Compiz/Compiz Fusion Questions

Live forum: http://forum.freeipodguide.com/viewtopic.php?t=71892

jwwws

05-12-2007 09:57:49

For all you Ubuntu users out there (I'm looking to you CollegeGraduit and DMorrisI have some questions regarding Compiz and Compiz Fusion.

What is the difference? Which program do I utilize to gain the various cool effects that are like the ones found on Youtube.

I think I intalled Compiz Fusion. But I couldn't swear by it. How do I check? Synaptic shows this


I want to be able to create the various features using System>Preferences>Advanced Desktop Effects Settings. That pulls up a window full of features but nothing changes. What am I doing wrong? Is there a SAVE button that I'm not pressing? Do I have to Ctrl+Alt+Bksp everytime?

Thanks for the input (and yes, I know about the forums on ubuntu and compiz and they have been helpful)

CollidgeGraduit

05-12-2007 10:05:13

All I did was install the settings manager, and change the settings in there, and they took effect right away.

I haven't booted to Ubuntu in weeks though.

jwwws

05-12-2007 10:33:29

How would one get to this settings manager?

I find settings under System>Preferences>Advanced Desktop Settings Effects

I can check mark all sorts of options but nothing changes. Hrm /

Thanks...back to reading.

CollidgeGraduit

05-12-2007 10:38:52

[quote32dce34d14="jwwws"]How would one get to this settings manager?

I find settings under System>Preferences>Advanced Desktop Settings Effects

I can check mark all sorts of options but nothing changes. Hrm /

Thanks...back to reading.[/quote32dce34d14]

You found it. I just went there and picked the settings I wanted

jwwws

05-12-2007 15:31:33

Hmmm. Something's not right. Okay, so I select the 3D cube option. I press Ctrl+Alt+Left (or Right) and I should move to that desktop, right?

Did you have to make any special adjustments to your video card setup? or are you using defaults?

dmorris68

05-12-2007 17:08:31

What sort of video card are you using? IIRC Compiz/Beryil require accelerated drivers. If you're running an Intel, Nvidia, or ATI card, then you should have installed the binary drivers, not the default Xorg drivers.

Copy and paste the "Device" section of your /etc/X11/xorg.conf. For instance, one of mine looks like this

[code12ef0f5ad07]Section "Device"
Identifier "NVIDIA Corporation NV40 [GeForce 6800 GT]"
Driver "nvidia"
Busid "PCI:1:0:0"
Option "AddARGBVisuals" "True"
Option "AddARGBGLXVisuals" "True"
Option "NoLogo" "True"
EndSection[/code12ef0f5ad07]

jwwws

05-12-2007 17:15:49

[quotead0f9b06e8="dmorris68"]What sort of video card are you using? IIRC Compiz/Beryil require accelerated drivers. If you're running an Intel, Nvidia, or ATI card, then you should have installed the binary drivers, not the default Xorg drivers.

Copy and paste the "Device" section of your /etc/X11/xorg.conf. For instance, one of mine looks like this

[code1ad0f9b06e8]Section "Device"
Identifier "NVIDIA Corporation NV40 [GeForce 6800 GT]"
Driver "nvidia"
Busid "PCI:1:0:0"
Option "AddARGBVisuals" "True"
Option "AddARGBGLXVisuals" "True"
Option "NoLogo" "True"
EndSection[/code1ad0f9b06e8][/quotead0f9b06e8]
Thank you David. I'm not sure though where I paste the above? I'm assuming I access from Terminal and I'm also assuming that /etc/X11/xorg.conf is the long-hand of the directory heirarchy?

OR!

Do I navigate to /etc/X11/xorg.conf and open with notepad and edit it's contents?

I'm using an ATI Radeon 9550. Although I'm not sure how to check, I'm confident that I'm using a basic driver because I have not made any changes manually.

dmorris68

05-12-2007 17:26:33

That could explain it, Ubuntu might not detect and install ATI drivers. But I can't be sure, as I don't have any ATI cards in Linux machines.

