Compiz-Autostart instead of Kwin

[DarkDante]

Hello guys!
I recently installed Kubuntu 10.10 64 bit. I have basically set up my system except the window manager. I want to use compiz (and emerald as theme manager) instead of Kwin.The thing is that compiz starts at startup but first Kwin is loaded and it's killed so i can use compiz.I want compiz to start without having Kwin to be started and immediatelly killed. In system settings -> default applications -> window manager , i have selected compiz but when i boot up and see the kde splash screen i get this 1sec screen flickering that means kwin was killed and then it loads up normally. So anyone here that has the solution to my problem? Thanks in advance!

[dibl]

Re: Compiz-Autostart instead of Kwin

In your ~/.kde/Autostart folder, save this script. You can name it "start_compiz":

#start up compiz
#!/bin/bash
compiz --replace &
#end

[DarkDante]

Re: Compiz-Autostart instead of Kwin

nope.that didn't work.the flicker is still there at the kde splash and now there is also a screen flickering when the desktop loads.I see it for about 1 sec and then the screen goes black for another one until it loads up fully working

[dibl]

Re: Compiz-Autostart instead of Kwin

That sounds normal -- the switch from kwin to compiz normally includes a brief "timeout". Is compiz active, after the flicker? If yes, then you're seeing the normal transition from kwin to compiz. It only happens once for each running X session.

[claydoh]

Re: Compiz-Autostart instead of Kwin

In think you cannset that in System Settings under Default Applications -- Window Manager. It is greyed out for me, but I don't have Compiz installed

Ahh it is enabled once you install compiz

[dibl]

Re: Compiz-Autostart instead of Kwin

@claydoh, thanks!

Since I installed 10.04 last spring, I have been using the "Desktop Effects" cube, and it works fine for my purposes (mouse wheel switching). But I still have compiz on my aptosid KDE 4 system. I had forgotten that there's a Window Manager option in system settings defaults.

[DarkDante]

Re: Compiz-Autostart instead of Kwin

That sounds normal -- the switch from kwin to compiz normally includes a brief "timeout". Is compiz active, after the flicker? If yes, then you're seeing the normal transition from kwin to compiz. It only happens once for each running X session.

compiz is fully working after the flickering but this means that kwin is first loaded and then killed so compiz can load up.i want to run compiz first and Kwin not to be loaded.

[dibl]

Re: Compiz-Autostart instead of Kwin

I set up compiz and emerald on my Meerkat system this morning, to play around with the startup routine. Zooming to the bottom line, I don't think Kubuntu is designed to "automatically" start an alternate compositing engine, after KDM is running. This is basically the same limitation that I found on my Debian OS, also with KDE 4.5.2.

I'm not a KDE developer so maybe someone else can explain the design better, but what I know is that compositing is provided by your graphics driver (Nvidia in my case), which is called by KDM at the time you log in to X, and compiz provides an alternative to the compositing management that KDE/kwin gives us. So, when you are already logged in to KDE (i.e. after KDM starts), a "message to the graphic system" is needed to switch over to compiz. That's where the flicker comes in.

I did set it up as claydoh recommended, and by deleting the default "--no-start" option on fusion-icon, it automatically switches over to compiz, but the switch is visible after the KDE desktop / plasma workspace is fully loaded.

I also learned that, even though kwin is listed in fusion-icon as an available alternate window decorator, it still doesn't work (segfaults) on my rig (this bug goes back forever -- it may be related to my specific graphics hardware). Interestingly, the third window decorator choice, the GTK decorator, works just fine (if you consider the appearance of that thing "fine" ....).

So, I'm back to compiz + emerald and one flicker after the KDE desktop is loaded, for the switchover to compiz.

[DarkDante]

Re: Compiz-Autostart instead of Kwin

Hmmmm.I also have nvidia gpu.Anyway.Thanks a lot my friend for trying to help with your answers!