No Borders With Beryl and NVIDIA AIGLX

If you find that you have no borders after you have set up Beryl with AIGLX using the latest nvidia driver you should append the following to your /etc/X11/xorg.conf in the “Device” section:

Option         "AddARGBGLXVisuals" "True"
Option         "RenderAccel" "True"
Option         "AllowGLXWithComposite" "True"
Option         "backingstore" "True"
Option         "TripleBuffer" "True"

For some reason many guides do not mention this problem.

41 Responses to “No Borders With Beryl and NVIDIA AIGLX”

  1. Josh Says:

    Thank you!! I was having a lot of trouble fixing this problem, but this solved it!

  2. Kris Says:

    It broke my xserver :(

  3. nlindblad Says:

    @Kris: What version of the nvidia driver? Are you *sure* you’re using AIGLX and not the XGL version of the X server?

  4. Sitekeeper Says:

    Thanks for this, solved my only problem in PCLinux 2007

    Sitekeeper

  5. Mike Says:

    I am not able to edit xorg.conf because it is “Read Only”. I am having this “no-borders” problem as well, but I can’t seem to get permission to add the above code to xorg.conf. Any suggestions?

  6. nlindblad Says:

    Edit it as root. On Ubuntu, run ‘gksu gedit /etc/X11/xorg.conf’ which will open a text editor as root and allow you to modify the configuration file.

    If your distribution does not offer sudo you can su to the root user in a shell and run ‘nano -w /etc/X11/xorg.conf’ and edit it.

  7. Skobbolop Says:

    Worked perfectly…. thank you!

  8. Todd Davis Says:

    Just as a side note, I was having this problem for several weeks and had tried all of the above to no avail. I finally found out that you MUST run at a 24bit color depth or it won’t work at all. To do this, edit you /etc/X11/xorg.conf file (as root) and make sure that DefaultDepth is set to 24, and that a section exists for that depth.

  9. Chris Says:

    I tried editing this and it said that there was an error and I couldn’t even get into Linux. I don’t know how to change it now, it just gives me a command line. Any help, please..

  10. Monty Says:

    I am fairly new to Linux, but I am trying very hard. I have googled this same type of problem and I went back and re-edited the X11 config file, but I am still loosing boarder around my open windows and also the windows are not movable once they are opened. This only happens when I open Beryl Manager. I have copied my X11 file amd ask that someone please help me. I followed the instruction from the openSuse 10.2 Beryl howto page and installed the Nvidia drivers with the help of the Nvidia howto page.

    Can someone please help me out?

    Thanks in advance.

    Monty

    # /…/
    # SaX generated X11 config file
    # Created on: 2007-03-23T21:23:19-0400.
    #
    # Version: 8.1
    # Contact: Marcus Schaefer , 2005
    # Contact: SaX-User list
    #
    # Automatically generated by [ISaX] (8.1)
    # PLEASE DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE!
    #
    Section “Files”
    FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/misc:unscaled”
    FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/local”
    FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/75dpi:unscaled”
    FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/100dpi:unscaled”
    FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/Type1″
    FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/URW”
    FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/Speedo”
    FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/PEX”
    FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/cyrillic”
    FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/latin2/misc:unscaled”
    FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/latin2/75dpi:unscaled”
    FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/latin2/100dpi:unscaled”
    FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/latin2/Type1″
    FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/latin7/75dpi:unscaled”
    FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/baekmuk:unscaled”
    FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/japanese:unscaled”
    FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/kwintv”
    FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/truetype”
    FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/uni:unscaled”
    FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/CID”
    FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/ucs/misc:unscaled”
    FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/ucs/75dpi:unscaled”
    FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/ucs/100dpi:unscaled”
    FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/hellas/misc:unscaled”
    FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/hellas/75dpi:unscaled”
    FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/hellas/100dpi:unscaled”
    FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/hellas/Type1″
    FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/misc/sgi:unscaled”
    FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/xtest”
    FontPath “/opt/kde3/share/fonts”
    FontPath “unix/:7100″
    InputDevices “/dev/gpmdata”
    InputDevices “/dev/input/mice”
    EndSection

    Section “ServerFlags”
    Option “AllowMouseOpenFail” “on”
    EndSection

    Section “Module”
    Load “glx”
    Load “type1″
    Load “extmod”
    Load “dbe”
    Load “freetype”
    Load “v4l”
    EndSection

