Compiz-Fusion Cube weirdness

[Xyphus]

I have searched, but have not seen anything quite like what I seem to have happening. Maybe someone might be able to point me in the right direction...

I was running Kubuntu Feisty 64bit with Beryl. Everything was working quite well. I decided to give the beta of Gutsy a go and did a new install, but kept my home folder intact. Install went well and all seemed to be working. I then started up compiz-fusion and enabled the cube and rotation plugins. It sort of works, but not as it should. Instead of a spinning cube, I appear to have a single desktop that will flip over. Almost like taking a sheet of paper and flipping it over on the desk. I don't seem to have a skybox or top and bottom. It is just a single pane that will flip over. I thought maybe the old .beryl settings could be causing problems so I deleted any configurations in my home folder dealing with .beryl. I also got rid of the .compiz configurations for good measure thinking to start over. I then logged out, restarted the x-server, logged back in and then re-configured compiz. However, I still seem to have the same issue with a flat pane that will flip over, but no cube.

Is there an easy fix, or is it just the fact that we're still in beta and I should be patient and wait for the full release in a few weeks. Just dealing with the flipping pane instead of the nice cube?

I am running with an AMD 64 4000+ CPU, 1GB RAM, and an nVidia 6800GT video card in case you need some specs...

It seems all other features/plugins I have enabled are working properly except for the cube...

Any help or pointers would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

[3vi1]

Re: Compiz-Fusion Cube weirdness

Go to "KMenu | Settings | Advanced Desktop Effects Settings", click the General item.

In there, you want to go to the "Desktop Size" tab and adjust your Horizontal Virtual Size back up to 4.

[dibl]

Re: Compiz-Fusion Cube weirdness

I was running Kubuntu Feisty 64bit with Beryl. Everything was working quite well. I decided to give the beta of Gutsy a go and did a new install, but kept my home folder intact. Install went well and all seemed to be working.

YES -- I recognize that story! That's MY story!

Compiz-fusion is still, errrr, NOT FULLY DEVELOPED.

I hope that's a nice way to say it.

If your graphics driver is installed and working correctly (i.e. "glxgears" works and gives a respectable fps rate), then you need to open Kmenu>Settings>Advanced Desktop Effects Settings, and put an "x" in front of the following icons:

x Desktop Cube
x Rotate Cube
x Fading Windows
x Window Decoration
x Wobbly Windows
x Png
x Svg
x Regex Matching
x Application Switcher
x Move Window
x Place Windows
x Scale
x Resize Window.

Easy, huh?

But wait -- there's more!

Open the General Options icon at the top of the icons, click "Desktop Size", and change "Horizontal Virtual Size" to 4. Leave Vertical Virtual Size and Number of Desktops at 1.

Now, Alt-F2 and

compiz

should make interesting things happen. Be a little patient with it -- like Beryl, somehow it sneaks itself into your Autostart folder, but I don't know how. Play with it while it's active, then restart your X server with Ctrl-Alt-Backspace, and at a point in time you may be pleasantly surprised (or not).

And if there's a way to turn it off, I haven't found it yet .... :P

P.S. Install the Emerald package if you happen to want window borders ... :P

[integr8e]

Re: Compiz-Fusion Cube weirdness

Had the same problem; I fixed it following instuction on this thread. (Look at the 5th post )

Edit: Essentially, just follow dibl's advice above, making sure you have the number of desktops on the Kicker set to (1). Don't ask why, just do it

Edit: dibl, have you noticed Kubuntu seems to learn which programs you like to keep running? It probably has something to do with the session manager, but my system learns which programs I usually boot after logging in, and boots them automatically; I think it's pretty cool
(I'm guessing that's how the system boots Compiz after your login)

Edit: After looking at my comment, I have realized that if you read it a certain way, it sounds kinda snooty. I didn't intend for it to sound that way at all, it was just sort of a run-on of several thoughts, sorry dibl if you took it that way

[Xyphus]

Re: Compiz-Fusion Cube weirdness

Thanks for your help everyone, I now have my cube back. (No skybox though... I'll have to snoop through the settings and see what I can do about that...)

Thanks again!

Looking forward to the full release. The beta looks (and works) pretty well so far, looking forward to the full and polished version.

[Fintan]

Re: Compiz-Fusion Cube weirdness

Just an idea based on what integre said above about kde restarting with the apps running as they did in the last session:

Now, Alt-F2 and

compiz

should make interesting things happen. Be a little patient with it -- like Beryl, somehow it sneaks itself into your Autostart folder, but I don't know how. Play with it while it's active, then restart your X server with Ctrl-Alt-Backspace, and at a point in time you may be pleasantly surprised (or not).

I always do

compiz --replace

in Alt+F2
and when I log out/in or do

 kwin -- replace

in Alt+F2
I get my normal kde desktop back.

So why not deactivate kde starting up with the last apps running?

system settings->advanced->session settings (or something, mine is in german)->activate "login with clean session" (again mine is german) it should be the third choice under the "at login" (the second category) category.

Then set it back when it works the way you want.

Maybe that will keep kde using compiz at every log in. :P

[dibl]

Re: Compiz-Fusion Cube weirdness

sorry dibl if you took it that way

You're not even close to offending me!

Yes, if you leave a user package/process running when you shutdown, there is some recognition in the system that you probably want it restarted when you log in next time. I'm sure one of the gurus can provide a more elegant recitation of this feature, but that's what it "acts" like.

[Xyphus]

Re: Compiz-Fusion Cube weirdness

Now that I have the cube working again, and I've enabled the bells and whistles that are available under the advanced configuration applet, I see that there really aren't nearly as many effects as were available under Beryl. Does Compiz have plugins available for things like the fire effect when closing windows? Not a biggie if it doesn't but that was one of the "wow" effects I liked to use to show that Linux can do things that Vista can't, and for free on top of it all...

I did do an apt-get and grabbed the compiz-extras that were available. That added some more effects, but still no burning windows on close...

Thanks again for any nudges in the right direction.

[lowey23]

Re: Compiz-Fusion Cube weirdness

Try running CCSM (CompizConfig Settings Manager)

Effects->Animations->Close Animation->Animation Selection

You will be able to see the choices there and play with them to get the effect you want.

Hopefully.

Cheers

Lowey

[dibl]

Re: Compiz-Fusion Cube weirdness

I've enabled the bells and whistles that are available under the advanced configuration applet, I see that there really aren't nearly as many effects as were available under Beryl.

Hmmm ... are you sure you have opened the full settings manager suite of stuff? Did you:

KMenu>Settings>Advanced Desktop Effects Settings, and then work your way through the 37 settings boxes in there?

I agree Beryl had a crisp little control menu, but this compiz thing has, if anything, even more levers to pull.

[Xyphus]

Re: Compiz-Fusion Cube weirdness

Hmmm... I guess I didn't poke around enough. Found it, and many more... Thanks for the nudge... Now I need to go try some of those out...