.mrt memo

Hardware: VGA compatible controller: ATI Technologies Inc Radeon Mobility X1400.

So I have *buntu Hardy 8.04 with KDE 4.1 and wanted some wobbly windows. Ubuntu 8.04 with Gnome desktop has Compiz working by default, but Kubuntu with KDE 3.5 is a bit left behind on that regard. But the chances are good that you have the necessary hardware to run Compiz by yourself. It seems, in case of Nvidia cards, you don’t need Xgl, but with ATI it’s a musthave.

I wanted to write down the memo of how I got it working, but as I tried quite few tricks, I’m not so sure anymore. When I had buried all hope because of evil commentators all around the net talking how bad the ATI drivers are and what a lame ass X.org server it is that cannot do this and that on Kubuntu, I decided to still try it out and seem to have gotten it to work with a mixture of suggestions. So I’ll try to remember, how I did it, in the hopes that it’ll help somebody even a bit.

So here’s the software you need to install (at least):

sudo apt-get install compiz-core compiz-fusion-plugins-extra compiz-fusion-plugins-main compiz-plugins libcompizconfig0 compiz-kde compiz-plugins compizconfig-backend-kconfig compizconfig-settings-manager kicker-compiz kicker-taskbar-compiz fusion-icon xserver-xgl

Open Kcontrol(alt+f2 then type in ‘kcontrol’) and navigate to Desktop >> Multiple Desktops and change the number of desktops to 1. Close Kcontrol and remove the Desktop Preview & Pager and the Taskbar from the panel. Right click on the panel and select ‘Add Applet To Panel’. Add ‘Desktop Preview & Pager – Compiz’ and ‘Taksbar – Compiz’ to replace the old ones.

compiz –replace

Now after I got some KDE errors and had lost hope, I shut my PC down and went shopping. Then a bit later, refreshed and ready, returned to the task but discovered Compiz Fusion already working. So I guess my suggestion would be to reboot your machine after all the above.

Links

Kubuntuguide.org

A little memo about Compiz effects in Ubuntu – http://taufanlubis.wordpress.com/2008/02/24/setup-compiz-effect-in-ubuntu-gutsy-with-compiz-config-setting-manager/

Some effects

• Super + E = activates the Expo plugin

• Super+Shift = paint fire on your desktop with your mouse

• Super+Shift+C = will erase the fire paint

• Super + Tab = activates the Ring Switcher plugin

• Shift+Alt+ArrowUP = Arrange windows cascade in a workspace

• Ctrl+Alt+ArrowDown = Arrange windows horizontal in a workspace

• Ctrl+Alt+MouseButton1+Scroll = Rotate Cube

• Super+N Negative = Active Window

• Super+M = Negative Screen