Setting up compiz fusion

[sh0cker]

Hello,

I am quite new to linux. And I really wish to have cube :P

Now from Adept Installer, I installed everything that was there about compiz fusion, and about Nvidia. But what else do I need? If I need anything?

I use Kubuntu 8.04 remix with KDE 4. I heard there are some bugs when playing with visual effects.

So please if someone can help me out a little bit.

EDIT:
I installed the following things

NVidia binary X.org driver ('new' driver)
NVidia X server Settings

Advanced Desktop Effects Settings
Simple CompizConfig Settings Manager
CompizFusion Icon
Desktop Effects

All from Adept Installer.. and thats all that is there about NVidia and CompizFusion.
I have NVidia GeForce 8600 GS graphic card.

[dibl]

Re: Setting up compiz fusion

That's a nice graphics card -- compiz will work great on it.

OK, I just today re-installed Kubuntu 8.04 and KDE 4.1 Beta, so I'll list my rabbit trail while I still remember it (this is unlikely to be the ONLY way to get it done, btw).

Assuming you have your Nvidia driver installed and your desktop resolution set like you want it:

1. Go into System>Desktop Effects and click "Install" on the top bar and then put the bullet in one of the two middle buttonholes -- doesn't matter which. "Apply" or "OK" or whatever to install it.

2. Open a console and issue

glxgears

to make sure you have GLX enabled.

3. Open Adept Manager, and check all the "compiz" and "compizconfig" titled packages EXCEPT the following:

compiz-bcop
compiz-dev
compiz-fusion-bcop

I don't know why it installed compiz-gnome on mine, but it did, and it's working, so I guess you can install that. On my Kubuntu 8.04 system that was working fine yesterday, there was no compiz-gnome.

Also install the "emerald" package if you want more than the kde-win window decorations.

4. After all the compiz stuff is installed, go into Settings>Advanced Desktop Effects Settings, and in the General tab find the slider for Horizontal Desktop Size, and set it to 4. Put an X on the "Desktop Cube" and "Wobbly Windows", for starters. Close out of the Desktop Effects.

5. Open a Konsole and enter kcontrol to open the KDE control panel. Open "Desktop>Multiple Desktops" and make sure it is set to "1". The close Kcontrol.

6. Mix a vodka martini, but don't drink it yet.

7. Open a Konsole and enter

compiz --replace

and observe whether it works perfectly, fails with errors, or works but strips the window decorations.

8. If it works, have a sip of the martini. If it doesn't, note the error output and Mr. Google will surely turn up a zillion hits on that error.

9. If you installed emerald, open another Konsole and issue

emerald --replace

and watch what happens. It's been tough since they "wired" kde-win into KDE4, but it is possible to get emerald to work by default. Again, don't close the Konsole window.

10. Now use your K button to initiate a shutdown and restart of the system. When it comes back up, the two Konsole windows will still be open and you can close them. Compiz should start automatically (you'll see the screen blink out for a moment). The KDE window decorator will be back in effect, because you haven't made emerald the default yet.

Do these things, and let me know how you fare. Further tweaking is possible, but you gotta get the basic thing running first.

[sh0cker]

Re: Setting up compiz fusion

Gonna start now going by steps.. Martini and vodka next to me

[dibl]

Re: Setting up compiz fusion

Eh -- I'll cross my fingers.

I glibly told you Emerald will work, which it did on my previous HH/KDE4.03 setup, but on KDE4.1 Beta I have not figured out the magic combination -- no Emerald Themes show up on the list when you open it. But the kde-win decorator is not a bad job, so I'll guess we'll live with that for the time being.

[sh0cker]

Re: Setting up compiz fusion

Going step by step

1. Done.

2. Not done

sh0cker@Infamous:~$ glxgears
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Error: couldn't get an RGB, Double-buffered visual

3. Done. Emerald Done.

4. Done.

5. Done.

6. Done in large quantities.

7. Done. But dunno what should work there. Things do change though.. Like the windows and stuff, there is some difference. Taskbar is different also.. also when I move windows its different than before. Don't know how to explain but gives me this message..

sh0cker@Infamous:~$ compiz --replace
Checking for Xgl: not present.
No whitelisted driver found
aborting and using fallback: /usr/bin/kwin

8. Didn't take a sip yet.. want to down it

9. Done. Nothing special happens. Nothing is written.

10. Did it. Konsoles are open. But there is nothing special right now.

I guess the problem is.. that these two things didn't go well.. about this Xglgear and compiz --replace :S

Help me out mate.. I wanna down this martini and vodka

[dibl]

Re: Setting up compiz fusion

OK, the glxgears problem reveals that your video driver isn't right yet. Did you open Adept Manager and install "EnvyNG" from the repository? If not, do it now.

