12.04 Desktop Cube Compiz Issues

[cornflake000]

Here it is, the end of January 2013, and the problem of compiz cube and flashing is still unfixed in 12.04 LTS. Yes, that's LTS. LTSs have always been the best tried and proven version in a cycle. I guess not this time.

People like myself appreciate compiz and the cube and those niceties deserve some attention along with the old taskbar apps like Charachter Palette etc. etc. The old non-unity platform was much more realistic and useful let alone more enjoyable. The dumbing down of Ubuntu is a mindset that is not condusive to progress; it's even a sign of society gone stupid. It would be nice if progress was more important than appeal to the lowest common denominator.

Is it that much of a problem to make something work that has always worked before or is simplicity getting in the way?

Please, let's have compiz and other apps available to those who have always appreciated them. I don't want progress at the cost of progress.

[monkeybrain2012]

Here it is, the end of January 2013, and the problem of compiz cube and flashing is still unfixed in 12.04 LTS. Yes, that's LTS. LTSs have always been the best tried and proven version in a cycle. I guess not this time.

People like myself appreciate compiz and the cube and those niceties deserve some attention along with the old taskbar apps like Charachter Palette etc. etc. The old non-unity platform was much more realistic and useful let alone more enjoyable. The dumbing down of Ubuntu is a mindset that is not condusive to progress; it's even a sign of society gone stupid. It would be nice if progress was more important than appeal to the lowest common denominator.

Is it that much of a problem to make something work that has always worked before or is simplicity getting in the way?

Please, let's have compiz and other apps available to those who have always appreciated them. I don't want progress at the cost of progress.

The cube is fixed in 12.10.

The developers have been working hard. You can find updated info about compiz on this blog.
http://smspillaz.wordpress.com/

[cornflake000]

Thank you. Nice article. Moving out of LTS means I'm doomed to follow through to the next LTS which means possibly more "improvements" I do not want. If this LTS is not working correctly then moving on to the non-lts is a decision that carries a little dread. I like having an LTS that I can sit on for a long while with the stability that goes along with updates solely for improvement of the product, not the instability of "progress" if that's what you call it.

I'm glad the developers are working hard and doing their best to make the product work. But, the problem is, it's the choices that were made in the last couple of cycles that have put them into a position of spinning their wheels to make up for those bad choices. I'd rather think they could have put their energy into real improvements or leave well alone.

Not a snark, but if this LTS is not a stable product, I will be moving on... and I don't like to make that choice. I use other distros and still have held on to Ubuntu on some of my machines for a lot of reasons including sentimental ones. I don't think that is in the cards anymore though.

Thanks for your time.

[cornflake000]

I was just reading that the 12.04.2 Alpha 2 (for opt-in flavors) is comming out in mid February. Maybe things get better for the LTS in that version. I can wait.

[Paddy Landau]

The cube is fixed in 12.10.

Good to know! I miss the cube. Do you think it will be backported to 12.04?

The dumbing down of Ubuntu is a mindset that is not condusive to progress; it's even a sign of society gone stupid. It would be nice if progress was more important than appeal to the lowest common denominator.

That is an interesting, if judgemental, take. I have to disagree. I think Unity was a brilliant conception, albeit that it had quite a few flaws at the beginning. It is hardly a "dumbing down" of Ubuntu, any more than introducing automatic gear shift was a "dumbing down" of driving. Making a computer easier to use is important, because the computer is (for most of us, anyway) a tool, not an end in itself. When computers are as intuitive as toasters, that will be a day to celebrate. Android and iPad have gone a long way towards that view, and I personally believe that Canonical's Ubuntu is part of the move.

I certainly understand that many people dislike Unity, and that's why it is great that alternatives exist, from Kubuntu to Mint to all the other non-Ubuntu distributions — or even Windows or Apple .

I was just reading that the 12.04.2 Alpha 2 (for opt-in flavors) is comming out in mid February. Maybe things get better for the LTS in that version. I can wait.

I'll also stick with 12.04 (I prefer not to upgrade every six months) until 14.04.

Did you read that Canonical is considering doing away with the six-month cycle? It's only an idea at this stage, so we'll have to wait to find out what happens.

