How to make Compiz default in Ubuntu classic in 11.04

[Hotshot5000]

I use Ubuntu Classic cause I can't stand Unity and somehow my default window manager is Metacity. I'd like to go back to Compiz but in Appearance there is no longer any Visual effects tab (I think it disappeared after installing ccsm). So it always loads Metacity and I have to use Compiz --replace to get it going. So how can I make it default to Compiz?
Also Compiz Fusion Icon does not work yet....I saw there is a bug reported and also a fix reported but somehow it didn't get here yet.

[Copper Bezel]

I'd suggest just making a startup item for compiz --replace under Preferences -> Startup Applications.

[Krytarik]

Try this, run these commands in a terminal:

gconftool-2 /desktop/gnome/applications/window_manager/current --type string --set /usr/bin/compiz
gconftool-2 /desktop/gnome/applications/window_manager/default --type string --set /usr/bin/compiz
The value for Metacity is "/usr/bin/metacity".

Greetings.

[Hotshot5000]

I used compiz --replace as a startup. The second one with gconftool-2 doesn't work but I'll look into this command. Should I have used sudo?

[Krytarik]

The second one with gconftool-2 doesn't work but I'll look into this command. Should I have used sudo?
No. But you have of course to relogin after running them.

[Copper Bezel]

Yeah, Krytarik's method is the "correct" one. It's always better to change a default setting than to have the system override it like this, so I'd play with that a bit. (You'll prevent Metacity from loading into memory in the first place and save 5-10 seconds of login time.)

[Hotshot5000]

I can't find this path
/desktop/gnome/applications/window_manager/current

there is no /desktop folder

[Krytarik]

I can't find this path
/desktop/gnome/applications/window_manager/current

there is no /desktop folder
You mean in "gconf-editor", right? Not the file system!

[Hotshot5000]

OK my mistake. I'm new to Linux world, just installed it like 3 weeks ago. I went to gconf-editor and although I changed the default to /usr/bin/compiz every time I restart it says that current is metacity.

It says at default :Fallback window manager if user window manager can't be found. This key has been deprecated since GNOME 2.12. Maybe this could be an issue? It finds metacity first and doesn't bother checking there

[Krytarik]

I went to gconf-editor and although I changed the default to /usr/bin/compiz every time I restart it says that current is metacity.

It says at default :Fallback window manager if user window manager can't be found. This key has been deprecated since GNOME 2.12. Maybe this could be an issue? It finds metacity first and doesn't bother checking there
So, why don't you simply run the given commands? Did you notice, that there are two key, "current" and "default"? You need to change both, or at least "current".

[Hotshot5000]

Well I did ran them both and then logged off and on again and default remains /usr/bin/compiz while the current switches to metacity....as if it doesn't save the settings, just that after I run the commands and check in gconf-editor they are changed, only until relogging.

[Krytarik]

Hmm, weird! Try setting them as "Mandatory" in gconf-editor after running the commands again, or changing the values manually. To do so, right-click at the keys and choose "Set as Mandatory".

[Hotshot5000]

Got them both mandatory entered the password and relogged. Still nothing. It does say something key not writable (even though I did write and it did save what I had written). The 2 keys also have an a in the icon, and the other 2 number of workspaces and workspace names don't and they are writable.

Also I noticed that in session/required_components I have metacity as a value at windowmanager. Should I change here?

Also in apps I have compiz and compiz-1....Is this OK?

Can't I just enable auto_save_session in apps/gnome-session/options?

[Krytarik]

Also I noticed that in session/required_components I have metacity as a value at windowmanager. Should I change here?Yeah, try it, I also have it at "compiz" there.


Also in apps I have compiz and compiz-1....Is this OK?I only have "compiz" there, I don't know why you have another one.


Can't I just enable auto_save_session in apps/gnome-session/options?
That only saves running apps, not the window manager, imo.

Also, do you have a single or multiple monitor setup?

Btw, "a" only indicates that the type of the key is "string".

[Hotshot5000]

Changed session/required_components to compiz and everything works now thank you for your input. Should I file this as a bug? Or it defaults to metacity by design if using Ubuntu Classic?

[Krytarik]

Changed session/required_components to compiz and everything works now thank you for your input. Should I file this as a bug? Or it defaults to metacity by design if using Ubuntu Classic?
The default is, like in previous versions, Metacity. But there should of course be a GUI option, like in "Appearance -> Visual Effects", that allows you to switch to Compiz. I really don't know why those option is missing, maybe you should check for a bug report, or file one.

[Copper Bezel]

Ubuntu 11.04 uses the classic desktop as a fallback for the Compiz-based Unity. I imagine the change is related to that.

[PBrn46]

Ubuntu 11.04 uses the classic desktop as a fallback for the Compiz-based Unity. I imagine the change is related to that.
@Copper Bezel: I'd think it's related to it too...

