Howto: install the latest metacity in Gutsy (and get a built-in composite manager)

[picpak]

What's new in Metacity 2.21.5 is a built-in compositing manager, meaning that you don't have to run xcompmgr or similar programs alongside it. If you use Hardy, you've already got it and can skip to step 7 to turn it on. For Gutsy, however, you can either

a) go to the bottom of this post and install my .debs or
b) compile it yourself.

Method 1: Compiling

The longer method. Use method 2 if you prefer.

1) Open up a terminal (Applications>Accessories>Terminal) and edit the file /etc/apt/sources.list:

gksudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list

place the following on a new line at the bottom:

deb-src http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu hardy main restricted universe multiverse

Save it and exit.

2) Update so that it notices the new line:

sudo aptitude update

3) Install the needed programs for compiling metacity:

sudo aptitude install build-essential cdbs devscripts dh-make fakeroot
sudo apt-get build-dep metacity

4) Get the source package:

mkdir -p ~/packages/metacity
cd ~/packages/metacity
apt-get source metacity
cd metacity-*

5) Add a new entry to the changelog indicating that this is being built on Gutsy:

dch -iDgutsy

The first section should look something like this:

metacity (1:2.22.0-0ubuntu1~gutsy1) gutsy; urgency=low

  * Adopted for Gutsy

 -- Firstname Lastname <youremail@yourhost.com> Sun, 23 Dec 2007 11:52:10 -0600

Press Ctrl-X to save and exit the file.

6) Build and install the new metacity:

dpkg-buildpackage -rfakeroot -us -uc
sudo dpkg -i ../metacity*.deb ../libmetacity0*.deb

7) You're still not done! Run the following to turn on the compositor:

gconftool-2 -s '/apps/metacity/general/compositing_manager' --type bool true

You may need to log out and in for the changes to take effect.

8) Now re-open the file /etc/apt/sources.list:

gksudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list

and remove the following line:

deb-src http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu hardy main restricted universe multiverse

Save it and exit.

9) Update again:

sudo aptitude update

Enjoy your new metacity!

Method 2: Installing debs

The much faster method. Download and install 3 files, enable compositing and you're done.

1) Download the following files:

metacity_2.21.5-0ubuntu1~gutsy1_i386.deb
libmetacity0_2.21.5-0ubuntu1~gutsy1_i386.deb
metacity-common_2.21.5-0ubuntu1~gutsy1_all.deb

2) Install them:

sudo dpkg -i metacity*.deb libmetacity0*.deb

libmetacity-dev is optional, but I've uploaded it just in case:

libmetacity-dev_2.21.5-0ubuntu1~gutsy1_i386.deb

3) Remember to run the following to enable the compositor!

gconftool-2 -s '/apps/metacity/general/compositing_manager' --type bool true

You may need to log out and in for the changes to take effect. Enjoy!

[Ttech]

What's new in Metacity 2.21.5 is a built-in compositing manager, meaning that you don't have to run xcompmgr or similar programs alongside it. If you use Hardy, you've already got it and can skip to step 7 to turn it on. For Gutsy, however, you can either

a) go to the bottom of this post and install my .debs or
b) compile it yourself.

Method 1: Compiling

The longer method. Use method 2 if you prefer.

1) Open up a terminal (Applications>Accessories>Terminal) and edit the file /etc/apt/sources.list:

gksudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list

place the following on a new line at the bottom:

deb-src http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu hardy main restricted universe multiverse

Save it and exit.

2) Update so that it notices the new line:

sudo aptitude update

3) Install the needed programs for compiling metacity:

sudo aptitude install build-essential cdbs devscripts dh-make fakeroot
sudo apt-get build-dep metacity

4) Get the source package:

mkdir -p ~/packages/metacity
cd ~/packages/metacity
apt-get source metacity
cd metacity-2.21.5

5) Add a new entry to the changelog indicating that this is being built on Gutsy:

dch -iDgutsy

The first section should look something like this:

metacity (1:2.21.5-0ubuntu1~gutsy1) gutsy; urgency=low

  * Adopted for Gutsy

 -- Firstname Lastname <youremail@yourhost.com> Sun, 23 Dec 2007 11:52:10 -0600

Press Ctrl-X to save and exit the file.

