Compiz problems with Gnome 3 fallback(classic)

[drjaydub]

I have installed compiz on ubuntu 11.10 that has gnome shell and fallback installed. When i use compiz setting managers and check the plugins the plugins do not take affect. When i typed "compiz --replace" finally the plugins took affect and it worked. As i log out and log back in my compiz settings were not saved therefore effects werent there. any solutions?...thanks...really want my flaming windows and cube back ...and i dont want to use lxde or xcfe desktop

[drjaydub]

btw i want to use gnome fallback/classic with the compiz effects..just making sure if i wasnt clear enough

[Krytarik]

This should lead to Compiz being run automatically in the "GNOME Classic" session:

1. Install "gconf-editor" if it isn't already.
2. Open it.
3. Find the key "/desktop/gnome/session/required_components/windowmanager", and set it to "compiz".
4. Relogin.

Regards.

[skullriot]

I'm having the same problem, but the thread stops at desktop. There is no session folder and the subsequent items obviously cant be found. Even if i run gconf-editor as sudo, the options aren't there.

[Krytarik]

I'm having the same problem, but the thread stops at desktop. There is no session folder and the subsequent items obviously cant be found. Even if i run gconf-editor as sudo, the options aren't there.

Ok, then it seems that - regardless of "gnome-wm"s man page - those settings keys have been moved to DConf as well, as quite a lot of other settings, too.

So, please install the package "dconf-tools", if it isn't already, and search in "dconf-editor" instead, also named "Configuration Editor", the same as "gconf-editor"; don't mix them.

As I don't have an Oneiric system at hand right now, I can't say exactly where you'll find those settings keys, but I'd start searching under "desktop", obviously.

Please report back where you've found them! Thanks!

[skullriot]

I found something in dconf-editor

/org/gnome/desktop/session

and the options in that selection are idle-delay and session-name. Should i change session-name from gnome to compiz? Side question, would the auto login to the fallback DE be in this area as well?

[Krytarik]

Even if i run gconf-editor as sudo, the options aren't there.

First, I forgot to mention that you shouldn't run "gconf-editor", or "dconf-editor", for that matter, as root! As otherwise, you'd see/change root's settings, not yours!

Moreover, don't use "sudo" for running graphical apps as root, use "gksudo" instead. See here why:

http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/graphicalsudo

I found something in dconf-editor

/org/gnome/desktop/session

and the options in that selection are idle-delay and session-name. Should i change session-name from gnome to compiz?

Nope, don't do that! Search further, it must be somewhere.

Side question, would the auto login to the fallback DE be in this area as well?

You mean, setting the display manager - presumably LightDM in your case - to 1) automatically log you in 2) to the "GNOME Classic" session?
For both settings, please see this guide:

http://www.tuxgarage.com/2011/09/set...n-oneiric.html

If you are not using LightDM, but GDM, you should find "Login Screen" somewhere in the menus, but I don't exactly where it is now, as the "System" menu is removed now. Maybe under your name on the right side of the panel. Otherwise, you could just run "gdmsetup" from the Terminal or the Alt+F2 dialog.

[skullriot]

Thanks for the auto login link.

I cant find any window manager options in dconf. Would there be a config file somewhere i could sudo gedit? Thanks for your help so far. Maybe i should note, this is a fresh install, i had problems when i upgraded from natty, ubuntu would get stuck in dos while loading some pulse audio thing. That wouldnt be affecting this would it? I did a wipe and install. Also, im trying to do this from the fallback environment.

[Krytarik]

I cant find any window manager options in dconf. Would there be a config file somewhere i could sudo gedit?

Too bad. Would have been the easiest way. However, there are 2 other options that come into play now:

a) Second-best method, as it wouldn't change settings system-wide, but only for your user.

Copy "/usr/share/applications/gnome-wm.desktop" into your "~/.local/share/applications", and change its value for "Exec" to "compiz", like this:

[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
Name=Window Manager
Exec=compiz
NoDisplay=true
X-GNOME-Autostart-Phase=WindowManager
X-GNOME-Provides=windowmanager
X-GNOME-Autostart-Notify=true
X-Ubuntu-Gettext-Domain=gnome-session-3.0

b) Brute-force method; this would change the session settings of "GNOME Classic" system-wide. And it would also be reverted by an upgrade of the package "gnome-session-fallback".

Open "GNOME Classic"s session settings:

gksudo gedit /usr/share/gnome-session/sessions/gnome-classic.session

Change "gnome-wm" in it to "compiz", like this:

[GNOME Session]
Name=GNOME Classic
RequiredComponents=gnome-panel;gnome-settings-daemon;
RequiredProviders=windowmanager;notifications;
DefaultProvider-windowmanager=compiz
DefaultProvider-notifications=notify-osd
IsRunnableHelper=/usr/lib/gnome-session/gnome-session-check-accelerated
FallbackSession=gnome-fallback
DesktopName=GNOME

Maybe i should note, this is a fresh install, i had problems when i upgraded from natty, ubuntu would get stuck in dos while loading some pulse audio thing. That wouldnt be affecting this would it?

Nope, not at all.

[skullriot]

Hrm. Those arent working. I can force compiz to load, but it's doing crazy stuff for about a minute before it loads in right. I would prefer not having to add the script to my boot menu.

For method a) The file wasn't there. Whether i sudo'ed or not, it just didnt show up. maybe thats my problem?

Method b) The file is there, i can edit it and it saved, and after a reboot the revision is still there, however it seems to not want to load compiz.

I don't know much, but what i do know is that it seems to be something between loading gnome fallback and whatever else is loaded.