The Great Desktop Effects FAQ of 2010 [help needed]

[Gourgi]

Screenlets code is under heavy development almost every day and maybe the the version available in repositories is buggy.
there is PPA screenlets repository for Gutsy and Hardy often updated.

How can i get an up to date package for screenlets ?
Add to your sources.list
In gutsy :

deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/gilir/ubuntu gutsy main universe

In Hardy :

deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/gilir/ubuntu hardy main universe

I really loved those screenlets, are there more ?
Of course !
You can download screenlets either from the 3rd party Screenlets Repository here
http://screenlets.org/index.php/Category:UserScreenlets
or from Gnome-look Screenlets section here
http://gnome-look.org/?xcontentmode=6700


- - - - -
an easier method to switch through compiz <-> metacity and enabling emerald is using fusion-icon (included in hardy's repos)

sudo apt-get install fusion-icon

[Armed Nuke]

editing cursor themes:

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=820245

[Sealbhach]

When I spin the cube around, it's just gray in the background. How do I change that?

Also, the top and the bottom of the cube are a plain yellow colour, anything I can do about those?


.

[overdrank]

When I spin the cube around, it's just gray in the background. How do I change that?

Also, the top and the bottom of the cube are a plain yellow colour, anything I can do about those?


.

HI and the first is the skydome, located in the advance desktop effects settings under system, preference. Look for desktop cube, appearance tab.There you can add images for the skydome.
The second, is the cube caps, appearance tab and there you can add images.

[overdrank]

HI and on behalf of wolfen69, found here.
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=828222

here is a list of some of the things you can do

Desktop Effects1 Keyboard Shortcuts
Rotate Cube Mousewheel on Desktop
Switcher2 Alt + Tab
Shift Switcher3 Super + Tab (2 modes: flip and cover)
Ring Switcher Super + Tab - overrides Shift Switcher
Expo Super + E (toggle)
Film Effect Ctrl + Alt + Down Arrow4
Rotate Cube Manually Ctrl + Alt + Left Mouse Button
Scale Windows Alt + Shift + Up Arrow
Show/Clear Desktop Ctrl + Alt + D (toggle)
Snapping Windows Move a window across workspaces5
Screenshot Super + Left Mouse Button
Zoom In/Out Super + Mousewheel
Transparent Window Alt + Mousewheel
Resize Window Alt + F8
Move Window Alt + F7
Add Helper Super + P
Widget Layer F9 (toggle)
Water Effects Shift + F9 (toggle)
Fire Effects: On Super + Shift + Left Mouse Button
Fire Effects: Clear Super + Shift + C
Annotate: Draw Super + Left Mouse Button
Annotate: Start Super + 1
Annotate: End Super + 3
Group: Select Window(s) Super + S
Group: Group Windows Super + T
Group: Ungroup Windows Super + U
Group: Flip Windows Super + Right or Left Arrow

[Fenris_rising]

for anyone who installs the latest compiz. i recently had a problem with the
open close minimise effects being non existant (yes the animations were selected in ccsm). now i have just stumbled on this thread and on the off chance i have installed 'simple ccsm'. selected 'custom' and went into preferences. once there i selected my favorite animation (explode) well the good news is that they work now. i dont know if its a bug in the compiz git or something with my PC but this may help anyone who has the same problem.
so under system preferences i have both, CCSM and Simple CCSM.

[LeoSolaris]

Just a note, you do not have to have simple CCSM installed to enable custom effects. You can simply install the advanced CCSM and it will allow you to turn on the custom feature.

Not a big point, but I am in favor of keeping the number of programs on my machine down to save space on my hard drive.

Leo

[Rocket2DMn]

Compiz for older ATI cards requiring the open source "ati"/"radeon" drivers (which has been blacklisted) - http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=764633

[jpeddicord]

Sorry for the update delay. I've been on vacation without internet access for a week.

Yeah, we should probably stick to the repositories. The repo-available packages are much easier to install than telling a user to download a .deb that needs updated upon new releases. Packages in the repository can also be supported better in case of a problem.

Contradicting myself:

A 3rd party repository may be added to the FAQ as long as it is the official third party repository for that piece of software and is actively maintained.

[overlord.gaurav]

Q: How to uninstall Compiz?
A: Open a terminal and type:

sudo apt-get purge compiz-core && sudo apt-get autoremove

and press enter.

Alternatively, you can uninstall it using the Synaptic Package Manager in System -> Administration through the GUI mode.

Q: How to theme my desktop like Windows XP/Windows Vista/OSX?
A: It is very much possible to theme Ubuntu desktop like Windows XP/Windows Vista/ OSX. Follow the guide mentioned below for each of the customization:

Windows XP: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=82114

Windows Vista: http://tuxenclave.wordpress.com/2007...tion-guide-v2/ [Scroll down on the page to find the guide for Vista customization]

Mac OSX: http://tuxenclave.wordpress.com/2007...tion-guide-v2/ [Scroll down on the page to find the guide for OSX customization]

Q: How to install Aavnt-Window-Navigator? [The dock similar to the one in OSX]
A: Follow the guide on this page.[http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=762363]