# GLFW\_FULLSCREEN fails and corrupts X11 visual

**URL:** <https://discourse.glfw.org/t/glfw-fullscreen-fails-and-corrupts-x11-visual/148>\
**Category:** support\
**Created:** [June 25, 2004, 9:19pm UTC](https://discourse.glfw.org/t/glfw-fullscreen-fails-and-corrupts-x11-visual/148 "2004-06-25T21:19:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/uploads/glfw/original/1X/b8cdefe6b61b8d5aee6c43b2c56e9cf5eabecfe4.svg) [@system](https://discourse.glfw.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [June 25, 2004, 9:19pm UTC](https://discourse.glfw.org/t/glfw-fullscreen-fails-and-corrupts-x11-visual/148/1 "2004-06-25T21:19:10Z")

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**nobody** wrote on [Friday, June 25, 2004](https://sourceforge.net/p/glfw/discussion/247562/thread/60457edc/#3db7):

The two GLFW example programs which open a GLFW\_FULLSCREEN window (pong3d and particles) fail to obtain that fullscreen window on my system but&nbsp; they don’t realize that they have failed, and so they merrily write into the video buffers incorrectly and obliterate the windowed X11 workstation screen terminally.&nbsp; (Need to restart X11 entirely after that, with loss of running apps.)

When GLFW\_FULLSCREEN is replaced by GLFW\_WINDOW, everything works as expected.

My SDL-based apps manage to switch the Linux desktop into fullscreen mode perfectly, and they end by reinstating the windowed X11 screen correctly on exit.&nbsp; This suggests that there is nothing inherently wrong with fullscreen operation on my Linux box here, as both GLFW and SDL are running through the same Mesa.

Is this a known bug?

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**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/uploads/glfw/original/1X/b8cdefe6b61b8d5aee6c43b2c56e9cf5eabecfe4.svg) [@system](https://discourse.glfw.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [July 7, 2004, 1:05pm UTC](https://discourse.glfw.org/t/glfw-fullscreen-fails-and-corrupts-x11-visual/148/2 "2004-07-07T13:05:59Z")

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**nobody** wrote on [Wednesday, July 07, 2004](https://sourceforge.net/p/glfw/discussion/247562/thread/60457edc/#3db7/b27a):

This works okay on my system, maybe you can specify the version of GLFW you are using, which X server, window manager (probably not the problem here, but I know Ion does screwy things with GLWF on my system).

Also, have you tried different resolutions/color depths?

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**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/uploads/glfw/original/1X/b8cdefe6b61b8d5aee6c43b2c56e9cf5eabecfe4.svg) [@system](https://discourse.glfw.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [July 7, 2004, 8:16pm UTC](https://discourse.glfw.org/t/glfw-fullscreen-fails-and-corrupts-x11-visual/148/3 "2004-07-07T20:16:29Z")

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**[marcus256](https://sourceforge.net/u/marcus256/)** wrote on [Wednesday, July 07, 2004](https://sourceforge.net/p/glfw/discussion/247562/thread/60457edc/#3db7/fd54):

The GLFW\_FULLSCREEN implementation under X11 is not perfect, I must admit. GLFW 2.5 (current CVS version) has some improvements. It probably solves your problem, but I have found some new problems (of course) - like the GLFW fullscreen window can’t get on top of some WM specific windows.