Next, go to the "real" terminal -- do Ctrl-Alt-F1 which will put you at a command prompt. Log in with your user name and password, and do the following:

1.

sudo su

and give your password -- now you are the Super User.

2.

init 3

this stops everything but the CLI mode

3.

envyng -t

to run the Envy installer in text mode

4. Choose "Install the Driver" and let it do its thing.

5. When it is done, issue

shutdown now -r

to restart your system.

6. You should see the Nvidia splash before you log in.

7. Now try in a Konsole glxgears again, and let's see what you get. I'll drink a martini for you.

[sh0cker]

Re: Setting up compiz fusion

1. Done.
2. Done.
3. Bash: Envy: Command not found

?

[dibl]

Re: Setting up compiz fusion

Hmmmmmmmmm. Something isn't right with the Envy installation then.

When you open Adept Manager and scroll down to "envyng-core", does it show that it is installed? If you click it to expand it, it should say "Installed Version: 1.1.1ubuntu11". It wouldn't hurt to right-click on it, and "Request Reinstall", then click "Apply" on the top Adept menu to make it so.

When it is installed, you should be able to open a Konsole window, type "man envyng" and get an output that starts like this:

envyng(1)                                                      envyng(1)

NAME
    envyng - Envy Next Generation

SYNOPSIS
    envyng

DESCRIPTION
    envyng EnvyNG is an application written in Python which will download the latest ATI or NVIDIA driver or the Legacy
    driver (for older cards) (according to the model of your card) from ATI or Nvidia’s website and set it up for you han‐
    dling dependencies (compilers, OpenGL, etc.) which are required in order to build and use the driver.

OPTIONS
    -g   Use the GTK GUI

    -k   Use the QT4 GUI

    -t   Use the textual interface

    --uninstall-all
       Removes what envyng has modified

BUGS
    See <[url]https://bugs.launchpad.net/envy/+bugs>[/url]

[sh0cker]

Re: Setting up compiz fusion

Unfortunatly there is no such thing as envyng-core in my Adept
What can it be? The only thing that matches is envy24 control, for sound card. But its not that.

Is there some other program to download the drivers maybe?

[dibl]

Re: Setting up compiz fusion

Ahhhhhhhhh -- now we're getting somewhere -- I feel a breakthrough coming on!

OK, I think you're missing a repository. Open Adept Manager, click Adept>Manage Repositories. On the first tab "Kubuntu Software" you should have the top 4 boxes "x"d. On the second tab "Third Party Software" you need to have an "x" in this one:

http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu hardy partner

"X" it and then click "fetch" and envyng-core should appear in the package list. If you don't see that repository listed under "Third-Party" then we'll add it.

[sh0cker]

Re: Setting up compiz fusion

dlbl, I am sorry I didn't answer earlier but I got drunk from this mix It works. The main issue were drivers, when I downloaded them from that repository and later entered glsgears, I got new window with like 3 cirlcles moving.. and I have Nvidia blink when starting up. The wobby windows works, I guess its when I move them around they move in funny way

But we set only 1 desktop for now.. Is it now all about tweaking options on compiz, or there are more steps? Primarily for the cube..

Also when I typed emerald --replace, I got the widnows red, I mean what is blue now was red. Should emerald work all the time.. or how it works out?

~ hands a glass of martini and vodka to dlbl ~

[dibl]

Re: Setting up compiz fusion

Yep, I'll take that martini -- even if it's only noon in my timezone. It's 5:00 somewhere ......

Here's a package I forgot to tell you to install:

fusion-icon

It comes in handy if you want to enable compiz to start automatically at login. You put the icon in your /home/sh0cker/.kde/Autostart directory.

Emerald -- yes, if you were fortunate to find the package "emerald-themes" in your repo, then install that. Now do Settings>Emerald Theme Manager and muck about until you're happy. Us folks with KDE 4.1 Beta have Emerald Theme Manager but no themes, at the moment

I like the one called "camouflage" or something like that -- kinda semi-transparent green-brown.

For cube and compiz effects, first, right-click your desktop, or if KDE4 go to KDE settings>Desktop>Multiple Desktops, and set it to one (1). Then open "Settings>Advanced Desktop Effects Settings>General Options>Desktop Size>Horizontal Virtual Size" and set it to 4. Back out of General Options, look down and find "Desktop Cube" and "x" it, and also "rotate cube", "viewport switcher", "wobbly windows" and whatever else strikes your fancy.

[Quantumstate]

Re: Setting up compiz fusion

Here's a pretty good guide for getting the great effects set up:
(redacted)

[dibl]

Re: Setting up compiz fusion

That IS good -- thanks Q.

I'm gonna post it in the "How To" section, so we just point folks to it.

Thanks again!

[Bongo5HH]

Re: Setting up compiz fusion

A combination of your advice and that setup guide has my Compiz looking and acting better than ever, dibl!

Kev