    Section “InputDevice”
    Driver “kbd”
    Identifier “Keyboard[0]”
    Option “Protocol” “Standard”
    Option “XkbLayout” “us”
    Option “XkbModel” “pc104″
    Option “XkbRules” “xfree86″
    EndSection

    Section “InputDevice”
    Driver “mouse”
    Identifier “Mouse[1]”
    Option “Buttons” “9″
    Option “Device” “/dev/input/mice”
    Option “Name” “ImExPS/2 Generic Explorer Mouse”
    Option “Protocol” “explorerps/2″
    Option “Vendor” “Sysp”
    Option “ZAxisMapping” “4 5″
    EndSection

    Section “Monitor”
    DisplaySize 304 228
    HorizSync 30-61
    Identifier “Monitor[0]”
    ModelName “SONY SDM-S51″
    Option “DPMS”
    VendorName “SNY”
    VertRefresh 43-65
    UseModes “Modes[0]”
    EndSection

    Section “Modes”
    Identifier “Modes[0]”
    Modeline “1024×768″ 69.71 1024 1080 1184 1344 768 769 772 798
    Modeline “1024×600″ 53.78 1024 1072 1176 1328 600 601 604 623
    Modeline “800×600″ 42.11 800 840 920 1040 600 601 604 623
    Modeline “768×576″ 38.56 768 800 880 992 576 577 580 598
    Modeline “640×480″ 25.95 640 656 720 800 480 481 484 499
    EndSection

    Section “Screen”
    DefaultDepth 24
    SubSection “Display”
    Depth 15
    Modes “1024×768″ “1024×600″ “800×600″ “768×576″ “640×480″
    EndSubSection
    SubSection “Display”
    Depth 16
    Modes “1024×768″ “1024×600″ “800×600″ “768×576″ “640×480″
    EndSubSection
    SubSection “Display”
    Depth 24
    Modes “1024×768″ “1024×600″ “800×600″ “768×576″ “640×480″
    EndSubSection
    SubSection “Display”
    Depth 8
    Modes “1024×768″ “1024×600″ “800×600″ “768×576″ “640×480″
    EndSubSection
    Device “Device[0]”
    Identifier “Screen[0]”
    Monitor “Monitor[0]”
    EndSection

    Section “Device”
    BoardName “GeForce FX 5200 (0×0322)”
    BusID “1:0:0″
    Driver “nvidia”
    Identifier “Device[0]”
    Screen 0
    VendorName “NVidia”
    Option “XAANoOffscreenPixmaps” “true”
    Option “DRI” “true”
    Option “AddARGBGLXVisuals” “True”
    Option “RenderAccel” “True”
    Option “AllowGLXWithComposite” “True”
    Option “backingstore” “True”
    Option “TripleBuffer” “True”
    EndSection

    Section “ServerLayout”
    Identifier “Layout[all]”
    InputDevice “Keyboard[0]” “CoreKeyboard”
    InputDevice “Mouse[1]” “CorePointer”
    Option “Clone” “off”
    Option “Xinerama” “off”
    Screen “Screen[0]”
    Option “AIGLX” “true”
    EndSection

    Section “Extensions”
    Option “Composite” “Enable”
    EndSection

    Section “DRI”
    Group “video”
    Mode 0660
    Group 0
    Mode 0666
    EndSection

    Section “Extensions”
    EndSection

  11. danny c Says:

    Todd Davis wrote (in short) :
    “Just as a side note” … “you MUST run at a 24bit color depth”

    yup , this worked for me too

  12. alex Says:

    hi nice site.

  13. Cristian Says:

    Thanks a lot, solved my problems with beryl :)

  14. Osman S Borutecene Says:

    Hi there, same problem here. I solved it through just adding this line to xorg.conf

    Option “AddARGBGLXVisuals” “True”

    Other lines wasn’t necessary for me. I am using Ubuntu Feisty Fawn.

  15. Sjosul Says:

    I had the same problem - as with Osman, just adding the line to device section in xorg.comp fixed it…

  16. Alexander Swithin Says:

    *applauds*

  17. Dave Says:

    Just upgraded by version of ubunto to Feisty Fawn, which turned my machine in to a virtual washing machine, broke beryl, etc.
    I could have same myself much agro if found this web machine faster, it got beryl working like a dream.

  18. Mike Says:

    Oh, so close.

    This little tweak added a title bar and window border… for Firefox, but Gaim and Thunderbird (and probably other apps) weren’t so lucky. Also, couldn’t move the window anyways.

