Compiz issues in 20.04

Can anyone please test if the D-Bus plugin works again in 20.04?
It doesn't work for me in 19.04.

But be careful, when being enabled, it let compiz enter an endless crash/restart loop for me, where it is hard to escape from! :smiley:

FYI, there has been an update to the bug report Bug #1868443 from muktupavels (author of the original Merge post), and it looks as if there may be still more reorganisation changes to/for upstream projects (like MATE)!

Seems rather late IMHO for such activity with Beta just 4 days away. Rational move might be to revert to as-for-19.10 for this 20.04 LTS, and take the time to do everything right for 20.10?

But either way will stand by for further alpha, beta or ??? testing as needed.

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Going to update my guide, but Compiz 0.8 installation pre-requisites needs to be modified to use either python-dev-is-python2 or python-dev-is-python3 for use in 20.04.

As we are started to talk here about workarounds, below I propose mine.
It reverts the patch (https://code.launchpad.net/~muktupavels/compiz/+git/compiz/+merge/374783/+index?ss=1).
It copies 2 files from Ubuntu MATE 19.10 packages and writes 1 new to 20.04 LTS on file level.

The script is below:

# install Compiz
sudo apt install -y compiz compiz-core compiz-mate compiz-plugins compiz-plugins-default

# prepare download directory
mkdir -p ~/Downloads/mate-20-04-fix
cd ~/Downloads/mate-20-04-fix

# fill /etc/compizconfig/mate.conf manually
cat <<EOF | sudo tee /etc/compizconfig/mate.conf
[general_mate]
backend = gsettings
integration = false
plugin_list_autosort = true
profile = mate
EOF

# get /etc/X11/Xsession.d/65compiz_profile-on-session from compiz-gnome
wget http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/pool/universe/c/compiz/compiz-gnome_0.9.14.0+19.10.20190918-0ubuntu1_amd64.deb
dpkg -x compiz-gnome_0.9.14.0+19.10.20190918-0ubuntu1_amd64.deb compiz-gnome/
sudo cp -v compiz-gnome/etc/X11/Xsession.d/65compiz_profile-on-session /etc/X11/Xsession.d/65compiz_profile-on-session

# get /etc/compizconfig/mate.ini from compiz-mate
wget http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/pool/universe/c/compiz/compiz-mate_0.9.14.0+19.10.20190918-0ubuntu1_amd64.deb
dpkg -x compiz-mate_0.9.14.0+19.10.20190918-0ubuntu1_amd64.deb compiz-mate/
sudo cp -v compiz-mate/etc/compizconfig/mate.ini /etc/compizconfig/mate.ini

Then reboot, launch MATE Tweak and select Compiz as Window manager.

I have tested it on my Ubuntu MATE 20.04 LTS test machines.

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Thanks for the research, a fix is on the way:

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I can confirm that a complete uninstall of compiz, followed by a re-install per the 19.10 instructions, now results in a fully working compiz system - consistant with 18.04. Tested on real hardware (Core2Duo) on daily build.

Thanks for the efforts @Wimpy!!

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Interesting. I wonder if that fix is going to help with older Compiz as well?

Just a note for anyone who is using Compiz 0.8 — Scott's more interested in the Wayland project, and maintains a project called Wayfire which is suppose to be "Compiz for Wayland" essentially.

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ubuntu 20.04
Compiz 0.9.14.0
Libreoffice 6.3 from repo
LIbreoffice 6.4 from document fundation
LIbreoffice 7.0.0.0.alpha0+ from document fundation

Description:
when compiz have enabled gtk-window-decorator, libreoffice apliction show transparent window

https://bugs.launchpad.net/compiz/+bug/1854183

LIbreoffice dropt gtk2 so problem back :frowning:

I tried Compiz-Fusion 0.9 just now after fresh installing 20.04. It's so buggy. I can't even load my GTK3 theme. My advice is to install Compiz-Reloaded and untick VBlank. All is well now.

Just curious — Using my guide to do it or are there a set of instructions from elsewhere people should follow for a less error-prone experience?

