Missing window borders/title bars

[MugOTea]

Oooh - I just fixed my install!!!

I'm a bit of a linux noob but as you can see from my last post I was struggling with a similar problem, and tried all the suggestions (ended up with KDE installed too just to try and get mi titlebars back)...

I eventually found that in my start-up programs, an app called "Devilspie" was selected to initialise with the system... apperently its a utility for simplyfing the display to multiple monitors.... I don't remember installing anything like this so I'm not sure where it came from, or if it was just something I clicked as an option somewhere...

Anyway, long-story short, removed that from the startup processes "SYSTEM>Preferences>Startup Applications" and restarted the computer, and now I've got title bars again!

[MegaLoler]

Oooh - I just fixed my install!!!

I'm a bit of a linux noob but as you can see from my last post I was struggling with a similar problem, and tried all the suggestions (ended up with KDE installed too just to try and get mi titlebars back)...

I eventually found that in my start-up programs, an app called "Devilspie" was selected to initialise with the system... apperently its a utility for simplyfing the display to multiple monitors.... I don't remember installing anything like this so I'm not sure where it came from, or if it was just something I clicked as an option somewhere...

Anyway, long-story short, removed that from the startup processes "SYSTEM>Preferences>Startup Applications" and restarted the computer, and now I've got title bars again!

I didn't have an app called Devilspie in my startup applications. And it's not listed in the processes that are running either.

The window manager is what gives your your functionality. A window decorator is exactly what it sounds like. Traditionally, they would be one in the same but compiz kind of throws that simplicity out the window:

compiz-gnome includes the, "gtk window decorator", which is fancy way of saying it inherits Metacity's appearance but it's still using compiz for management.

If, using the fusion-icon, you choose the gtk-window-decorator, instead of emerald, and play around with all the other options fusion-icon exposes, and still can't get compiz working properly, we can pretty much rule out this train of thought.

The next thing to try will be to stop compiz, rename the $HOME/.config/compiz directory to $HOME/.config/compiz_bkp, then try starting compiz again.

I tried this but it didn't make any difference. Still no borders.

[etnlIcarus]

Try initialising compiz from a terminal and pasting the output here.

[CrusaderAD]

Install and go into CompizConfig Settings Manager. Go to Effects, Windows Decoration. Make sure it's enabled and that

/usr/bin/compiz-decorator

Is in the command field. This worked for me!

[MegaLoler]

Install and go into CompizConfig Settings Manager. Go to Effects, Windows Decoration. Make sure it's enabled and that

/usr/bin/compiz-decorator

Is in the command field. This worked for me!

I did that, and now it says desktop effects can't be enabled.

[stinkeye]

Having metacity compositing manager enabled would cause me these sorts of problems when switching window managers.
To disable:In gconf-editor
/apps/metacity/general/compositing_manager and untick.
For me, with it disabled the compiz --replace works without error.

[MegaLoler]

Having metacity compositing manager enabled would cause me these sorts of problems when switching window managers.
To disable:In gconf-editor
/apps/metacity/general/compositing_manager and untick.
For me, with it disabled the compiz --replace works without error.

I looked and it is unchecked already.

EDIT: It's fixed! Upgrading to Karmic fixed the windows! yay!