Sorry, I was asking you to open your /etc/X11/xorg.conf file in a text editor, then cut & paste that section in a post here so I could look at it. You can use GEdit, just go to Applications->Accessories->Text Editor and then open /etc/X11/xorg.conf. Be careful not to make or save any changes (which you should have to be root to do, but still).

Edit Yeah, as I thought -- Gutsy doesn't use accelerated ATI drivers by default. Check this link for more info. It's about the X800 but the concept should be the same for any recent vintage ATI card.

http//opennfo.wordpress.com/2007/10/27/compiz-fusion-with-ati-radeon-x800-gto-on-ubuntu-gusty

jwwws

05-12-2007 17:55:12

Check this out
[code1b87739e06f]
Section "device" #
Identifier "device1"
Boardname "ATI Radeon"
Busid "PCI:1:0:0"
Driver "ati"
Screen 0
Vendorname "ATI"
Option "MergedFB" "off"
EndSection
[/code1b87739e06f]

dmorris68

05-12-2007 18:15:09

If I'm not mistaken, that's the default, non-accelerated ATI driver. fglrx would be the accelerated one. Did you read that article I linked?

jwwws

05-12-2007 18:24:29

[quotee485eee66c="dmorris68"]If I'm not mistaken, that's the default, non-accelerated ATI driver. fglrx would be the accelerated one. Did you read that article I linked?[/quotee485eee66c]
Yes, I read the article and the posts' example lists "fglrx" in his device section.
So now I have gone to System>Administration>Restricted Drivers Manager and selected the ATI accelerated driver. I'm about to reboot (so the driver takes effect).

jwwws

05-12-2007 18:45:29

Hmmm...now I'm getting this

[code1fe01a41399]Section "Device"
Identifier "Failsafe Device"
Boardname "vesa"
Busid "PCI:1:0:0"
Driver "fglrx"
Screen 0
EndSection[/code1fe01a41399]

jwwws

06-12-2007 13:12:14

I just realized that this post was in the wrong subforum lioopsli Should be in T-T-T-Tech Yourself.

ILoveToys

06-12-2007 13:22:26

I had problems getting the cube to work at first too, but after playing around for a while mine started to work....I'm just using whatever onboard intel graphics my dell vostro has.

jwwws

06-12-2007 13:29:39

I'm convinced the problem isn't with the program but with the device drivers for the video card.

My focus is on the video card and once I get a driver for my ATI Radeon 9550 3D enabled, then I'm hoping everything else will fall into place.

...with that said, I got this message after I changed my device driver the last time

[code14bbff27c7c]Ubuntu is running in low graphics mode.

Your screen and graphics card could not be detected correctly. To use higher resolution, visual effects or multiple screens, you have to configure the display yourself.

[] Always run in low graphics mode

[Configure] [Shut Down] [Continue]
[/code14bbff27c7c]

mr0x

07-12-2007 23:07:08

[quoteeec6f46725="jwwws"]I'm convinced the problem isn't with the program but with the device drivers for the video card.

My focus is on the video card and once I get a driver for my ATI Radeon 9550 3D enabled, then I'm hoping everything else will fall into place.

...with that said, I got this message after I changed my device driver the last time

[code1eec6f46725]Ubuntu is running in low graphics mode.

Your screen and graphics card could not be detected correctly. To use higher resolution, visual effects or multiple screens, you have to configure the display yourself.

[] Always run in low graphics mode

[Configure] [Shut Down] [Continue]
[/code1eec6f46725][/quoteeec6f46725]

Even if you'd got the slowest driver for your graphics, compiz should run. It will just run really really sloooooow. Think the cube rotate takes 5s and the bounce back of the cube takes 1s.

Anyway, be sure to enter the command to start the compiz manager. I think it varies if you do beryl or not, but it was a command to get the usual desktop to the compiz desktop. It was "beryl-manager" for me. You also have to enable xgl (X Open GL?)
gnome-xgl-switch --enable-xgl

If you do KDE, I don't know. The XGL switch will work but then you have all the gnome stuff in your kde.

Also, I don't know the name of the command that gets you back from beryl to the normal 2d desktop. Will be useful if your driver doesn't support GL.