If you use Compiz from the Ubuntu MATE repo, using the instructions in my original post at the top of this thread (copied from @Wimpy's 19.10 Release Notes), plus CCSM of course, then all is good (now).

[ If you want to use Synaptic Package Manager just make sure to Mark each of the packages listed. ]

I use nothing beyond mouse selection of workspace switching, so have seen no need to venture into other variants of Compiz.

If they'd just add that to Marco - Button 4/5, ie mouse wheel, to Prev/Next workspace when the cursor is over bare desktop - then I wouldn't even need Compiz. :wink:

Just wanted to chime in and say that all the compiz stuff I've tried has worked for me so far.

Curiously enough I still need to add the oibaf ppa with updated graphic drivers in order to get emerald to function. Maybe I just don't understand something but I would have thought that the current 20.04 LTS would have had those graphic drivers in by now? Am running on a Lenovo Thinkpad x250 if that matters. It's an Intel graphics card.

Side note, and slightly off topic: Has anyone made something that can convert an emerald theme to metacity or GTK3? Not a programmer but seeing as Compiz is known to be depreciated and a sinking ship I'd love to get my preferred window bars converted to something that can be expected to be around longer.

I am sure if you look around on the internet, you will find a Compiz to Metacity conversion script you can purpose. Best advice I can give is to find a popular Emerald / GTK theme, compare its filenames and preview images side-by-side and produce a script which will copy from one to the other. Define a couple directories as variables, make a basic choice script which defines the variables, maybe if you're lazy just ln the theme to a specific location then cp to another directory which you then mv into your themes (or ln to test if linking won't cause issues).

Why am I not doing this myself? Well — I can't do everything, and you seem to have a more vested interest in it than I do. GLHF. :+1:

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So you're saying there probably is one. That's all I needed to know. :slight_smile:

I've been using mate for 2 days and all of it with compiz. It works great until it doesn't. Fixed screen tearing (with intel iGPU) and got different wallpapers for different workspaces but compiz-config-manager keeps crashing on me in the middle of tweaking stuff.

Also, is there a way to avoid adding one image at a time and give the wallpaper plugin a folder with multiple images?

I've asked Scott about this before with COmpiz 0.8 and he probably won't do it. Your best bet would be to fetch sources for Compiz plugins and modify Wallpaper yourself.

I also -really_ want Caja to be hacked into showing the desktop icons above whatever wallpaper is set for Compiz, like modified Nautilus Elementary allowed back in the day. Shame I feel that isn't happening.

Maybe, @Wimpy there's an idea for your next stream...

Is the dbus plugin working for anyone of you in 20.04?

Compiz crashes for me instantly when enabling it. Everything else works fine.

Same here. When i enable dbus I end up in Marco which looks to act as a fallback.

After some years of using Compiz and other window managers in my experience you need to use the options available in the default Window Manager to make the contrasting colours suitable to view. This is available in the Theme Manager in personal settings.
Use can use Compiz or Macro as a Window Manager. I believe they do not affect the colour contrast as such.
In my personal choices one of the first things I do after a fresh install (I have done hundreds over the years) is to install Synaptic Package Manager to allow all Compiz packages to be available and install from there AND install Emerald Theme Manager.
If Emerald is installed you will have options available for frames, buttons, borders and everything.
Only thing I've never delved into with themes is how to reproduce the colours of backgrounds, borders, etc.
We're getting into the realms of what our Desktop Environment might look like if seen on a movie doing this...
So, install Compiz (if you like)to control windows. Install Emerald Theme Manager to control buttons, etc. Make sure Compiz is the option instead of Macro in the Ubuntu Mate Tweak app.
Oh and one of the biggest problems with Compiz is our graphics boards.
I run an older Lenovo laptop with Compiz and Emerald installed and a newer one without to see what a problem is that I'd been having with freezing of my system but it now looks like it's nothing to do with the window manager so I am free to reinstall Compiz, etc.
The various boards are not all fully compatible... you take your chances.

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