CompositeManager CompizFusion
Contents
1. Introduction
2. Install Compiz & Compiz Fusion plugins
3. Run Compiz
4. Configure
1. Window Decorators
5. Add Compiz Startup (optional)
6. Troubleshooting
1. Fullscreen windows bug
Introduction
Compiz is a 3D desktop for your computer. Compiz Fusion is the new name for the plugins and tools from Beryl. This guide shows how to get it running on Ultra X and you should use the installer KMenu -> System -> Desktop Effects. The following link shows a few demonstrations of Compiz Fusion:
*http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=compiz+fusion+ubuntu "this may be Ubuntu but it works very similar."
Install Compiz & Compiz Fusion plugins
From Ultra X Terminal:
sudo apt-get install compiz compizconfig-settings-manager
Use this command to install the most commonly needed packages.
sudo apt-get install compiz compizconfig-settings-manager compiz-kde compiz-fusion-plugins-main compiz-fusion-plugins-extra emerald librsvg2-common
If you are missing the window decorations, then you most likely need the compiz-kde, or emerald packages.
Run Compiz
To run Compiz for the current session, hold Alt, then press F2, then enter the following command, or for better trouble shooting, open up a Terminal window and use the following command.
compiz --replace
Configure
To configure Compiz and associated plugins, hold Alt, then press F2, then enter the command, or use any Terminal.
ccsm
If ccsm is not found its installable from the compizconfig-settings-manager package.
Alternatively: System -> Preferences -> CompizConfig Settings Manager
or: KMenu -> Settings -> CompizConfig Settings Manager or KMenu -> Settings -> Advanced Desktop Effects Settings
You can select different themes with the emerald-theme-manager tool. To download the themes for emerald You must first install subversion, then activate the theme repositories.
sudo apt-get install subversion
svn ls https://svn.generation.no/emerald-themes
You can then use the "Fetch GPL'd themes" button of The "emerald-theme-manager" tool.
Window Decorators
Information on the 3 window decorators can be found at http://wiki.compiz-fusion.org/Plugins/Decoration
Currently there are 3 choices in what window decorator to use. They work with compiz to give your windows the various borders, and widgets.
For kde one normally uses the command
kde-window-decorator --replace
For Gnome the command
gtk-window-decorator --replace
If you perfer somthing different , the emerald decorator is worth checking out, Use it with.
emerald --replace
Add Compiz Startup (optional)
you can try
Go to System -> Preferences -> Desktop Effects and click 'Enable Desktop Effects'
or
Open Konsole (KMenu -> System -> Konsole) and type in these commands:
echo "compiz --replace" >
~/.kde/Autostart/startcompiz.sh
chmod +x ~/.kde/Autostart/startcompiz.sh
This creates a 'startcompiz.sh' script in the ~/.kde/Autostart directory, if you wish you may also want to have the script start up 'emerald --replace' or other window decorator for your system, such as in this example.
$ cat ~/.kde/Autostart/startcompiz.sh
compiz --replace &
emerald --replace &
Information on the 3 window decorators can be found at http://wiki.compiz-fusion.org/Plugins/Decoration
Troubleshooting
Some settings in the Compiz Settings Manager may not be selectable unless you enable the "Flat-File Configuration Backend" Under the CCSM tool -> Preferances -> (Backend drop down menu)
If you ran nvidia-settings, then your xorg.conf lost some info. To fix your compiz window decorations (titlebars) with an nVidia graphics card, run
sudo nvidia-xconfig --add-argb-glx-visuals -d 24
then restart X by logging out and back in again and selecting "Restart X Server" from the login menu.
If you want to stop Compiz and start the old window manager (metacity or kwin), just press Alt+F2 and put in the following:
metacity --replace
Or
kwin --replace
Fullscreen windows bug
It may happen that windows of specific programs might fully cover the desktop including the taskbar. This is due to a bug in the "workaround" plugin.
This display default may be fixed by turning off the "Legacy Fullscreen Support" in the "workaround" plugin, opening your programs which were displayed improperly, and turning the "Legacy Fullscreen Support" option back on.