I have the same problem and the gconf-tool commands didn't work.

I would really like to default it to compiz without setting it in startup applications. Subscribed to this thread for further updates, if anybody can help! =D

[Krytarik]

@PBrn46: Did you set this too, as mentioned in post #14?:

gconftool-2 /desktop/gnome/session/required_components/windowmanager --type string --set compiz

[PBrn46]

@PBrn46: Did you set this too, as mentioned in post #14?:

gconftool-2 /desktop/gnome/session/required_components/windowmanager --type string --set compiz
That worked. Thanks Krytarik! Skimmed past that post =)

[Meriadok]

Same problem here. After upgrade metacity loading on logging:


wmctrl -m | grep Name | awk '{print $2}'
Metacity


All 3 keys in gconf are mandatorily set to compiz. Compiz --replace works well. Also i think i have too many variants in session list on logging screen: ubuntu, classic ubuntu, classic ubuntu (no effects), user difined session. But all of them start metacity.

Any idea?

[Krytarik]

@Meriadok: Make sure to not run 'gconf-editor' as root (with gksu/gksudo/sudo).
Otherwise you would change root's settings, not yours.

[Meriadok]

Thanks for fast answer. I run gconf not as a root.

[Krytarik]

Also i think i have too many variants in session list on logging screen: ubuntu, classic ubuntu, classic ubuntu (no effects), user difined session. But all of them start metacity.

These are the default session options, see here:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1741293

If you log in to "Ubuntu", do you have the launcher/panel?

[Meriadok]

Yes, after logging to "ubuntu" session, i have a normal panels, working windows with decorations etc. Before i removed unity i had a normal sidebar. Now both metacity and compiz operate normal. Compiz just doesn't want to load at startup. I added "compiz --replace" to startup applications but it looks like a very dirty workaround.

[Krytarik]

If you have the usual Unity-style launcher/panel in "Ubuntu" (thus Unity), Compiz is definitely running.
Or did you convert it into usual Gnome 2 look?

The same applies to "Ubuntu Classic" (with effects).

You can check in either session if Compiz is running with:

ps ax |grep -v grep |grep compizIt should look similar to this:

3178 ? S 47:36 compiz
3243 ? Ss 0:00 /bin/sh -c /usr/bin/compiz-decorator

[Meriadok]

Just after logging without --replace workaround:


ps ax |grep -v grep |grep metacity
6816 ? Sl 0:00 metacity


Now i haven't unity in my system but when i tried it all worked well. Now by removing unity package i turned system to gnome2 look.

Can be this compiz's behaviour a bug? Maybe i ought to open a bug issue on launchpad with link to this topic?

[Krytarik]

The process check for "compiz" turned out nothing?


Now i haven't unity in my system but when i tried it all worked well.
Without running "compiz --replace" before?


Now by removing unity package i turned system to gnome2 look.
Did you really remove packages? If so, I wonder what else has been removed alongside to it, then please check "/var/log/apt/history.log" for it.


Can be this compiz's behaviour a bug? Maybe i ought to open a bug issue on launchpad with link to this topic?
I don't think so by now.

[Meriadok]

The process check for "compiz" turned out nothing?

Yes, nothing. After compiz --replace it founds compiz.


Without running "compiz --replace" before?

Yes, it's the most weird thing.



Did you really remove packages? If so, I wonder what else has been removed alongside to it, then please check "/var/log/apt/history.log" for it.

In fact, actually nothing important depends on unity:

Start-Date: 2011-04-30 08:31:26
Commandline: /usr/sbin/synaptic
Remove: unity:i386 (3.8.12-0ubuntu1), unity-2d:i386 (3.8.4.1-0ubuntu1), unity-2d-default-settings:i386 (3.8.4.1-0ubuntu1)
End-Date: 2011-04-30 08:31:49

