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Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Beryl with XGL on DELL 1501 (For Edgy Eft)

This guide is going to show you how to install Beryl using Compiz's gtk window manager. Beryl allows you to change managers on the fly so you can install both, use Compiz, or Beryl's Emerald window manager or switch at your leisure. If you don't want to install Compiz's gtk window manager skip all Compiz steps. Beryl will install properly either way.

Beryl's 2.0 release is impressive, it runs extremely well on the Dell Inspiron 1501. This guide is straight forward and easy. Don't be afraid, remember blue text is what you put into your terminal window, red text is import information that you should pay extra attention to.


Install the ATI Proprietary Driver:

Using The Unofficial Linux ATI Driver guide

This is the most important step, without doing this right you can't run Beryl. Installing your ATI driver is easy, follow the guide and you won't go wrong. Use Method 2

Now, check to see if you installed the driver right!
fglrxinfo

You should see this ouputed on your terminal window:
display: :0.0 screen: 0
OpenGL vendor string: ATI Technologies Inc.
OpenGL renderer string: RADEON XPRESS Series
OpenGL version string: 2.0.6334 (8.34.8)


Now test this:
fgl_glxgears

if you see these gears spinning you know you did it right and you've enabled 3D.


Setting Up Beryl & Compiz Repositories:
Add the Beryl & Compiz repositories to your source list, this will bring up your source list.
sudo gedit
/etc/apt/sources.list

The you will add the line to the bottom of your source list for Beryl:
deb http://ubuntu.beryl-project.org/ edgy main

And add this line for to the bottom of your source list below Beryl's:
deb http://gandalfn.club.fr/ubuntu edgy dev

Now you have to add the key so you can download from the Beryl Repo:
wget http://ubuntu.beryl-project.org/root@lupine.me.uk.gpg -O- | sudo apt-key add -

Then add the key so you can download from the Compiz Repo:
gpg --keyserver hkp://wwwkeys.eu.pgp.net --recv-keys 0x483170E9 ; gpg --export -a 0x483170E9 | sudo apt-key add -

Update your repositories.

sudo apt-get update

You are now able to download from the Beryl and Compiz repos


Setting Up XGL:
Download your xserver-xgl: (can't run an xgl session without it)
sudo apt-get install xserver-xgl

Adding an XGL login session:

Do this by creating this script:
sudo gedit /usr/local/bin/startxgl.sh

and this to the file:
#!/bin/sh

Xgl -fullscreen :1 -ac -br -accel glx:pbuffer -accel xv:pbuffer &
sleep 4
export DISPLAY=:1
cookie="$(xauth -i nextract - :0 | cut -d ' ' -f 9)"
xauth -i add :1 . "$cookie"
exec gnome-session
now please SAVE IT, and do not add this line only the blue text.


Then make it executable:
sudo chmod a+x /usr/local/bin/startxgl.sh

Creating a XGL Login:
Make the script.
gedit /usr/share/xsessions/xgl.desktop

add this to the file:
[Desktop Entry]

Encoding=UTF-8
Name=Xgl
Comment=Start an Xgl Session
Exec=/usr/local/bin/startxgl.sh
Icon=
Type=Application
now please SAVE IT, and do not add this line only the blue text.

Install Compiz Window Manger:
sudo apt-get install compiz-core compiz-gnome

Install Beryl:
sudo apt-get install beryl emerald-themes


Now You are technically done, but you have to login into your XGL session before you can run Beryl. On the Ubuntu login screen choose sessions and then choose XGL.

To use Compiz Window manager which allows you to use any gtk theme as your window skin, including Ubuntu own gtk human theme. Simple run Beryl Manager from Applications>System Tools>.
Then right click the red emerald>Select Window Decorator>GTK Window Decorator. Now you can use your gtk theme with Beryl.

Have Fun!

19 comments:

weijie said...

Thank you so much for creating this blog and contributing to Linux support on the 1501.

Just a question: do 3D games run well on the 1501? Doom? Tremulous? Unreal? WoW?

Thanks!!

Tex said...

So let me get this right: If the Beryl Manager is started (running in the background with the icon in the upper right hand corner) then all the effects should be working?

I followed the procedure (logged into XGL and Beryl manager is running) and still no effects...any thoughts off the top of your head?

redDEAD said...

you select beryl as your window decorator?

for beryl help www.beryl-project.org

chancho said...

just a hint
usr/local/bin/start_gnome.sh

i think you are missing the first slash / before usr/

thanks for you work. your entries helped me a lot with installing and getting the wifi to work. but somehow, i can't get beryl to work :(
after i log in to the xgl session i see my desktop for one second, then it all goes white and i can just start another x session with ctrl-alt-f2...

any suggestions?

redDEAD said...

I gave up on Beryl, every upgrade just created more problems. Sorry, I can't help you right now. I try to see thats up when I have some free time.

HajTux said...

me too I have the same problem like chancho

Unknown said...

