Fix for KDE/Plasma Tearing in nVidia GPUs like GTX970

[wilfred1986]

On all linux distros I use, in Plasma desktop, I always have tearing, even with vsync, no matter wich render or config I use for the compositor KWin, its a bug of KDE, (it don't happend with Gnome). I know It happens with other nVidia models, but mine is a GTX970 model and is very annoying to me.

But the good news is, there's a fix to that:

#!/bin/sh
#
# ~/.config/plasma-workspace/env/kwin-fix-nvidia_tearing.sh
#
# Make this script executable with:
#       chmod +x ~/.config/plasma-workspace/env/kwin-fix-nvidia_tearing.sh 
#
# Fix tearing with nVidia Propietary Driver
#
# Info: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/KDE#Screen_tearing_with_Nvidia
# Info: https://community.kde.org/KWin/Environment_Variables#GL_YIELD
#

export __GL_YIELD="USLEEP"

Thanks.

PD. Sorry for my bad english.

[Chrysostomus]

Thank you for the useful information!

A few questions:

1. how would you suggest incorporating the fix?
2. how would this affect users with graphics cards other than nvidia?
3. couldn't you just export that variable in ~/.profile?

[wilfred1986]

Well, I suggest this fix will be incorporated if the user choose install plasma edition of manjaro and if he install nVidia-propietary-drivers (nouveau or other brands of GPUs aren't affected) and always wth the option to install or not.

The installation must be in this path because Kwin will read this values at early run of the composito and in this way if the user choose install in the future a secondary WM/DE will never affect that configuration.

[Chrysostomus]

Okay, that is a good argument for keeping it there. It makes sense to apply with installer, because it depends on the hardware and driver choice.

[GottZ]

this just fixed tearing on my arch linux / archlinux kde plasma installation using a nvidia gtx 960 (just writing here to bump it in google search results)