Using AIGLX - Installing Beryl

As of XOrg 7.2 (added to moonbase on the 15th of February 2007) AIGLX has become a permanent part of the xorg-server module. All you need to do is to update your XOrg7 installation. AIGLX is going to get installed automatically.

Configuration

You will have to run a hardware-accelerated XOrg server in order to utilize the full powers of AIGLX. The following xorg.conf sniplet shows exactly what needs to be done:

 Section "Extensions"
   Option "Composite" "Enable"
   Option "RENDER" "true"  #--optional--
   Option "DAMAGE" "true"  #--optional--
 EndSection

 Section "ServerLayout"
   Option "AIGLX" "true"
   [...]
 EndSection

After that AIGLX should be enabled and ready to go. Check your XOrg logfiles to see whether thats actually the case.

NVIDIA and AMD

If you're using either of the binary drivers provided by NVIDIA or ATI/AMD you will have to follow a different path.

NVIDIA

NVIDIA provides its own infrastructure for AIGLX called 'NV-GLX' Either you use the excellent nvidia-xconfig utility to enable the required configuration patters or you edit your xorg.conf accordingly:

 Section "Extensions"
   Option "Composite" "Enable"
   Option "RENDER" "true"  #--optional--
   Option "DAMAGE" "true"  #--optional--
 EndSection

 Section "Screen"
   ...
   DefaultDepth 24
   Option "AddARGBGLXVisuals" "True"
   Option "DisableGLXRootClipping" "True"
 EndSection

 Section "Device"
   Driver          "nvidia"
   Option      "RenderAccel" "true"
   Option      "AddARGBGLXVisuals" "true"
   Option      "AllowGLXWithComposite" "true" 
   ...
 EndSection

ATI/AMD (fglrx)

FIXME

Trying out AIGLX

If you want to take advantage of all the new effects AIGLX is helping to induce you might want to give the following applications a try:

Beryl

Beryl is a window manager framework that is able to make use of OpenGL acceleration AIGLX provides for the XComposite and XDamage extensions. For more information about Beryl and its parts (and the project itself) visit their homepage.

The following modules are available and should all be installed if you want to achieve a satisfying experience:

* beryl-core	Beryl core package
* beryl-plugins	Plugins package for beryl
* beryl-dbus	Dbus plugin for beryl
* beryl-settings	Settings manager for beryl
* beryl-manager	Manager package for beryl
* emerald	Window decorator for beryl
* emerald-themes	Themes for emerald

All of those modules require XOrg7 and subversion to be installed on your computer (which is not going to be installed automagically). Xinerama and TwinView are both supported by Beryl.