Compiz Fusion help needed.

[Steven Vollom]

Paul Rumelhart wrote:
> Steven Vollom wrote:
>   
>> Paul Rumelhart wrote:
>>   
>>     
>>> Steven Vollom wrote:
>>>   
>>>     
>>>       
>>>> Dear Paul,
>>>>
>>>> You got me laughing, I am so happy.  I have eight now.  Are you actually 
>>>> seeing an octagon?  I just seem to be rotating the desktop as a whole.  
>>>> This isn't just fun, it is totally useful.  I am always working with 
>>>> several pages on the desktop.  Now I can separate projects.  What a 
>>>> wonderful tool.  This is just great.
>>>>
>>>> I have never played with Compiz yet.  I have been too busy learning 
>>>> things that are a priority.  It will be fun when I can take the time.  
>>>> Do you use any other features of Compiz that are so useful?
>>>>
>>>> Cudos, Cheers!, Ciao Bello, and Cordially,
>>>>
>>>> Steven
>>>>   
>>>>     
>>>>       
>>>>         
>>> Steven,
>>>
>>> I have it set so that I can press both the left and right mouse buttons 
>>> when my cursor is over the desktop, and it shows me an eight-sided 
>>> "cube" with one desktop on each side.  Technically, I guess it's 
>>> ten-sided because you have the two end caps.  I think you can also press 
>>> Ctrl and Alt and the left mouse button to do this.  I remember I had to 
>>> set the zoom value to get the desktop "cube" to fall back from the 
>>> screen so I could see it better.  Under Advanced Desktop Effects 
>>> Settings > Rotate Cube > General I have my zoom set at 0.5068.  I 
>>> remember playing with the values until everything spun at the speed I 
>>> wanted it to.   I also have Cube Reflection on (in the Effects area), 
>>> which shows the cube over a reflective floor.  I think it's a 
>>> great-looking effect.
>>>
>>> I also have it setup so that if I hold down the Alt key and use the 
>>> wheel on the mouse, it will make the window the mouse is over more 
>>> transparent.  That way, if my window is blocking another window and I 
>>> need to see what's on it, I can make the window slightly transparent so 
>>> I can continue to work in it but also see what's behind it.  I don't 
>>> remember if I had to change it to do that or if it's default behavior.
>>>
>>> I also recommend using the Window Previews (in Advanced Desktop Effects 
>>> Settings in the Extras area).  If this is enabled you should see a small 
>>> preview window whenever you mouse over a window icon in the start bar.  
>>> This is useful when I have a few of the same window types open, and I'm 
>>> not sure which one is the one I want.  Mousing over them will show me a 
>>> snapshot of what they actually look like at that second.  If you have a 
>>> video open, it will actually show the video as it's progressing in the 
>>> preview window.
>>>
>>> I've also played around with animations, which are nice but don't 
>>> actually help me be more productive.  I also like having Wobbly Windows 
>>> enabled, although it does nothing to really help me either.  It just 
>>> looks nice.
>>>
>>> Paul
>>>
>>>
>>>   
>>>     
>>>       
>> I found it Paul; it was the Expo effect.  I unchecked it and the ability 
>> to drag and drop returned.  I can't remember why I checked that option.  
>> Did you suggest it?  What is supposed to happen?  Thanks again.  This is 
>> sure interesting.
>>
>> Steven
>>
>>   
>>     
> Steven,
>
> If that's the case, then you can probably ignore my email telling you to 
> run "emerald" at the command line.  When you run compiz, do you have red 
> borders on your windows that are slightly transparent?  If so, then you 
> are running the emerald window manager.  The default is probably KWin or 
> Metacity if not.  A window manager is the application responsible for 
> putting the title bar on windows, showing the maximize and minimize 
> buttons, and allowing you to resize the window.  Linux is all about 
> choice, so of course there are multiple applications you can run to do 
> this.  Compiz usually runs the emerald window manager, which has been 
> designed to run with compiz because compiz allows it to do the tricks 
> with transparency and whatnot.  So when you said you had no border 
> around your windows, I assumed that emerald had died, leaving you with 
> no active window manager.
>
> Paul
>
>
>   
I think that this is the case.  How do I make Emerals take priority or 
remove or inactivate the unwanted manager.  This is new material for 
me.  I really did not understand the controlling function of the manager.