  19. Dustin Says:

    Also crashed my computer as well. I think my problem was different though. My terminal was just a white block. I couldn’t see what I was typing or anything. Time to reinstall yet again…I should really start backing up my files.

  20. Ernz Says:

    This was very helpful. Worked for me. Can I suggest however to anyone trying this to BACKUP your /etc/X11/xorg.conf file BEFORE trying this. At least that way if it messes up you can enter recovery mode and restore previous settings. Thanks again.

  21. fookanen Says:

    After adding the above to my xorg.conf, I stil did not have window borders. I just needed to select a window decorator other than Beryl (for me it was Metacity).

  22. Ghydda Says:

    Unfortunately this made no improvement for me.
    Didn’t make it worse either.

    But thanks for the suggestions.

  23. Beryl sin bordes en Kubuntu con Nvidia at votaguz Says:

    […] beryl en mi Kubuntu Feisty, este no tenía bordes. Preguntándole al tio Google encontré este blog donde nos dicen que problemita se soluciona con solo agregar unas líneas en la sección […]

  24. TAMAS SULYOK Says:

    After a few weeks of headache and fucking around the x.org system and nvidia glx new driver setup i have found the problem.After reading the reviews this is the missing part.Go Beryl settings>Window managament-check set window attribs by various criteria>window borders (disable /enable).Before this I added the x.org options from the beginning of this page.I am using Linux Mint Cassandra and my videocard is geforce 7800 Gt.After reformatting my hard drive 4 times and almost breaking my Sony flatscreen I hope this will help for YOu My Friends

  25. Tobi Says:

    Hi,
    I looked at this manual and many others and still was not able to figure it out. I still have no borders. I use a GeForce Go 7400 an HP Dv6203tx with Kubuntu 7.04, 64 bit.

    I’d appreciate it, if someone could tell me what I got wrong!!!

    Here is my config:

    # /etc/X11/xorg.conf (xorg X Window System server configuration file)
    #
    # This file was generated by dexconf, the Debian X Configuration tool, using
    # values from the debconf database.
    #
    # Edit this file with caution, and see the xorg.conf(5) manual page.
    # (Type “man xorg.conf” at the shell prompt.)
    #
    # This file is automatically updated on xserver-xorg package upgrades *only*
    # if it has not been modified since the last upgrade of the xserver-xorg
    # package.
    #
    # If you have edited this file but would like it to be automatically updated
    # again, run the following command:
    # sudo dpkg-reconfigure -phigh xserver-xorg

    Section “Files”
    FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/X11/misc”
    FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/X11/cyrillic”
    FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/X11/100dpi/:unscaled”
    FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/X11/75dpi/:unscaled”
    FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/X11/Type1″
    FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/X11/100dpi”
    FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/X11/75dpi”
    # path to defoma fonts
    FontPath “/var/lib/defoma/x-ttcidfont-conf.d/dirs/TrueType”
    EndSection

    Section “Module”
    Load “dbe”
    Load “bitmap”
    Load “ddc”
    Load “dri”
    Load “extmod”
    Load “freetype”
    Load “glx”
    Load “int10″
    Load “v4l”
    Load “vbe”
    EndSection

    Section “InputDevice”
    Identifier “Generic Keyboard”
    Driver “kbd”
    Option “CoreKeyboard”
    Option “XkbRules” “xorg”
    Option “XkbModel” “pc105″
    Option “XkbLayout” “us”
    EndSection

    Section “InputDevice”
    Identifier “Configured Mouse”
    Driver “mouse”
    Option “CorePointer”
    Option “Device” “/dev/input/mice”
    Option “Protocol” “ImPS/2″
    Option “ZAxisMapping” “4 5″
    Option “Emulate3Buttons” “true”
    EndSection

    Section “InputDevice”
    Identifier “Synaptics Touchpad”
    Driver “synaptics”
    Option “SendCoreEvents” “true”
    Option “Device” “/dev/psaux”
    Option “Protocol” “auto-dev”
    Option “HorizScrollDelta” “0″
    EndSection

    Section “InputDevice”
    Driver “wacom”
    Identifier “stylus”
    Option “Device” “/dev/input/wacom”
    Option “Type” “stylus”
    Option “ForceDevice” “ISDV4″ # Tablet PC ONLY
    EndSection

    Section “InputDevice”
    Driver “wacom”
    Identifier “eraser”
    Option “Device” “/dev/input/wacom”
    Option “Type” “eraser”
    Option “ForceDevice” “ISDV4″ # Tablet PC ONLY
    EndSection

