Compiz window manager is a mess on 24.04

I have two Laptops - both running Ubuntu Mate but one is on 22.04 and the other on 24.04. Compiz runs great on the older 22.04 but is erratic on 24.04. The workspaces get confused, it locks up, and the main menu disappears.
On my 24.04, I reverted to Marco as my window manager.

Is there any fixes for Compiz to run properly on 24.04. Compiz is a really neat window manager.

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First the disclaimer: I'm not a developer, just a simple user. :slight_smile:

If Compiz works, but fails after a reboot, try a different displaymanager, or at least display-greeter. I had some problems with arctica-greeter setting up a desktop session which disappeared when i swiched to slick-greeter.

If that doesn't work, try this:

And then this:

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I am posting my experience with Compiz 0.9.14.2 under ubuntu MATE 24.04.1 here.

First, in contrast to several other postings on this web site, having picom checked in Startup Applications did not seem to break Compiz. But I've unchecked it anyway to be on the safe side.

Second, while everything I've tried seems to work as its developers intended, its integration with MATE is not as simple as just activating the MATE Compatibility plugin. The main problem is that even with that plugin active, the "workspaces" that MATE provides and those provided by Compiz (confusingly referred to as Viewpoints and/or as Desktops in various places in the ConpizConfig-Settings-Manager (CCSM)) are not necessarily the same thing!

When I first started running Compiz, every MATE workspace (I have four of them) was associated with a separate array of Compiz workspaces (viewpoints). Or at least so it was until I did something, I think it was checking the "Enable integration into desktop environment" in the Preferences section (not a plugin) of the CCSM, that suddenly they became one and the same. Since it now appears to be doing what I would've expected, I immediately exported my preferences so that I can get back to where I was if I inadvertently screw it up (hopefully).

But I have to say that this is all quite complicated, and as far as I can tell, completely undocumented, unless you consider the one-liners in the CCSM itself to be "documentation"!

In any case none of the keybindings made in MATE's Keyboard Shortcuts settings for workspaces or windows seem to apply while you're running Compis, so you have to set everything up separately for Compis using CCSM, and those bindings are scattered across a myriad of plugins, which makes that relatively challenging.

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I know it's some time since this post was published but, I wanted to add my own rewarding experience using Compiz.
A few years back I noticed that if I didn't get rid of everything asociated with compositors and window managers from the 'Startup Applications' there are some niggles because the system was associating some things with Marco for example and sometimes when I booted fresh Marco would have been given control when it should be Compiz.
I also set Compiz in the Startup Applications along with Emerald (my favourite Theme Manager for a while now).
I have had no problems with Compiz for years now and this includes installation of various editions of Ubuntu Mate. LUbuntu and XUbuntu.
So my Startup Applications list includes Compiz Window Manager - /bin/compiz, Fusion Icon - /bin/fusion-icon (is a must for easy access for controlling the Window and Theme managers) and Emerald Theme Manager - /bin/emerald.
picom is disabled. Marco is removed.
That's it apart from altering settings in Compiz Settings Manager. You will need to check Mate Compatibility if using Mate else Gnome should be checked (it's kinda obvious).
Window settings can be a hit or miss till you get the settings (Window operations) the way that you like, Wobbly Windows, the Desktop Cube, etc.
Be careful with invisibility because if you switch it on with full transparency you won't know where the Window controls are. I've wrestled with this as I would like transparent backgrounds like we have as an option in Terminal. One of our more experienced users has told me this is specific to Terminal and works differently to Compiz as Compiz makes the entire Window including the frame and controls transparent from 100% to 0% opaquness.
I hope this helps people.
Oh one last thing. I don't use Wayland anything when using Compiz on my systems.

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