CompizConfig settings can be very confusing

[molloollom]

You would think that such a powerful piece of software would have extremely detailed instructions for every single option, along with usage examples and animated demos. Why doesn't it? At this point it's a pretty mature piece of software, so why is it that in-application documentation, something that should arguably be one of the easiest things to implement, is practically nonexistant? Documentation is the most important piece of the software, people!

The mouseover descriptions of features are often woefully inadequate, oftentimes just saying the same thing as the name of the feature, and there's no help section at all! With the practically infinite ways that these features could be configured on a system, did nobody think to at the very least include a few pages of text in the application describing popular configuration arrangements, and pointing out settings that non-power users would want to pay close attention to?

These things matter. We are not all power users, and not having proper documentation limits the scope of this application's usefulness to only those who can invest the time to study the workings of these effects for a long, long time. For many people, Compiz represents the greatest step forward for Linux since X, and the Linux community deserves better than single line mouseover descriptions.
We need change! STAND UP FOR DOCUMENTATION!!

[askrieger]

Re: CompizConfig settings can be very confusing

Compiz is hardly the only program that suffers from a drastic lack of documentation. The problem is most severe in the Linux world, but it is really a universal problem for computer users. The existence of a series of books entitled "*. The Missing Manual", let alone several publishing houses that make a profit selling consumer computer How To books attest to the extent of the problem. Not to mention the existence of sites like this one.

The reason is obvious, the ability to write software, does not imply a corresponding ability to write documentation. In fact, the two talents are unrelated. Some developers, e.g. Eric Raymond, are excellent writers. Others are not. Commercial software houses hire tech writers to document their products, the cost gets added to the price. This solution is even possible for free (as in speech) distros that are not free as in beer, but it obviously doesn't work well for projects that rely on voluntary labor. There is only one solution. Volunteer to write some documentation!

[molloollom]

Re: CompizConfig settings can be very confusing

I agree that the documentation problem is wider than this application. One of the most intelligent programmers I know refuses to develop on Linux solely because he feels that open source software developers don't seem to care about documentation like commercial developers do.

Unfortunately a further complication to this is that it's hard for people who aren't developers to help out and write documentation, when many of the things that need to be documented require a good understanding to write about them. Take this Compizconfig manager for example. If I knew enough about what all those settings did to write documentation on them, then I wouldn't be posting here about a need for documentation. I'd simply use it, which is what I'm sure the developers are doing. Probably works out great for them, because they designed it. They totally understand when they see descriptions like "zoom timestep" and "bicubic texture filtering".

Also, last time I wrote some documentation it was for BulletProofX. It took me hours just to research those relatively few features provided by the application, I submitted it and the dev said he'd add it, and he never did. Now I'm not a dev, I don't have subversion write access and I don't have the capability to submit patches that would slip this documentation into the application, assuming a documentation framework is even present in the manager which I doubt. So I would be doing hard work looking into what each and every feature, setting, and string does and is capable of doing, only to be faced with the possibility that none of it would even make a difference, because its all dependent upon the whims of developers with write access to actually put this into the app. I don't mind doing work for OSS but how do I get any reassurances that my work will make any difference?

[klerfayt]

Re: CompizConfig settings can be very confusing

I for one prefer to google and read wiki.
But I do share your frustration with compiz settings, can someone point me to the option that enables previews in "desktop plane mode"

[Snowhog]

Re: CompizConfig settings can be very confusing

And don't forget the Compiz Community Forums. It is an active forum, and one is bound to get assistance there.

[Detonate]

Re: CompizConfig settings can be very confusing

I for one prefer to google and read wiki.
But I do share your frustration with compiz settings, can someone point me to the option that enables previews in "desktop plane mode"

I'm not really sure what you want to do, but I use the "Expo" module. Assuming you have your horizontal size set to "4" it will show all four desktops in a horizontal plane when activated. The program that is open in each desktop will be visible. Then you can easily switch desktops by merely double-clicking or right clicking on the one you wish to move to. You can also select Expo edge under "Bindings" and choose to activate Expo by slamming your mouse to an edge. I have mine set to top left corner. I find this very useful, and I keep different programs on different desktops, and I am able to easily move from one to the other using nothing but a quick flick of the mouse.

[klerfayt]

Re: CompizConfig settings can be very confusing

I'm not really sure what you want to do...

small rectangle-shaped previews in the middle of the screen while pressing Ctrl-Alt-⬅⬆⬇⬈⬉⬊⬋⬅

[Detonate]

Re: CompizConfig settings can be very confusing

I don't have "Desktop Plane" enabled. I have the Cube enabled and "Expo". When I Ctrl-Alt-Down Arrow, I get a view of all my desktops and I can switch between them with the Ctrl-Alt Left and Right Arrow keys.

Where did you find the character codes to display the arrow keys? They are not in KCharSelect.

[Snowhog]

Re: CompizConfig settings can be very confusing

They are not in KCharSelect.

Not for a US Keyboard layout for sure, but maybe on klerfayt's. His website is in the Netherland's.

[klerfayt]

Re: CompizConfig settings can be very confusing

Where did you find the character codes to display the arrow keys? They are not in KCharSelect.

font: dejavu sans; table: "43"

[klerfayt]

Re: CompizConfig settings can be very confusing

... His website is in the Netherland's.

I updated the description on hover to avoid further confusion, don't really own a homepage

[Detonate]

Re: CompizConfig settings can be very confusing

font: dejavu sans; table: "43"

Cool! Thanks!!

[klerfayt]

Re: CompizConfig settings can be very confusing

... can someone point me to the option that enables previews in "desktop plane mode"

it appears that "viewport switch preview" is only for desktop wall, which disables "desktop plane", but that's really not a problem since they appear to be basically the same thing.