[Dngrsone]

I must also disagree-- LTS is stable. Though I laso lament some of the decisions made regarding this distribution, past and present.

I, too, like Unity, and I also like the cube, though I understand that hacking compiz into Unity is not the best way of going about it.

Ideally, I'd like to see some of the power of the KDE interface incorporated into the Unity package (can't stand KDE personally, but I love the cube and having separate wallpapers on each desktop).

I do not like having my laptop computer connected to the 'cloud' and sharing me with the entire internet upon installation of the operating system, so, I will refrain from upgrading.

Either Canonical will get a clue and make their marketing crap optional when performing the install, or I will find an alternative OS within the next few years.

[monkeybrain2012]

Good to know! I miss the cube. Do you think it will be backported to 12.04?

Hope so, 12.04.2 will come out in 2 weeks, hopefully compiz will be upgraded then, if not it probably will come later or through a ppa (the compiz experimental ppa right now doesn't work for 12.04 because of version conflict with Unity, but Unity will certainly be updated at some point)

Also I think there are tutorials on this forum on how to build Compiz and unity yourself (mc4man?) You can try that if you don't want to wait or move to 12.10.

Bad news is that 3d windows still doesn't work properly and probably not supported any more.

[Paddy Landau]

Bad news is that 3d windows still doesn't work properly and probably not supported any more.

Well, that's a pity, but not such a big deal. The cube is great for two reasons: newcomers to Ubuntu who don't understand multiple workspaces find the cube intuitive; and there is no "first" workspace, as they wrap around.

[cornflake000]

Making a computer easier to use is important, because the computer is (for most of us, anyway) a tool, not an end in itself.

But that's part of my point. It is not easier nor more usable. It's thinner, duller. And to recreate what was already there that I need takes a lot of wasted time and effort. I'm not only talking about compiz, I am also talking about taskbar apps, etc. We were never forced to have those apps, but if we wanted them they were there. Now we have no other choice but to go to lengths to use them or use substitutes that are inferior. Definitely not easier.

When computers are as intuitive as toasters, that will be a day to celebrate. Android and iPad have gone a long way towards that view, and I personally believe that Canonical's Ubuntu is part of the move.

If the computer that is as easy as toasters was a choice, and the computer that has the capacity for advanced users was another choice, and the computer that has apps we want, unsacrificed by "progress" was another, that will be a day to celebrate. Ubuntu was almost there with Lynx, but have strayed far from it now. We are forced to do things according to the god of progress which has shown herself not to be progressive at all but digressive at the sacrifice of progress. As for iPad and Android, you have got to be kidding. Apples and Oranges? PCs vs. Hand helds... two different paradigms trying to be merged equals exclusion, lost usefulness, and wasted effort.

...dislike Unity, and that's why it is great that alternatives exist, from Kubuntu to Mint to all the other non-Ubuntu distributions — or even Windows or Apple .

I have used and use many Linux ditros and have done so for many years... But you seem to have totally missed the point.

(end rant.)

[Paddy Landau]

… It is not easier nor more usable. It's thinner, duller…

Well, each to his own. I must say that I love Unity, as do many people. I have spent far less time supporting family members with Unity than with 10.04 or earlier versions; that speaks volumes about Unity's usability (well, it does to me; YMMV).

We are forced to do things according to the god of progress…

Are you kidding me? "Forced"? Heavens above, this is not Windows or Mac, and even with them you have the option to leave! You have the choice of at least a dozen mainstream alternative distributions (a few supported by Canonical), and hundreds of non-mainstream. If you don't like Unity, don't use it! I have noticed that most people who dislike Unity seem to move to either Xubuntu or Mint, so why don't you try those? They are but two of many excellent distributions.

… two different paradigms trying to be merged equals exclusion, lost usefulness, and wasted effort.

Well, that is an opinion that is up to the developers. Microsoft (with its new Windows UI) and Canonical (with Unity) have decided that it means greater inclusion, increased usefulness, and reduced effort. It's their prerogative to make the decision, and the consequences of their decisions rest on them.

At this point, you can make your reply, but I shall be bowing out of this discussion to prevent it from getting out of hand. (You get the last word ).