[Bug 389569] composite and aiglx enabled by default on Radeon

https://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=389569

User maacruz@gmail.com added comment
https://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=389569#c4





--- Comment #4 from Miguel Angel Alvarez   2008-05-15 16:42:53 MST ---
And having AIGLX+Composite without a compositing manager is about as useless,
so anyone not installing compiz or kde4 will have all the disadvantages and
none of the benefits.
I want to explain why I think the actual situation is wrong and can't be left
as it is now, so please, forgive me for such long essay.

The first question is, why enable AIGLX+Composite? The answer is to provide 3D
effects on the desktop, which in the end, it is mostly eyecandy

The second question is, could be any problem of importance by enabling those
extensions, and to how many people? Yes, I have shown you a very serious
usability issue, and the affected hardware is quite common.

Now, please consider the usability scenarios that will arise, as it is now:

For an expert user, he may know what is happening, and if not, he will know
where and how to ask, and eventually will fix it. More or less a little
annoyance.

For the inexperienced/non-technical user, the issue will be quite different. He
will install opensuse and will perceive it as very slow, and will blame
opensuse or linux for it, not knowing what the problem is or how to fix it, or
even how to ask for help. The most probable outcome is the user being turned
away from opensuse or linux.

So, is it worth to have the later scenario for for some eyecandy on some
situations? And, what could be done to avoid it?

I don't think it is right to cause such serious usability problem and do
nothing about it, so this should be solved one way or another.
1- It could be prominently documented, with detailed instructions on how to
solve the problem. Even the 'Option "Composite" "false"' should be present in
xorg.conf
2- Composite could be enabled, with an easy way to disable it (like checking an
option in yast)
3- Composite could be disabled (on xorg.conf), with detailed instructions on
how to enable it
4- Composite could be disabled, with an easy way to enable it (like checking an
option in yast, or by the same script used to activate compiz)

>From an ergonomic point of view, I think the best option is the last one,
because:
- If the user wants 3D effects, he will investigate how to activate them. The
question to ask is easy (how do I enable the 3D effects?) and the answer is
easy (run compizconfig script, or check this option in yast)
- Even having AIGLX+Composite enabled as it is now, the user still has to
install and activate compiz, so he needs to research the question anyway
- Since Composite may break things, an user action should be required to enable
it
- People (specially non technical people) don't like to read general
documentation, even less if it is technical, like release notes, manuals and
such, so simply documenting the problem is likely to be unnoticed for many.
- Some people doesn't even know how to edit xorg.conf, so enabling/disabling
Composite should be done as automatic as possible.
The next best option would be 2, followed by 3, and last 1. Obviously the worst
thing would be do nothing about it.

So, what I really ask you, is to provide some solution to the problem before it
becomes a problem of many, and not simply close the bug.


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