Debian: Compiz on KDE Installation How-To
It’s been a while since I wrote about Debian, I don’t have much time to try anything new recently so I just use it as it is. During my latest package update, I’ve found out that Compiz has been added into the Unstable repository. Quite an exciting finding to me, I’m always into desktop eye candy.
Compiz is OpenGL-based compositing and window-manager for Linux. Sort of 3D Desktop, like what you get in Windows Vista, only it has relatively more features and plugins. It is pretty much in development, so some tweaks have to be made in order to make it work. Ubuntu has it integrated in the desktop environment pretty well I’ve heard. Let’s get on to it.
First, get these packages in the Unstable pool. Apply necessary dependency.
- compiz
- compiz-core
- compiz-gnome
- compiz-gtk
- compiz-kde
- compiz-plugins
- libdecoration0
- gconf-editor
Please be informed that you must have the latest Nvidia video driver installed.(I’m using Nvidia 1.0.9755-1 as of writing)
You need to edit your xorg.conf at /etc/X11/xorg.conf. Please do not copy and paste the following entirely, add in lines section by section.
Codes:
Section "Extensions"
Option "Composite" "enable"
EndSection
I did not have “Extensions” section in the conf, this is a whole new section.
Codes:
Section "InputDevice"
#key board section
Option "XkbOptions" "altwin:super_win"
EndSection
Applying a new key to your keyboard’s “Window Key”, it’s called the “Super Key”.
Codes:
Section "Device"
Option "AllowGLXWithComposite" "true"
Option "XAANoOffscreenPixmaps" "true"
EndSection
Applying GLX in the device section.
Codes:
Section "Screen"
Option "AddARGBGLXVisuals" "true"
Option "DisableGLXRootClipping" "true"
EndSection
Another 2 values in Screen section.
After applying the changes above, restart your X by holding CRTL + ALT + BACKSPACE.
Now in your KDE desktop, open Konsole and type
Codes:
compiz --replace gconf & kde-window-decorator &
NOTE: It’s two dashes “––” for “––replace”
You should now notice when you minimize or maximize window, it has the wobbly effect. If something is not right, for example you don’t see borders for your window. Simply switch back to kwin with this command
Codes:
kwin --replace
Additional Compiz Configurations
To achieve more satisfying results from Compiz, you can tweak its config with gconf-editor. Simply type gconf-editor in Konsole. Compiz config is in apps > compiz > general > allscreens > options
Active plugins is where you specify the plugins you would like to use, simply edit the key and add in value(refer to apps > compiz > plugins). Plugins I’ve found useful are screenshot, png, fade, minimize. Please do not remove those enabled by default.
Compiz General Features
- Zoom – Super Key(the “Windows” key) + Mouse Wheel.
Wonderful feature when viewing web pages, direct zoom for better visuals. - Transparency – Mouse over a window, then ALT + Mouse Wheel Down.
Useful when you want to keep a window opened in full size but still need to refer to another window’s content. - Expose – Point your mouse to the TOP RIGHT CORNER of your screens.
This is another useful features when you have many windows opened at once without minimizing them. You can get to the window you want right away. - Screenshot – Super Key + Left-Click Drag(Select a region)
Instant png saved to your desktop, just the area you selected! How cool is that? No need to edit with GIMP for desired image anymore.
These are the features I find useful for a power desktop user. Of course there are more, you can check in the sources I list down below.
Autostart Compiz with KDE
In order to start compiz automatically when log on to KDE. Create a new file ~/.kde/Autostart/compiz.desktop, with the following content
Codes:
[Desktop Entry]
Encoding=UTF-8
Exec=compiz --replace gconf & kde-window-decorator &
GenericName[en_US]=
StartupNotify=false
Terminal=false
TerminalOptions=
Type=Application
X-KDE-autostart-after=kdesktop
That’s it, kind of troublesome but it definitely worths it. Please discuss with me if you have any tip or encounter any problem.
Sources:
http://compiz.org/How_to_compile_and_run_Compiz_for_nvidia_card_users
http://wiki.debian.org/Compiz
http://technowizah.com/2006/10/debian-how-to-aiglx-compiz.html
Yo!
tryng to put this in a amd64 testing deb box …
this is not for a really comment about the post, just a notify,
the links at end (Sources) are addressed http://http//xxxx.xxx.xx
thanks Nagata. I have corrected the errors.
Dear Warrior!
After takings your steps I run into this msgs.
