Keeping Compiz Cool

Right now, I know a lot of people are getting hot headed about the Ubuntu 11.04 upgrade. There are issues with Unity and Classic that can be resolved by keeping cool. Some of the known workarounds are doing the circuit. Here are some quick fixes you may not already know about.

1. Get your Classic Desktop back

This works for the classic desktop. The absense of desktop effects tab in System >> Preferences >> Appearance should provide a clue. Compiz needs a basic set of plugins activated in order to work, they are Composite, OpenGL, Window Decoration, Move Window & Resize Window. You can turn them on using CCSM.

Then: in the terminal

compiz --replace ccp &

to launch compiz and

gtk-window-decorator --replace & disown

to reload the window decorator.

2. Delete .compiz-1 and clear the compizconfig-1 from cache.

rm .compiz-1 && rm .cache/compizconfig-1

3.  Reset Unity

unity --reset

4. Reset Compiz

gconftool --recursive-unset /apps/compiz-1
gconftool --recursive-unset /apps/compizconfig-1

5. Another basic classic setup which can be saved via the ccsm preferences export option is the following:

Window Management: Grid, Move Window, Resize Window, Put, Scale, Place, Ring, Shift

Utility: Regex, Scale, Title Bar, Mouse Polling, Resize, Session

Image Loading: tick which you want

Extras: Annotate, Screenshot

Effects: Annimations, Addons, Window Decoration, 3D Windows, Cubic Reflections/Deformation

Desktop: Rotate Cube, Viewport Switcher, Desktop Cube, Expo, Show Desktop,

Accessibility:  Opacity & Brightness, Zoom Desktop, Enhanced Zoom

General: Composite, Gnome, OpenGL

6. Reinstall compiz

sudo apt-get remove compiz* --purge
sudo apt-get install compiz

7. Compile Compiz from scratch

If you experienced trouble you can always try compiling compiz yourself, using this script which works flawlessly.

sudo apt-get install git-core

git clone git://anongit.compiz.org/users/soreau/scripts

./build_compiz++

./compiz-addons

8. Fix your Decorator

emerald is no longer being developed, so you will need to use the gtk-decorator

compiz --replace ccp &

gtk-window-decorator --replace & disown

9. Install a patched Emerald

Check this post