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    Some advice on how you got kwin to play nice with Compiz & Emerald

    Hi,

    I'm on Lucid, with a 2.6.35 generic kernel (not that, I suppose, that really matters much here) I'm using kde 4.4.5.

    I have cairo dock installed, so by default I already have compiz - but I'm not using it. The first time I installed cairo dock I played around with compiz a bit (left emerald pretty much alone), and a little weirdness ensued. In fact, kwin didn't quite seem the same after - just didn't work right anymore (no, I don't remember what went on, and anyway, that's not what I'm posting about - that was prior to my latest re-installation).

    I know at least a few of you are using compiz and emerald...so I want to know: How did you configure kwin so it wouldn't get in the way (or visa versa)? I think before I was a little hit an miss where the desktop effects were concerned, with some enabled in compiz, some in kwin, and some in both places! What's the story there?

    What about kwin and emerald? Does emerald integrate with plasma? How does one deal with all the kwin oriented appearance and type configurations if you're using emerald to theme? Why should I bother using emerald with compiz at all?

    I'm using the x-swat mesa drivers, and compositing works great.

    Looking forward to your sage advice...



    MB:ASUS M3A78-EM AM2+/AM2 780G HDMI, Proc: Athlon 64 X2 5000+ Brisbane 2.6 GHz 2x512KB L2 Cache, Graph: Int. ATI Radeon HD 3200, Aud: Int. Realtek ALC1200 8 channels, Ram: 2GB Corsair XMS2 DDR2 800 SDRAM, Monitor: Dell SE198WFP 19" Wide FPM

    #2
    Re: Some advice on how you got kwin to play nice with Compiz & Emerald

    this might be a bit delayed.. but look under systemsettings->default applications-> window manager, you should be able to set it to compiz instead of kwin.
    Mark Your Solved Issues [SOLVED]
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      #3
      Re: Some advice on how you got kwin to play nice with Compiz & Emerald

      Both Compiz and Kwin are windows managers. You can't have both active at the same time. You opt for one or the other.
      Windows no longer obstructs my view.
      Using Kubuntu Linux since March 23, 2007.
      "It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data." - Sherlock Holmes

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        #4
        Re: Some advice on how you got kwin to play nice with Compiz & Emerald

        installing the fusion-icon will make it easer to switch between the 2

        VINNY
        i7 4core HT 8MB L3 2.9GHz
        16GB RAM
        Nvidia GTX 860M 4GB RAM 1152 cuda cores

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          #5
          Re: Some advice on how you got kwin to play nice with Compiz & Emerald

          Hey, thanks you guys, for the responses. I was beginning to think no one was going to reply!

          Well, I guess what I'm looking for is more of an inside description of how you have yours configured - I guess I mean, what you've learned to do, and more importantly, not do, to get compiz and emerald working well in kde.

          I'm wondering what happens with all the kwin settings in the system settings, both for composition, and for the window manager part. Do those just become compiz and emerald settings, should they be left alone, how should they be configured so they don't interfere with the "main" settings managers that come with compiz and emerald? Do the entire "windows" and "desktop" areas of system settings become off-limits?

          And why should I use emerald, anyway?
          MB:ASUS M3A78-EM AM2+/AM2 780G HDMI, Proc: Athlon 64 X2 5000+ Brisbane 2.6 GHz 2x512KB L2 Cache, Graph: Int. ATI Radeon HD 3200, Aud: Int. Realtek ALC1200 8 channels, Ram: 2GB Corsair XMS2 DDR2 800 SDRAM, Monitor: Dell SE198WFP 19" Wide FPM

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            #6
            Re: Some advice on how you got kwin to play nice with Compiz & Emerald

            as stated compiz and kwin don't play nice together .......that said why compiz ?

            if you must have it look for "fusion-icon" in your package manager of choice and install it......after installing it will be in the application's menu under system run it and you will see the icon in the system tray this will let you turn compiz and kwin on and off easily and let you chose witch window decorator to use (like emerald) .

            compiz will change some of kwin's settings when you run it but you can change them back AFTER switching back to kwin with the fusion-icon.......annoying yes.

            I like kwin better and it works just fine hear ....but I do like some of the compiz stuff like burning windows in and out ..........

            however I stick with kwin

            VINNY
            i7 4core HT 8MB L3 2.9GHz
            16GB RAM
            Nvidia GTX 860M 4GB RAM 1152 cuda cores

            Comment


              #7
              Re: Some advice on how you got kwin to play nice with Compiz & Emerald

              Thanks vinnywright. Actually I'm using cairo-dock, and they have a nice compize fusion applet in the dock that contains all that stuff. I do find it a bit confusing, though. Kde has all these settings in system settings, and compiz has many of the same settings in its configuration. I imagine the same is true for the emerald theme manager, too.