I dont have the beryl stuff installed for your notice.
the machine is a P4 2.8, 7800 gs agp, 1gb ram ..
Kurumin distro(debian, etch)
maybe u could give a lead.
my best regards,
pedro.
kurumin@kurumin:~$ compiz -replace gconf & kde-window-decorator &
[1] 16409
[2] 16411
kurumin@kurumin:~$ bash: kde-window-decorator: command not found
GLX_EXT_texture_from_pixmap is available with direct rendering.
/usr/bin/compiz.real: Unknown option ‘-replace’
/usr/bin/gtk-window-decorator: Could not acquire decoration manager selection on screen 0 display “:0.0″
/usr/bin/compiz.real: Screen 0 on display “:0.0″ already has a window manager; try using the –replace option to replace the current window manager.
/usr/bin/compiz.real: No manageable screens found on display :0.0
[1]- Exit 1 compiz -replace gconf
[2]+ Exit 127 kde-window-decorator
my friend, it’s two “-” for –replace option.
When I enter the ‘compiz –replace gconf & …’ command line, I get the following messages:
compiz: Another window manager is already running on screen: 0
compiz: No manageable screens found on display :0.0
And compiz exits. This leaves me with no window manager and I have to run the ‘kwin –replace’ command to regain control of the windows.
I believe I have all the proper xorg.conf entries done correctly.
I’m using the Nvidia driver version 1.0-9746, just a tad behind yours. I wouldn’t think that would be the problem, in this case, however.
I also compiled compiz from source, rather than getting the unstable packages. I could, therefore, have left out some configuration or compiler feature/option for a proper build.
I’d prefer to use this build rather than replace it, if possible
so any idea what could be missing or wrong?
Thanks,
Bob
Thanks,
Some how most KDE distribution have a lot of difficulties with beryl, may be itÅ› becouse their developers didnt think of it. just that. Actually I tried Ubuntu 7.04 and with gnome and fond , for my needs, friendlier and compizfuzion-damn-even-friendlier. So, First. Think wide. Don t stick to only one distro. Distros are not religion you know.
I have tried the so called Sabayon (beryl built -in). itÅ› a heavy, heavy install and does not pay off. unless you are a game freak. Both KDE and Gnome interfaces have itÅ› pros and cons. so the word is. TRY IT OUT. and see whatÅ› suits u better. I actually consider myself an end user so official support counts a lot. But i confess the beryl and compiz are a must! and compizfuzion really merges the good parts of both compiz and beryl.
And Yeas Bin. I notice my mistake with -”-” replace…
but ran onto other problems afterwards…then I ran into ubuntu. And my kurumin is there quiet. I’ve to do other stuff than just been onto the keyboard trying out.
My very best regards WARRIORS!
Pedro.
Bob, how about a log of the error message to my email? I’ll look at it a.s.a.p.
Hi
Thanks for a very nice how-to. But however nice it is, I got a problem. I have a Radeon 9700 Pro and installed latest ati proprietary drivers. Drivers are loaded and work. I get this error :
andersos@svallgrund-ao:~$ compiz –replace gconf & kde-window-decorator &
[3] 5012
[4] 5013
andersos@svallgrund-ao:~$ kde-window-decorator: Could not acquire decoration manager selection on screen 0 display “:0.0″
GLX_EXT_texture_from_pixmap is not available with direct rendering.
GLX_EXT_texture_from_pixmap is not available with indirect rendering. Aborting!
Do I need to install something or doesn’t my Radeon support GLX_EXT_texture_from_pixmap ?? Please help
Dear Anders, sorry for the late reply. This how-to was meant for nvidia driver only. I have not following up closely with the ATI development for long. Last I checked ATI makes use of XGL instead of Nvidia’s Aiglx.
Here’s a few pages you can start with.
http://wiki.debian.org/Xgl
http://www.tuxmachines.org/node/10425
Hi
I have a similar problem like Anders, but with NVIDIA !!
$ compiz –replace gconf &
GLX_EXT_texture_from_pixmap is available with direct rendering.
Fenstermanager-Warnung:Thema »Clearlooks« konnte nicht geladen werden: Es konnte keine gültige Datei für das Thema »Clearlooks« gefunden werden
$ kde-window-decorator &
kde-window-decorator: Screen 0 on display “:0.0″ already has a decoration manager; try using the –replace option to replace the current decoration manager.
