately rgl and compiz/etc. both try to use
>> the same OpenGL interface, so you can't use both at
>> the same time.
>> """
>>
>> This has echoes of when TCP/IP was in its infancy back in the days of
>> DOS, and only one program could access the network interface at a time
>> (until TCP/IP software got its act together). Is OpenGL really in the
>> same position now? Or is Compiz being "greedy" in some sense? Surely
>> two OpenGL applications can run at the same time? Or is it because rgl
>> is running 'within' another OpenGL window already, so there's some
>> nesting problem going on?
>>   
> I think it's an Ubuntu bug, because nothing like it occurs anywhere 
> else.  So I'd suggest you turn off compiz or switch to a reliable OS 
> like Windows ;-).

Gack...  ;-)

>>  Google Earth works fine, and I think that uses OpenGL. Anyone had any
>> ideas since March?
>>
>> I'm on Ubuntu 8.04 and R 2.7.1

Baz, what kind of graphics chipset do you have?  ATI, nVidia or Intel?

nVidia is terrible right now and they are being deservedly flamed left 
and right on the nVidia Linux fora. Their Linux support has deteriorated 
notably over the past year or so and is more pronounced with the new 
version of Xorg. Even the 2D support under Linux is worse than what I 
have seen on co-workers Linux systems with Intel chipsets that use 
shared system memory.

I agree with Duncan in that you should disable any of the 
compiz/compiz-fusion features, which add significant overhead and put a 
strain on the graphics drivers. Worse if it is nVidia in their current 
state.

Regards,

Marc Schwartz