Binary package hint: unity
I use screen magnification due to vision problems.
1. Compiz desktop effects Magnification (previously the best visually) will magnify the ubuntu desktop, but none of the "Unity" objects. Sidebar is not magnified, topbar is not magnified. Additionally, the mouse disappears behind those objects, making the problem much worse. This tool is no longer functional (usable) with Ubuntu (Unity)
2. Orca Magnification (poor visual compared to Compiz) is also not working properly with Unity. The mouse cursor disappears behind Unity objects, and in fact the mouse cursor is nearly non-existent. It appears as a trail of dots in the shape of an arrow (rather than a definitive cursor outline).
3. Gnome Magnifier is frankly... an insult to people who have real vision issues and want to use a computer. As a result, I don't use it and am not aware whether it has the same problems as the above 2 apps.
ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.04
Package: unity 3.8.10-0ubuntu2
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.38-8.42-generic 2.6.38.2
Uname: Linux 2.6.38-8-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: fglrx
Architecture: amd64
CompizPlugins: [core,bailer,detection,composite,opengl,decor,mousepoll,vpswitch,regex,animation,snap,expo,move,compiztoolbox,place,grid,imgpng,gnomecompat,wall,ezoom,workarounds,staticswitcher,resize,fade,unitymtgrabhandles,scale,session,unityshell]
CompositorRunning: compiz
Date: Thu May 12 01:55:05 2011
DistUpgraded: Fresh install
DistroCodename: natty
DistroVariant: ubuntu
DkmsStatus: fglrx, 8.840, 2.6.38-8-generic, x86_64: installed
GraphicsCard:
ATI Technologies Inc Broadway XT [Mobility Radeon HD 5800 Series] [1002:68a0] (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Broadway XT [FirePro M7820] [103c:1520]
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" - Release amd64 (20110427.1)
InstallationMedia_: Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" - Release amd64 (20110427.1)
InstallationMedia__: Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" - Release amd64 (20110427.1)
InstallationMedia___: Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" - Release amd64 (20110427.1)
JockeyStatus: xorg:fglrx - ATI/AMD proprietary FGLRX graphics driver (Proprietary, Enabled, In use)
MachineType: Hewlett-Packard HP EliteBook 8740w
PccardctlIdent:
Socket 0:
product info: "RICOH", "Bay8Controller", "", ""
manfid: 0x0000, 0x0000
function: 254 (unknown)
PccardctlStatus:
Socket 0:
3.3V 16-bit PC Card
Subdevice 0 (function 0) bound to driver "pata_pcmcia"
ProcEnviron:
LANGUAGE=en_US:en
LANG=en_US.UTF-8
SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.38-8-generic root=UUID=187473757473550A loop=/hostname/disks/root.disk ro quiet splash
ProcVersionSignature_: Ubuntu 2.6.38-8.42-generic 2.6.38.2
ProcVersionSignature__: Ubuntu 2.6.38-8.42-generic 2.6.38.2
ProcVersionSignature___: Ubuntu 2.6.38-8.42-generic 2.6.38.2
Renderer: Unknown
SourcePackage: unity
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 09/23/2010
dmi.bios.vendor: Hewlett-Packard
dmi.bios.version: 68CAD Ver. F.09
dmi.board.name: 1520
dmi.board.vendor: Hewlett-Packard
dmi.board.version: KBC Version 33.2D
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: CNU0210RCJ
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: Hewlett-Packard
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnHewlett-Packard:bvr68CADVer.F.09:bd09/23/2010:svnHewlett-Packard:pnHPEliteBook8740w:pvr:rvnHewlett-Packard:rn1520:rvrKBCVersion33.2D:cvnHewlett-Packard:ct10:cvr:
dmi.product.name: HP EliteBook 8740w
dmi.sys.vendor: Hewlett-Packard
version.compiz: compiz 1:0.9.4+bzr20110415-0ubuntu2
version.fglrx-installer: fglrx-installer N/A
version.ia32-libs: ia32-libs N/A
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.23-1ubuntu6
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 7.10.2-0ubuntu2
version.libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental: libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental N/A
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 7.10.2-0ubuntu2
version.xserver-xorg: xserver-xorg 1:7.6+4ubuntu3
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:6.14.0-0ubuntu4
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.14.0-4ubuntu7
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:0.0.16+git20110107+b795ca6e-0ubuntu7
I appreciate all of the work which developers are putting into Unity, so I do not say this with any ill intent, however I believe that this issue is quite important.
I am a partially blind user, and I COMPLETELY rely on screen magnifier technologies in order to access my computer system. If the eZoom plugin in compiz is unable to zoom in on the Unity objects (the top bar and the sidebar), then Unity is unusable to me.
From my understanding, Unity2D has replaced Classic Gnome as the other desktop which comes packaged with Ubuntu. It is also my understanding that Unity2D does not use Compiz, and that there is no screen magnifier available for it. To a partially blind user such as myself, this means that the operating system is, for the most part, unusable.
I just have a simple request: that the importance of this issue would be reconsidered. This was a bug in Ubuntu 11.04, and it seems also in Ubuntu 11.10. I had hoped there would have been some change in the past months so that I could come back to Ubuntu. I am not trying to whine or to complain, but I do just ask that the importance of this bug would be carefully reconsidered.
I use Ubuntu as my primary operating system because I could not afford commercial screen magnifiers for Windows (which tend to cost $500 - $700 or so). When I found that Compiz worked even better in Ubuntu, I completely switched over based upon my reliance on the Compiz eZoom plugin. Thsi complete reliance upon CompizeZoom is why this issue is so important to me.
I appreciate your time in reading this, and thank you for all of the hard work.