stuck with a wall

[Rita G.]

just installed 9.04...........sweet!

enabled compiz-fusion; everything seems ok (animations, emerald, wobbly windows etc.) except i'm stuck with a wall.

can't seem to get the cube enabled.

advice?

[sithlord48]

Re: stuck with a wall

you want install the package "ccsm" then run it, its the Compiz Configuration Settings Manager. and will allow you to enable and disable the plugins that compiz is using. (note: you need to disable desktop wall before you can turn on cube)

[Rita G.]

Re: stuck with a wall

thanks sithlord48,

i tried that & a bunch of other tricks but this sucker has too many probs for me.....kde 4 sucks!

gonna try kubuntu w/kde 3.

[Nate]

Re: stuck with a wall

Did you try the built-in desktop effects instead of compiz? Go to System Settings | Desktop and there is a lot to play with.

[dibl]

Re: stuck with a wall

Running compiz on KDE 4 is kinda non-obvious. I got it going by (a) installing compiz and ccsm, (b) turning OFF desktop effects, (c) configuring it in ccsm, and then (d) running

compiz --replace

in a Konsole window (and then minimizing that window to the taskbar). I also note that somehow Desktop Effects ended up turned back ON, but I didn't do it deliberately so that happened as a result of some internal magic done by compiz, I think.

Also, I installed Emerald and am using it as my window decorator -- it is no longer available from Debian sources so my sidux KDE 4 system has to settle for the kwin decorator.

[sithlord48]

Re: stuck with a wall

a quick how to on installing/and using compiz
1. install compiz (this is my complete compiz install, right now)

sudo apt-get install compiz compiz-core compiz-gnome compiz-fusion-plugins-main compiz-fusion-plugins-extra
 libcompizconfig0 compizconfig-backend-gconf compizconfig-settings-manager emerald libdecoration0 libemeraldengine0
 compiz-fusion-plugins-unsupported compiz-plugins compiz-wrapper python-compizconfig

YOU MUST REMOVE THE TWO NEW LINES I ADDED TO KEEP THE POST "skinny"

2. after compiz is installed you will not be using it (because kde is currently using kwin instead)
now if you just want to use compiz for the current session (recommend if you are testing it out) then just run this command

compiz --replace

will start compiz

emerald --replace

if emerald does not start (i.e no window borders)
if you want to make compiz default then you will need to go to "System Settings"->"Default Applications"-> "Window Manager" click use a diffrent window manager and select from the list "Compiz"

3. to configure compiz use the program Compizconfig Settings Manager (in your k menu) or run the command ccsm
note: when using cube plugin you will need to go to general in 'ccsm' and set under the 'desktop size' tab your horizontal Virtual Size to the number of "sides" you want your cube to have (default is 2).

4. to change your window borders use the program Emerald Theme Manager (in your kmenu ) or run the command emerald-theme-manger.
if you want to get more emerald themes you can find them on www.kde-look.org in the window decorations section as compiz or beryl themes they are .emerald files

i do however recommend that you follow dibl's advice and disable kwin's effects, because it will give you an option to have a compositing free desktop by toggling the use of kwin and compiz (very usefull if you have problems with fullscreen video, or running programs that need a lot of the gpu when compiz is enabled) you can use.

kwin --replace

to use kwin

compiz --replace

to use compiz

[dibl]

Re: stuck with a wall

you will need to go to general in 'ccsm' and set under the 'desktop size' tab your horizontal Virtual Size to the number of "sides" you want your cube to have (default is 2)

Oh Yeah, I forgot that too.

In KDE, you go into settings and change the "multiple desktops" number to 1.

Then in ccsm "General" you change the horizontal size to 4.

[sithlord48]

Re: stuck with a wall

This story puzzles me, I'm running a clean install of Kubuntu 9.04 and just selected the various desktop effect.
All from System Settings/ Desktop Effects/ All Effects. (Translated from Dutch so I might be slightly off)
And I just checked but I never installed, or needed to install ccsm.
And yes, 4 desktops are what a cube needs to be a cube :P

you are using the kwin's bulit in desktop effects.