6) Build and install the new metacity:

dpkg-buildpackage -rfakeroot -us -uc
sudo dpkg -i ../metacity_2.21.5-0ubuntu1~gutsy1_i386.deb ../metacity-common_2.21.5-0ubuntu1~gutsy1_all.deb ../libmetacity0_2.21.5-0ubuntu1~gutsy1_i386.deb

7) You're still not done! Run the following to turn on the compositor:

gconftool-2 -s '/apps/metacity/general/compositing_manager' --type bool true

You may need to log out and in for the changes to take effect.

8) Now re-open the file /etc/apt/sources.list:

gksudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list

and remove the following line:

deb-src http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu hardy main restricted universe multiverse

Save it and exit.

9) Update again:

sudo aptitude update

Enjoy your new metacity!

Method 2: Installing debs

The much faster method. Download and install 3 files, enable composting and you're done.

1) Download the following files:

metacity_2.21.5-0ubuntu1~gutsy1_i386.deb
libmetacity0_2.21.5-0ubuntu1~gutsy1_i386.deb
metacity-common_2.21.5-0ubuntu1~gutsy1_all.deb

2) Install them:

sudo dpkg -i metacity_2.21.5-0ubuntu1~gutsy1_i386.deb metacity-common_2.21.5-0ubuntu1~gutsy1_all.deb libmetacity0_2.21.5-0ubuntu1~gutsy1_i386.deb

libmetacity-dev is optional, but I've uploaded it just in case:

libmetacity-dev_2.21.5-0ubuntu1~gutsy1_i386.deb

3) Remember to run the following to enable the compositor!

gconftool-2 -s '/apps/metacity/general/compositing_manager' --type bool true

You may need to log out and in for the changes to take effect. Enjoy!

Is there a way I can switch between the Ubuntu default and MetaCity?

[picpak]

Is there a way I can switch between the Ubuntu default and MetaCity?

Well, if you turn off compositing you have a near-Ubuntu default, but I don't think you can switch between this version and the Ubuntu default without reinstalling the packages. Sorry.

[ShodanjoDM]

Thank you very much. It's working just fine

Followed the instruction and now I have drop shadows without having to use Compiz

Oh btw, the latest metacity version when I compiled this evening is 2.21.21

[yizuman]

Getting this error now from number 6...

cannot access archive: No such file or directory
Errors were encountered while processing:
../metacity_2.21.21-0ubuntu2~gutsy1_i386.deb
../metacity-common_2.21.21-0ubuntu2~gutsy1_all.deb
../libmetacity0_2.21.21-0ubuntu2~gutsy1_i386.deb
anonymous@anonymous:~/packages/metacity/metacity-2.21.21$

Now what?

[yizuman]

bump! sorry! Anyone help?

[yizuman]

None of the deb files exists. They're gone. The newest version is 2.23.2 and there isn't any deb file installer for that version available.

http://ftp.gnome.org/pub/gnome/sources/metacity/2.23/

help?

I was on number 6 and nowhere to go now...

[picpak]

Getting this error now from number 6...



Now what?

Sorry, I edited the guide yesterday to work with metacity 2.21.21 and I may have made a typo. Try running:

sudo dpkg -i ../libmetacity0*.deb ../metacity*.deb

instead.

[ShodanjoDM]

Hmm, I wonder what's changed in the 2.23.2 version...

So far I can only find this:

http://www.linuxcompatible.org/metac...d_s107699.html

metacity 2.23.2 has been released

"Metacity is a simple window manager that integrates nicely with GNOME 2.

* What's changed ?
=================

Almost nothing, except that a few debug statements were removed.

EDIT:
Now this is what i call funny: http://blogs.gnome.org/metacity/2008...ssing-release/

I guess there's no need to download and recompile then

[yizuman]

Thanks it worked, but I noticed a change in the version when I typed in the command,,,

apt-get source metacity

The version it gave me was 2.22.2 (I think, I know it isn't .21 anymore.