You have to repeat your guide after each kernel or X update.

Latest updates + beryl SVN + http://ubuntuguide.org/wiki/Ubuntu:Edgy_ru#How_to_install_Xgl.2FBeryl_.28ATI.29

Works like a charm on my Inspiron 1501

Unknown said...

This one helps!!!

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=150854

redDEAD said...

Now Beryl works 100% with the Dell 1501, no fancy hacks or long winded guides. Click, install and run. Enjoy Beryl!

Anurag Mishra said...

xgl.desktop is pointing to /usr/bin/startxgl.sh

should be /usr/local/bin/startxgl.sh

Thanks for the great guide.

redDEAD said...

thanks! fixed!

Mike Weichert said...

Hi! Great site btw! Do you know the changes needed to be made to this 'beryl guide' before it will work with feisty?

Thanks, keep it up...
Mike

Unknown said...

Hi
First of all, I'd like to thank you for mainaining this page and submitting all these guides.

It helped me with almost all setups in my 1501, but I can't figure out how to use these beryl-repos.
I tried other ways, like putting another sources in my sources list and it still tells me something like this:
"GPG error: http://download.tuxfamily.org edgy Relase: The following signatures couldn't be verified beacause the public key is not available: NO_PUBKEY 2D8CFB44DD800CD9"

Could you tell me how do I get this key?

I ve been using Linux for 3 days now and 2 of them I spent on trying to get Beryl to work :(

XGL working, I can login, but when I start Beryl Settings Manager ... nothing happens.

I'm stumbed, help :)

Thanks again
Kartofel - Poland

redDEAD said...

wget http://ubuntu.beryl-project.org/root@lupine.me.uk.gpg -O- | sudo apt-key add -

to get beryl key, hit me up on aim if you have any questions.

Unknown said...

Hi again!

Thanx for reply. We are in slightly different time zones and catching you on Gaim would be difficult (as I'm as busy person as you). So if you don't mind I'll go here.

Finally I'm able to obtain these key, but Beryl still isn't working.

When logged to xgl session, still nothing happens. Typed command "beryl" in the console and everything messed up on the screen. Windows decorations just vanished. I thought, maybe xgl wasn't working and I typed fgl_glxgears in console again. I got this message:

"kartofel@kartofel-laptop:~$ fgl_glxgears
Using GLX_SGIX_pbuffer
Xlib: extension "XFree86-DRI" missing on display ":1.0".
Error: couldn't get fbconfig"

May I just say, that during normal gnome session, gears show and work ok.

Second thing:
When I type:
"glxinfo | grep direct"
It gives me:
Xlib: extension "XFree86-DRI" missing on display ":1.0".
direct rendering: No

Does it say anything to you? I'm still not to fluent in "console-errors-language", so I count on you :)

Kartofel
kartofel@kartofel-laptop:~$

redDEAD said...

i not a pro at error laguage either but you launch beryl by using the command beryl-manager

Unknown said...

I forgot to add, that the only effect of runing beryl-manager command is red crystal apperaring in my sys-tray. Still no further actions. Maybe I'll try to reinstal ubuntu (for 4th time I think) and will let you know how it went.
Thanks again for your time :)

redDEAD said...

you actually have to go into the options and select beryl as your window manager and login into your xgl session

budzian said...

Hi!
I'm in possession of Dell Inspiron 1501 with Ati Radeon Xpress 1150. I'm using linux Ubuntu Feisty. My dream is running beryl on this machine, so I have done everything as You wrote on this blog. I've installed Ati driver (followed method 2). Everything seems to be good: when I run in terminal:

$ glxinfo |grep direct
direct rendering: Yes

when run:

$ fglrxinfo
display: :0.0 screen: 0
OpenGL vendor string: ATI Technologies Inc.
OpenGL renderer string: ATI Radeon Xpress Series
OpenGL version string: 2.0.6474 (8.38.6)

and:

$ fgl_glxgears
I see three dimensional cogs in rotate cube.

Problems are beginning when I'm setting Xgl session. I have xserver_xgl installed and both scripts writed (from "Beryl in Feisty with Xgl" guide). When I run Xgl session I see differences between this and standard session: at the beginning mouse cursor looks like black cross and background become grey for a while. After start outward appearance become normal. The main difference appear when I'm running in terminal:

$ glxinfo |grep direct
Xlib: extension "XFree86-DRI" missing on display ":1.0".
direct rendering: No

but when:

$ fglrxinfo
display: :0.0 screen: 0
OpenGL vendor string: ATI Technologies Inc.
OpenGL renderer string: ATI Radeon Xpress Series
OpenGL version string: 2.0.6474 (8.38.6)

isn't it strange?

If I run :

$ fgl_glxgears
Using GLX_SGIX_pbuffer
Xlib: extension "XFree86-DRI" missing on display ":1.0".
Error: couldn't get fbconfig

I havn't got a clue... Lost my mind.
Help me, please.