              I like kwin. It's doing very nicely for me, especially considering I'm using mesa. Compiz seemed to provide just a little better performance last I used it - when it worked properly. I recall getting some rather odd windows, though, that I couldn't figure out how to change (don't recall exactly what the issues were, now).
              MB:ASUS M3A78-EM AM2+/AM2 780G HDMI, Proc: Athlon 64 X2 5000+ Brisbane 2.6 GHz 2x512KB L2 Cache, Graph: Int. ATI Radeon HD 3200, Aud: Int. Realtek ALC1200 8 channels, Ram: 2GB Corsair XMS2 DDR2 800 SDRAM, Monitor: Dell SE198WFP 19" Wide FPM

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                #8
                Re: Some advice on how you got kwin to play nice with Compiz & Emerald

                I run compiz with an emerald theme. Works better on my netbook as compiz appears to use fewer resources than kwin and I have a proper desktop cube

                sithlord explained how to enable compiz - the short version on what to do about desktop settings is you ignore the desktop settings in systemsettings and run compizconfig-settings-manager instead.
                we see things not as they are, but as we are.
                -- anais nin

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                  #9
                  Re: Some advice on how you got kwin to play nice with Compiz & Emerald

                  the short version on what to do about desktop settings is you ignore the desktop settings in systemsettings and run compizconfig-settings-manager instead.
                  So, kde just lets the compiz config override the systemsettings settings?

                  What about emerald. Why do you use it?
                  MB:ASUS M3A78-EM AM2+/AM2 780G HDMI, Proc: Athlon 64 X2 5000+ Brisbane 2.6 GHz 2x512KB L2 Cache, Graph: Int. ATI Radeon HD 3200, Aud: Int. Realtek ALC1200 8 channels, Ram: 2GB Corsair XMS2 DDR2 800 SDRAM, Monitor: Dell SE198WFP 19" Wide FPM

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                    #10
                    Re: Some advice on how you got kwin to play nice with Compiz & Emerald

                    Originally posted by Laysan_A
                    So, kde just lets the compiz config override the systemsettings settings?
                    Yup.

                    Originally posted by Laysan_A
                    What about emerald. Why do you use it?
                    Because my preferred desktop theme is an emerald theme

                    Here's a screenshot - gray title bars with buttons that only show up on mouseover.

                    [img width=400 height=320]http://compiz-themes.org/CONTENT/content-pre2/48273-2.jpg[/img]

                    And here's where to get it -

                    http://compiz-themes.org/content/sho...?content=48273

                    You have to rename the package before you install it, though - Emerald Theme Manager requires the package have a .emerald filename extension.
                    we see things not as they are, but as we are.
                    -- anais nin

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Re: Some advice on how you got kwin to play nice with Compiz & Emerald

                      Your screenshot didn't take...
                      and the compiz site is down...
                      MB:ASUS M3A78-EM AM2+/AM2 780G HDMI, Proc: Athlon 64 X2 5000+ Brisbane 2.6 GHz 2x512KB L2 Cache, Graph: Int. ATI Radeon HD 3200, Aud: Int. Realtek ALC1200 8 channels, Ram: 2GB Corsair XMS2 DDR2 800 SDRAM, Monitor: Dell SE198WFP 19" Wide FPM

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Re: Some advice on how you got kwin to play nice with Compiz & Emerald

                        Originally posted by Laysan_A
                        Your screenshot didn't take...
                        and the compiz site is down...
                        Strange. I'm looking at the screenshot now - maybe jt's because compiz' wite was down.
                        we see things not as they are, but as we are.
                        -- anais nin

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                          #13
                          Re: Some advice on how you got kwin to play nice with Compiz & Emerald

                          Yeah, that must've been it, 'cause it's right there (it's a little hard to see... ). Nice! (If a tad on the spartan side ).

                          What about emerald and plasma (since I've got you here)? Does emerald change the plasma themes, or is it just about the windows and icons and that kind of thing?

                          MB:ASUS M3A78-EM AM2+/AM2 780G HDMI, Proc: Athlon 64 X2 5000+ Brisbane 2.6 GHz 2x512KB L2 Cache, Graph: Int. ATI Radeon HD 3200, Aud: Int. Realtek ALC1200 8 channels, Ram: 2GB Corsair XMS2 DDR2 800 SDRAM, Monitor: Dell SE198WFP 19" Wide FPM

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Re: Some advice on how you got kwin to play nice with Compiz & Emerald

                            Originally posted by Laysan_A
                            What about emerald and plasma (since I've got you here)? Does emerald change the plasma themes, or is it just about the windows and icons and that kind of thing?
                            Emerald is a window decorator. It only affects windows - not icons or anything plasma

                            And - that's not my screenshot, I'm afraid. It's one from compiz-themes.org. My screenshots are here - these are a little old but they came off my netbook, running KDE + compiz + emerald.

                            [img width=400 height=234]http://ebassist.com/pix/netbook.jpg[/img]

                            and

                            [img width=400 height=234]http://ebassist.com/pix/netbook1.jpg[/img]
                            we see things not as they are, but as we are.
                            -- anais nin

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Re: Some advice on how you got kwin to play nice with Compiz & Emerald

                              Nice car!

                              Yeah, the cube works very well in kwin now, too. Last time I tried compiz I found it did a better job with transparency though, and it used fewer resources. Maybe it's time to take the plunge.

                              So, you downloaded a theme from compiz.org that wasn't an emerald theme? Is emerald able to use other kinds of theme-sets?
                              MB:ASUS M3A78-EM AM2+/AM2 780G HDMI, Proc: Athlon 64 X2 5000+ Brisbane 2.6 GHz 2x512KB L2 Cache, Graph: Int. ATI Radeon HD 3200, Aud: Int. Realtek ALC1200 8 channels, Ram: 2GB Corsair XMS2 DDR2 800 SDRAM, Monitor: Dell SE198WFP 19" Wide FPM

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