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.
First the disclaimer: I'm not a developer, just a simple user. 
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:
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.
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.
A few more comments following up on the above:
Changing themes on MATE caused MATE's workspaces and compiz's viewpoints to become separate things again, but restoring the compiz Preferences restored the desired behavior. In contrast to what I at first thought, it does not seem that checking "Enable integration into the desktop environment" is what did the trick; I suppose I could try and compare the saved preferences with a working and non-working example to try to figure this out, but it's not really my job -- documenting how to get MATE workspaces and compiz viewpoints to be one and the same should really have been done by the developers!
For the record, here is the output of "apt list | grep compiz" on my system:
compiz-bcop/noble 2:0.8.18-3 all
compiz-boxmenu/noble 1.1.12-7build2 amd64
compiz-core/noble,now 1:0.9.14.2+22.10.20220822-0ubuntu12 amd64 [installed,automatic]
compiz-dev/noble 1:0.9.14.2+22.10.20220822-0ubuntu12 amd64
compiz-gnome/noble,now 1:0.9.14.2+22.10.20220822-0ubuntu12 amd64 [installed,automatic]
compiz-mate/noble,now 1:0.9.14.2+22.10.20220822-0ubuntu12 amd64 [installed]
compiz-plugins-default/noble,now 1:0.9.14.2+22.10.20220822-0ubuntu12 amd64 [installed,automatic]
compiz-plugins-extra/noble 1:0.9.14.2+22.10.20220822-0ubuntu12 all
compiz-plugins-main-default/noble 1:0.9.14.2+22.10.20220822-0ubuntu12 all
compiz-plugins-main-dev/noble 1:0.9.14.2+22.10.20220822-0ubuntu12 all
compiz-plugins-main/noble 1:0.9.14.2+22.10.20220822-0ubuntu12 all
compiz-plugins/noble,now 1:0.9.14.2+22.10.20220822-0ubuntu12 amd64 [installed]
compiz/noble,now 1:0.9.14.2+22.10.20220822-0ubuntu12 all [installed]
compizconfig-settings-manager/noble,now 1:0.9.14.2+22.10.20220822-0ubuntu12 all [installed]
libcompizconfig0-dev/noble 1:0.9.14.2+22.10.20220822-0ubuntu12 amd64
libcompizconfig0/noble,now 1:0.9.14.2+22.10.20220822-0ubuntu12 amd64 [installed,automatic]
python3-compizconfig/noble,now 1:0.9.14.2+22.10.20220822-0ubuntu12 amd64 [installed,automatic]
I really really like Compiz with my Mate 22.04. Its very very useful especially its exceptional ZOOM feature.
Unfortunately it does not work well with 24.04 or 24.10, Compiz is glitchy on these.
Wish there was more support for Compiz.
I love Conpiz too. I've been using it for many years now. I still don't know all the out and ins because I set it up pretty much the same way with the same options every time I install it in a new system. When I install Compiz I make sure that picom is unchecked in the 'Startup Applications Preferences' found within Control Centre. It's just another app getting in the way of Compiz. Make sure as well that Compiz is the preferred Window Manager in the list within MATE Tweak/ Windows. I also tick every useful option from Compiz associated packages when installing (Synaptic is my package manager of choice). I don't bother with the likes of 'development packages'.
I always install a fresh system when upgrading because experienced users will tell you it's more glitch free. Not all upgrades work properly for everyone as soon as they're released. I generally wait a few months and then upgrade my system hoping that any missed bugs have been taken care of. At the moment I'm on MATE 24.10 using Compiz version 1:0.9.14.2+22.1
Drop me a message if I can check anything to help out.
I have just completed an upgrade from Ubuntu MATE 22.04 to Ubuntu MATE 24.04 and fortunately all my Compiz settings were preserved (I also backup them by exporting them from CCSM, so restoring them or using them in other systems is a breeze). However, I had issues with the "startup applications" (mate-session-properties). After the upgrade, I found additional scripts in the list (picom, dock reload) that caused Compiz, Plank, and Mate Panel to crash. I simply resolved the issue by disabling these scripts.
If there were any developers listening, I would kindly request that you not assume no one is still using Compiz. Personally, I have no intention of giving up on Compiz until we switch to Wayland (where I hope we can replicate the same effects with Wayfire, but given the pace of MATE's development, we can rest assured for at least another decade).
This thread has inspired me to relook at getting Compiz to work with Mate 24.04.
I found that if you check Viewport Switcher in CCSM that it causes Compiz to act weirdly especially with Workspace Switching.
NOW FINALLY I have Compiz working on 24.04 and learned from you guys about Emerald. I like this theme manager.
Carl Moser - [email protected]
I figured out what causes Compiz to act so screwy with later Mate OSs ... specifically those later than 22.04.
Simply uncheck "Viewport Switcher" in the CCSM settings.