Start-Date: 2011-04-30 08:32:59
Commandline: apt-get autoremove
Remove: unity-asset-pool:i386 (0.8.20-0ubuntu2), geoclue:i386 (0.12.0-1ubuntu8), libnux-0.9-common:i386 (0.9.48-0ubuntu1), unity-2d-panel:i386 (3.8.4.1-0ubuntu1), libqtgconf1:i386 (0.1-0ubuntu5), libnux-0.9-0:i386 (0.9.48-0ubuntu1), unity-place-applications:i386 (0.2.46-0ubuntu3), unity-2d-launcher:i386 (3.8.4.1-0ubuntu1), libunity-2d-private0:i386 (3.8.4.1-0ubuntu1), libqtbamf1:i386 (0.2.1-0ubuntu1), libgeoclue0:i386 (0.12.0-1ubuntu8), zeitgeist:i386 (0.7.1-1), libqtdee2:i386 (0.2.2-0ubuntu1), geoclue-ubuntu-geoip:i386 (0.0.2-0ubuntu5), unity-common:i386 (3.8.12-0ubuntu1), unity-2d-spread:i386 (3.8.4.1-0ubuntu1), unity-place-files:i386 (0.5.46-0ubuntu5), indicator-datetime:i386 (0.2.3-0ubuntu3), zeitgeist-extension-fts:i386 (0.0.7-0ubuntu1), zeitgeist-datahub:i386 (0.7.0-0ubuntu1), libutouch-geis1:i386 (2.0.10-0ubuntu1), libunity-misc0:i386 (0.2.1-0ubuntu2), nux-tools:i386 (0.9.48-0ubuntu1), libzeitgeist-1.0-1:i386 (0.3.10-0ubuntu1), unity-2d-places:i386 (3.8.4.1-0ubuntu1)
End-Date: 2011-04-30 08:34:22

I also checked .desktop files in /usr/share that are responsible for gnome sessions settings. Everything looks normal, everywhere compiz is set as default window manager.

[Krytarik]

Yeah, your log seems fine.

Could you try creating a new user and logging with those in to "Ubuntu" and "Ubuntu Classic"? Just to narrow down if it's a user-specific configuration issue.
If you want to do try that: "System -> Administration -> Users and Groups".

[Meriadok]

Done. New user, 2 log-ins. Result: Not-user-specific issue - both sessions started with metacity, after compiz --replace effects run fine.
Also, i've read ~/.xsession-errors and gdm logs. Nothing wm-specific.

[Meriadok]

I tried to play with /usr/share/gnome-session/ubuntu.desktop file. By default it looks like:


[GNOME Session]
Name=Ubuntu
Required=windowmanager;panel;filemanager;
Required-windowmanager=compiz
Required-panel=compiz
Required-filemanager=nautilus
DefaultApps=gnome-settings-daemon;
IsRunnableHelper=/usr/lib/nux/unity_support_test
FallbackSessionsID=FallbackUnity2d;FallbackClassic Gnome
FallbackUnity2d=2d-ubuntu
FallbackClassicGnome=classic-gnome
FallbackClassicGnomeMessage=It seems that you do not have the hardware required to run Unity. Please choose Ubuntu Classic at the login screen and you will be using the traditional environment.

[Desktop Entry]
X-Ubuntu-Gettext-Domain=gnome-session-2.0


First, i tried to delete rows:


IsRunnableHelper=/usr/lib/nux/unity_support_test
FallbackSessionsID=FallbackUnity2d;FallbackClassic Gnome
FallbackUnity2d=2d-ubuntu
FallbackClassicGnome=classic-gnome
FallbackClassicGnomeMessage=It seems that you do not have the hardware required to run Unity. Please choose Ubuntu Classic at the login screen and you will be using the traditional environment.


After this change i had only wallpaper, desktop icons and mouse after log-in. Then i decided to change required-panel to "gnome-panel". Now i had normal gnome-panel but still no wm (missing windows decorations, missing wm-specific hotkeys etc). Changing Required-windowmanager to /usr/bin/compiz gave nothing.
Now i understand the mechanism why i see metacity on startup. Compiz can't load and gnome-session fallbacks to classic-gnome according to ubuntu.desktop. But i still can't understand why compiz refuses to load at starup but then starts normally after compiz --replace.

[Krytarik]

Now i understand the mechanism why i see metacity on startup. Compiz can't load and gnome-session fallbacks to classic-gnome according to ubuntu.desktop.But i still can't understand why compiz refuses to load at starup but then starts normally after compiz --replace.
You didn't mention that you get those message at login before, is that the case then?

But i still can't understand why compiz refuses to load at starup but then starts normally after compiz --replace.
Me neither. Try removing "windowmanager" from the key "Required=" and running "compiz --replace" through "Startup Applications". It is in fact not really different from the usual way, aside from the timing, and that may be crucial.

[Meriadok]

Hmmmmmmm. Seems, SOLVED. Today i've tried to log-in in to recovery console session and run gnome-session manually with --debug option. I've read syslog and found that system fallbacks to 2d-gnome.desktop session. In this file metacity was set as window manager, I've changed it to compiz. After first reboot i gave system completely witout any wm. But now compiz seems to start normally even without workaround in startup applications. Why it didn't worked yesterday after deleing rows with unity checks in ubuntu.desktop file, i don't know. I'll try to found ubuntu.desktop file from maverick and compare. Very weird.

[Krytarik]

I'll try to found ubuntu.desktop file from maverick and compare.
The way how the window manager is chosen to run at login has changed in Natty. Now it is specified by the session options itself, before it was specified in Gconf, and was easier to modify.