    Section “InputDevice”
    Driver “wacom”
    Identifier “cursor”
    Option “Device” “/dev/input/wacom”
    Option “Type” “cursor”
    Option “ForceDevice” “ISDV4″ # Tablet PC ONLY
    EndSection

    Section “Device”
    Identifier “NVIDIA GeForce Go 7400″
    Driver “nvidia”
    BusID “PCI:1:0:0″
    Option “UseFBDev” “true”
    Option “AddARGBGLXVisuals” “True”
    Option “DRI” “true”
    Option “RenderAccel” “True”
    Option “AllowGLXWithComposite” “True”
    Option “backingstore” “True”
    Option “TripleBuffer” “True”
    Option “XAANoOffscreenPixmaps” “true”
    EndSection

    Section “Monitor”
    Identifier “Generic Monitor”
    Option “DPMS”
    HorizSync 28-64
    VertRefresh 43-60
    EndSection

    Section “Screen”
    Identifier “Default Screen”
    Device “NVIDIA GeForce Go 7400″
    Monitor “Generic Monitor”
    Option “AddARGBGLXVisuals” “True”
    DefaultDepth 24
    SubSection “Display”
    Depth 1
    Modes “1280×800″ “1024×768″ “800×600″ “640×480″
    EndSubSection
    SubSection “Display”
    Depth 4
    Modes “1280×800″ “1024×768″ “800×600″ “640×480″
    EndSubSection
    SubSection “Display”
    Depth 8
    Modes “1280×800″ “1024×768″ “800×600″ “640×480″
    EndSubSection
    SubSection “Display”
    Depth 15
    Modes “1280×800″ “1024×768″ “800×600″ “640×480″
    EndSubSection
    SubSection “Display”
    Depth 16
    Modes “1280×800″ “1024×768″ “800×600″ “640×480″
    EndSubSection
    SubSection “Display”
    Depth 24
    Modes “1280×800″ “1024×768″ “800×600″ “640×480″
    EndSubSection
    EndSection

    Section “ServerLayout”
    Identifier “Default Layout”
    Screen “Default Screen”
    InputDevice “Generic Keyboard”
    InputDevice “Configured Mouse”
    InputDevice “stylus” “SendCoreEvents”
    InputDevice “cursor” “SendCoreEvents”
    InputDevice “eraser” “SendCoreEvents”
    InputDevice “Synaptics Touchpad”
    EndSection

    Section “DRI”
    Mode 0666
    EndSection

    Section “Extensions”
    Option “Composite” “Enable”
    EndSection

  26. RIVE Says:

    Thank you!. just works in my desktop.

    You have save me a lot of time asking google.

  27. Alfredo Says:

    it works like a charm, thanks.

  28. robert Says:

    hi all.

  29. Attila Says:

    Worked for me. Im a noob when it comes to linux. So I forgot to restart X….
    Don’t forget to restart X with Ctrl+Alt+Backspace to enable the changes.

  30. Jamwad Says:

    Thanks so much for this… worked perfectly!

  31. Window Border Problem with Beryl and nVidia Says:

    […] No Window Borders With Beryl and NVIDIA AIGLX […]

  32. Josh Says:

    Marry me?

  33. Tomciaaa Says:

    I could kiss you :-* Finally a solution that actually works. Thanks x infinity

  34. torz Says:

    thanx a lot. this border problem was the point where i almost gave up on beryl

  35. clancy Says:

    hey im running fedora 7 how can i open that file it says read only …

    idont know how to use the terminal that well so be specific

  36. nlindblad Says:

    @clancy: You will probably have to do it as root, use the ’su’ command to become the root user and then open the file with nano or vim.

  37. Eduardo Says:

    Thanks

  38. RANJOT SINGH Says:

    can n e plz tell me if the above settings work for nvidia-geforce fx 5200 ??
    actually when i added the Option “AddARGBGLXVisuals” “True”
    line and i restarted the comp and then iit couldnt start ,jus a black screen with a cursor blinking.
    Befroe i made the change beryl was working fine except for the borders (where the close ,minimise ,maximize tabs are there).
    so can n e one plz help .

  39. Blackie Says:

    Worked like a charm. Thanks!

  40. Ally Says:

    Thank you very much!

  41. Greg Says:

    Wow! Finally, was not sure that I would figure this out, not sure if it was the 24 bit depth or what was preventing any window managers but it is working now on my 6800XE and it is SWEET!

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