It means that “Clearlook” could not be found. But in Debian Unstable I have not found a package that contains such a theme. I’ve installed gnome-theme and some other gtk2-engines-…
mschnide, when you see messages like that. Try to verify that is the compiz running already or not. I ran into problem like that before, said “theme cannot be found”, so it has a borderless window. Try to change “style” in your Kcontrol.
I am a Debian user. I have plugged ATI Rage128, Card. I just try to install Beryl Desktop… its got installed and able to run thr beryl manager but Beryl theme is not working. I am expecting solutions from anyone?
i’m getting this on ATI Technologies Inc Radeon Mobility M7 LW [Radeon Mobility 7500]
with debian sid (open source ati driver from experimental)
laptop:~# compiz –replace gconf & kde-window-decorator &
[1] 10824
[2] 10825
laptop:~#
GLX_EXT_texture_from_pixmap is not available with direct rendering.
GLX_EXT_texture_from_pixmap is available with indirect rendering.
QMetaObject::findSignal:smoothblend::smoothblendClient: Conflict with KDecoration::keepAboveChanged(bool)
QMetaObject::findSignal:smoothblend::smoothblendClient: Conflict with KDecoration::keepBelowChanged(bool)
QMetaObject::findSignal:smoothblend::smoothblendClient: Conflict with KDecoration::keepAboveChanged(bool)
QMetaObject::findSignal:smoothblend::smoothblendClient: Conflict with KDecoration::keepBelowChanged(bool)
QImage::smoothScale: Image is a null image
QImage::smoothScale: Image is a null image
[2]+ Done kde-window-decorator
the window manager is lost and i get windows without titles and frames, until i go back to kwin.
any ideas ?
Hello. Try to logout your KDE session, and login back, with Compiz set to autostart.
@mschnide gnome-themes has clearlooks for gnome. For kde you need kde-style-klearlook.
I’ve solved my problem: I have to change all the things not as a normal user!
I could it resolve only as root!
Because I start kde through kdm and not with startkde, I have to execute the line:
compiz –replace gconf & kde-window-decorator &
also as root!
Thanks, for the replies …
Thanks for a nice and useful HOWTO. I used it and got compiz to work, mostly. There are still a single outstanding issue, however.
First a little input that others might feel useful:
I prefer to start compiz by bypassing the Debian /usr/bin/compiz which is a gnome-biased wrapper. This is what I do in my .kde/Autostart/compiz.desktop:
Exec=compiz.real –no-fbo –replace gconf & kde-window-decorator &
It works really well. kde-window-decorator does not have to “–replace” anything because the gtk-window-decorator started by the wrapper is not started when you use compiz.real.
The single problem that prevents me from shifting wholly to use compiz for my daily work is the fact that KDE does not seem to know how to store the relations of windows to compiz “faces”. In KDE Control Center I have reduced the number of “Desktop”s to 1. However, when I move my open windows around to different faces of the compiz “cube”, logout and login again, the windows are all collapsed to the first face of the “cube”.
Any ideas about how this problem can be solved? Personally, I don’t even know how KDE stores the relations of windows to Desktops under kwin. But I am willing to learn. And I am not willing to start using a system that cannot store its own configuration….
Heyho, thx for the nice tutorial. I followed all the steps and i get the same error as described: my window borders are missing. now i type “kwin –replace” in the console, and the borders are restored BUT if i close the console i the bugs are restored and i have to restart my X because nothing works anymore.
Is there any way to avoid the problem with the missing borders?
(i use the XFX nvidia 6800 XT)
ive installed
compizconfig-backend-kconfig
compizconfig-settings-manager
and compiz started normally (i had the same error with no borders)
i hope it helps
It’s a Good tutorial. xD
Hi, i have the same problem, the window borders disappear and looks like compiz isn’t working, this is the output from konsole
Detected PCI ID for VGA:
Checking for texture_from_pixmap: present.
Checking for non power of two support: present.
Checking for Composite extension: present.
Comparing resolution (1024×768) to maximum 3D texture size (4096): Passed.
Checking for nVidia: present.
Checking for FBConfig: present.
Checking for Xgl: not present.
/usr/bin/compiz.real (core) – Warn: Plugin ‘gconf’ already active
what is xgl? should i have it installed? I use the nvidia driver for amd64 version 173.14.12
Anyone else getting corrupting when starting X or logging in via KDM? The screen comes up, looks fine, then goes to a mess with no response. I cannot get to a console, so something is crashing big time. It can take 3 or 4 power off/on cycles before the desktop is usable. I never had a problem until compiz was configured and I cannot get it all out of the system.