Man, this is driving me crazy. I’ve tried all weekend trying to get compiz going for the KDE desktop.
I’ve been running SuSE 11.1 on an HPMedia Server for a while. I left a 20 gb partition open so I could upgrade easily, and I’m installing new there.
So I download the latest x86_64 11.1 DVD. I boot on it, and install everything I need except compiz.
After it boots I go to init 3 and install the latest NVIDIA driver for my GeForce 6150 SE.
I then go and do the 1 click install for KDE 4.2, as the installation DVD only installs 4.1.
I then do the 1 click install of compiz for KDE 4.2. It didn’t install well, the conflict manager keep asking me to move to a third party package. Finally I couldn’t get the compizsettings program installed, so I skipped it.
Now when I boot up the KDE desktop appears, then the task bar disappears and the apps I had been using come up full screen, except distorted and with no way to close windows or move around well.
Obviously I’m installing something out of order, but what? I would be more than willing to reinstall again, as I want the install as clean as possible.
Well, I think I figured it out, except emerald doesn’t seem to want to run.
Here’s the procedure, so I can look it up later.
First. Look up graphic card on the list here.
Install, but don’t install compiz.
After booting go to repositories in Yast. Delete the cd repository, and add the KDE SuSE 11.1 stable, and for me the NVIDIA repository.
Run the Online update in Yast.
Reboot.
init 3 and install nvidia driver. Don’t install the 32 bit compatibility libraries.
nvidia-config
shutdown -r now
Go to yast, software managment, and install compiz and emerald.
I think it starts running right away. Hit the start button, go into desktop configurations, default applications, and then down to windows manager. Compiz should already be set up there.
To use compiz-fusion, use the fusion-icon or open Configure Desktop (Personal Settings) then go to Default Applications and go down to Window Manager. Choose use a different window manager and then use the drop down menu to choose compiz (not compiz custom).
Well, that was weird. I did exactly what I listed above, except I let it go thru a second update before I was going to install the video driver.
But it turns out the video driver got installed correctly. Even got the NVIDIA logo on boot.
And I had a lot of the compiz desktop effects, like the spinning cube when I changed desktops.
But no compiz under default window manager.
So I installed compiz and emerald from Yast. On reboot it hosed my desktop. The taskbar disappeared, things like alt-tab don’t bring up running programs, and all the windows controls disappeared.
Can’t do anything so I guess I’ll reinstall.
I think I’ll give up on compiz for now, especially as the KDE has some of the compiz special effects.
Well, you could also just log in using icewm then navigate to your /home folder and delete your .config/compiz folder. Then just open CompizConfig Settings manager and redo all your compiz-fusion configurations. Then you can log in regularly.
There’s a real confusing chunk of words at the start of that “how to” - especially if you read at the links it mentions - about what to enable and openSuSE 11.1. I basically did this: download all compiz packages (from Packman), edited xorg.conf and manually turned compositing from “off” to “on” - then ran (in a command line non-su) simple-ccsm. Later I added emerald, etc. You can look in the commandline output of simple-ccsm if there are any errors thrown.
But if you reinstall I think you need to get some things straightened out.
First what you’ll want to do is get your graphics card drivers downloaded and installed. Make sure the driver is working. You’ll know if it’s set up correctly because the bottom Panel will become translucent instead of a solid color. You can then try out the Desktop cube and all the other cool stuff that you can use with Kwin’s implementation of compiz.
If you want compiz fusion, then you’ll have to follow the instructions from the openSUSE compiz fusion website. If you’re using KDE 4.2 then just use the one-click installer. If you’re using KDE 4.1.x or KDE 4.3.x then follow the link underneath the one-click installers to get to my instructions on how to install compiz fusion for those (Don’t just add the repository it says).
If you have any questions AFTER you have your graphics card drivers working, then ask.
Thanks! That was it. I booted up on the save mode, and erased .config/compiz. When I logged back in KDE was back, and I’m getting some of the effects like the turning cube when I change desktops.
I also checked default applications and compiz was my windows manager.
Now what? None of the function keys seem to do anything. How do I know compiz is working?
Well, you can check by tweaking some of the options in the CompizConfig Settings Manager (CCSM). If it already isn’t checked, add the desktop cube and try using 3-d windows. This will allow the windows to hover above the cube when rotating using the keyboard/mouse combination alt+ctrl+button 1 (left click). Or you can try switching the Application Switcher to the Shift Switcher to get the flip switch or cover switch. Try those. If there’s a change when you change the settings then compiz is working properly.
You can find more information about how to utilize compiz-fusion from the compiz-fusion wiki here:
I lost all my function keys tho. Page up and page down works, but the function keys do nothing. If I open up a terminal window, hitting the function keys don’t cause any characters to appear at all.
It turns out it was in the keyboard driver. I have a Microsoft Natural 4000 keyboard, which turns out to have an F-key which turns all the function keys into commands like “open”.
Now I’ve used this keyboard for like 3 years, and never knew it had this key. It’s always been used on Linux systems, so I never expected those keys to work.
Well, the driver seems to be looking for those commands, somehow. So as long as I turn the F-key on, the function keys seem to work.
This is a bug. There should be a driver for the older 4000 keyboards that came up with the F-key, and didn’t have a status led, and another for the newer keyboards like mine.
>
>dougnc;2035459 Wrote:
>> Thanks! Compiz is working, and stable.
>>
>> I lost all my function keys tho. Page up and page down works, but the
>> function keys do nothing. If I open up a terminal window, hitting the
>> function keys don’t cause any characters to appear at all.
>
>It turns out it was in the keyboard driver. I have a Microsoft Natural
>4000 keyboard, which turns out to have an F-key which turns all the
>function keys into commands like “open”.
>
>Now I’ve used this keyboard for like 3 years, and never knew it had
>this key. It’s always been used on Linux systems, so I never expected
>those keys to work.
>
>Well, the driver seems to be looking for those commands, somehow. So as
>long as I turn the F-key on, the function keys seem to work.
>
>This is a bug. There should be a driver for the older 4000 keyboards
>that came up with the F-key, and didn’t have a status led, and another
>for the newer keyboards like mine.
I consider it a manufacturers’ bug. I have a similar issue with an
older logitech that wakes up with out f-lock engaged. My newer one
does, guess they learned from the previous generation.
