Compiz 3D desktop on Ubuntu 9.04

Compiz Desktop in Ubuntu 9.04

Compiz 3D desktop with cube-plugin.

Compiz 3D desktop as cylinder or sphere.

Compiz Fusion is an advanced display system (read: composition and window manager) that can boost your Desktop with many splendid and useful 3D effects. Compiz is not only beautiful but also very functional and productive desktop scheme. Luckily Ubuntu 9.04 comes with the Compiz ready installed. You just need to activate it.

But there is a one important pre-requirement: Your machine must have a proper (hardware accelerated) graphics card as described in step 5) of this guide... If your computer is relatively new then this should not be a problem. So let's activate Compiz.

( ps. this script... that can check if Compiz can run on your computer )

1) First, start the Synaptic Package Manager (from System -> Administration menu) and search + install compizconfig-settings-manager. It is a configuration tool for compiz. Just start the Synaptic and search for word "compiz" and it will appear in the list. Install it. See picture_1a...

You can also install it by clicking this link...

2) Then start the appearance and visual settings dialog from the System -> Preferences -> Appearance menu. See picture_2...

Select the [Visual Effects] tab page and choose the "Extra" options to activate Compiz as shown in picture_2. Ubuntu will try to switch to advanced graphics mode. It will tell you if it cannot activate it correctly. Set the visual effects to "None" or "Normal" if you experience problems.

3) Changing the desktop effects
The default desktop anatomy is a "Desktop Wall", but most users want a rotatable cube (4 walls) desktop. Do you want it? You can have it by activating the Compiz' cube-plugin.

Start the compizconfig-settings-manager from the System -> Preferences -> CompizConfig Settings Manager menu. See picture_3a... Or start it from the command line by typing ccsm.

I simply press ALT + F2 keys and type the command: ccsm

Let's do some nitpicking in the dialog that appears.

First, select the "Desktop" category from the list at the left.

Checkmark the "Desktop Cube" option. It will ask whether to "Disable the Desktop Wall" because the Wall and Cube plugins cannot run at the same time. Click on the [Disable Desktop Wall]-button. Check mark the "Rotate Cube" option too. See picture_3b...

4) Modify the cube
Set the "form" of the cube.
The default "cube" has only 3 walls. You can easily change its form. Do this

While still in the ccsm dialog,
Select the "General" category and press the [General Options]-button. See picture_4a...
Click to the [Desktop Size] tab page and set the values as shown in picture_4aa...
Set the "Horizontal Virtual Size" to 4 and let the "Vertical Virtual Size" and "Number of Desktops" values be 1.

If you like a Cylinder or Sphere better than Cube then
Select the "Cube Reflection and Deformation" option from the effects category. See picture_4a3.

Then in the [Derformation] page choose either Sphere or Cylinder. See picture_4a4.

I also like to set the "3D Windows" effect. See picture 4a5.

Then rotate and test our desktop with CNTR + ALT + LEFT MOUSE buttons.

Cylinder	Sphere

Transparency of the cube/cylinder/sphere

Again, select the "Desktop" category from the list and double-click "Desktop Cube" button or label (see picture_4a6). It will show a preferences dialog for the cube settings. Choose the [Transparent Cube] tab page and drag the slider to set the "Opacity During Rotation" value to ca. 20 - 50%. See picture_4a7. Again, rotate the cube with CNTR + ALT + LEFT MOUSE buttons to see the effect.

5) Size of the cube/cylinder/sphere (the distance)
This is actually a distance from your eyes (or nose) to the cube. See picture_5...

6) Skydome (background) picture
Skydome is an image behind the cube. It can be static or animated.

First, download some skydome images from http://www.compiz-themes.org. For example get the cloudy skydome... or this green field... image. Save it under your home directory. (preferably create a local Pictures/skydomes/ directory and put it there).

Get some other good skydome images from here...

Then start the ccsm dialog and browse to Desktop -> Desktop Cube preferences. See picture_6a.. Next picture, picture_6aa... shows how to set the skydome image. Then rotate your cube (with CNTR + ALT + LEFT mouse button). Try different images.

Note: You can add cube caps in this dialog. Cube caps appear on top and bottom of the cube. You can download cube caps images from http://www.compiz-themes.org, but keep the top and bottom of the cube simple.

7) Desktop wallpaper
Get also a decent wallpaper... Ubuntu comes with some stock background pictures. Start Nautilus file manager and check directories /usr/share/backgrounds/ and /usr/share/pixmaps/backgrounds/cosmos/

Start the Appearance dialog from Preferences -> Appearance menu. Select [Background] page and [Add] new pictures to the dialog. Other really amazing wallpapers here...

8) Fusion-icon
Fusion-icon is an icon on the system-tray that lets you toggle between Compiz and an ordinary flat (GNOME's Metacity) desktop. Install it

sudo apt-get install fusion-icon

See picture_8... Read more....

9) Learn to maneuver Compiz Fusion

Rotate the cube
Usage: CTRL + ALT + LEFT ARROW (or RIGHT ARROW)
or press CTRL + ALT + drag LEFT-mouse pointer on the taskbar or desktop surface.

Task switcher
I like the "Ring Switch" plugin a lot. It's under the "Window Management" category (see picture_9a).
Usage: Super + TAB to activate ring task switcher. The Super key is often called a window key or has a windows label on it. The ordinary task switcher is still ALT + TAB.

Task overview
Usage: Move the mouse pointer sharply beyond upper, right corner of the screen.
I usually make a rapid mouse movement towards (and slightly beyond) the upper, right corner of the screen.

Flat desktop overview
Usage: CTRL + ALT + ARROW DOWN.
Move from desktop to desktop by pressing ARROW LEFT / RIGHT keys.

Change opacity / transparency of a window
Usage: ALT + roll the MOUSE WHEEL on the window's title bar.
I usually point at the titlebar and roll with the middle mouse button (which is a wheel button). My keyboard has also a wheel button which works similarly.

Maginify (zoom) is a reaaly cool feature
Usage: Super key + roll the MOUSE WHEEL on a window or desktop.
Again, in my case the mouse wheel is the middle mouse button -- and the super-key is the window-key with "start" label.

Window preview on the taskbar
If you want to see a small window preview in the taskbar, select the "Window Previews" option under "Extras" category in ccsm. See picture_9aa...

Move a window (actually this is an ordinary GNOME thing)
Press ALT + drag LEFT mouse button on the window (eg. middle of the window) to move it.

Some fancy effects with basic elements; fire and water !
Start the ccsm and browse to "Effects" category.
Activate the "Water Effects" and "Paint fire on the screen" effects. See picture_9a3.

"Water Effects" starts and stops by pressing SHIFT + F9 keys.

"Paint fire" starts with Super + SHIFT + drag LEFT mouse and stops with Super + SHIFT + C. See picture_9a4.

10) Further reading

Test if Compiz is able to run on your computer. Run Compiz-check...

Howto video: Enable Compiz Fusion... + More action...

Five nice compiz features...

Study also these guides: http://en.opensuse.org/Compiz