compizlogofusion1nz5 openSUSE 10.3: Running Compiz Fusion Using ATI Cards (mostly for KDE)Compiz Fusion is the result of a merge between the well-known Beryl composite window manager and Compiz Extras, a community set of improvements to the Compiz composite window manager. Thus if you still don’t get it, when you install Compiz Fusion, you also need to have Compiz packages as well as Xgl (in this for ATI cards) installed, but not Beryl.

So you really want to have all those 3D goodies running on your openSUSE 10.3 box using the latest Compiz Fusion … oki doki. The following how-to differs a little bit from the official how-to @opensuse.org site.

In my case I am running openSUSE 10.3 x86_64 with KDE 3.5.7 and an ATI X800 GTO2 video card on 22″ 1650×1080 resolution. (guess for Gnome it should also work). As of writing this Compiz Fusion stands at 0.5.2.

opensuse7tg1 openSUSE 10.3: Running Compiz Fusion Using ATI Cards (mostly for KDE)IMPORTANT: Please check for any UPDATES at the end of this blog before continuing.

Before we start I hope that you understand that we need to have a properly working ATI driver. If you haven’t done so yet then head to openSUSE 10.3: AMD/ATI Drivers Installation before continuing.

1. The very easy part … click on the icon for the DE corresponding to your box:

  • For KDE: fusionkde1clickfj8 openSUSE 10.3: Running Compiz Fusion Using ATI Cards (mostly for KDE)
  • For Gnome: fusiongnome1clickye5 openSUSE 10.3: Running Compiz Fusion Using ATI Cards (mostly for KDE)

2. Now head to Yast and launch Software management and install the following packages as well, unless they are already installed:

  • compiz-emerald
  • compiz-emerald-themes
  • compiz-fusion-kde (or compiz-fusion-gnome)
  • fusion-icon
  • all the related dependencies

3. To make sure that Compiz will work properly with ATI card do the following:

Click K Menu -> Configure Desktop -> Desktop -> Window Behaviour -> Transluency -> Disable it

4. Now Enable the Xgl by issuing the following command (as root):

# gnome-xgl-switch –enable-xgl

(to disable Xgl issue the command: gnome-xgl-switch –disable-xgl)

5. To make sure that Compiz will work properly with ATI card do the following:

  • Click K Menu -> Configure Desktop -> Desktop -> Window Behaviour -> Transluency -> Disable it
  • Click K Menu -> Configure Desktop -> KDE Components -> Session Manager -> Under Preferred Window Manager choose Compiz

6. Time to reboot X-server:

# rcxdm restart

7. Log-in to your DE and let’s try to manually launch Compiz Fusion:

~> compiz –replace ccp & (not sure about Gnome here!)

62299967gw6 openSUSE 10.3: Running Compiz Fusion Using ATI Cards (mostly for KDE)

and then to use emerald windows decorators/themes (which I like a lot and that is why we installed the emerald packages in first place … there are a lot of cool ones to choose from):

~> emerald –replace & (both for KDE and Gnome)

70324841it0 openSUSE 10.3: Running Compiz Fusion Using ATI Cards (mostly for KDE)

or if you prefer the native windeco that you were using in KDE or Gnome:

~> kde-window-decorator –replace & (for KDE)

~> gtk-window-decorator –replace & (for Gnome)

8. If all went fine then let’s make a script to autorun the above commands everytime you log-in:

For KDE create a file called kde-start-compiz in /home/your_username/bin and make it executable (Right Click->Properties->Permissions). Open file and type the following:

compiz –replace ccp &

emerald –replace & (or kde-window-decorator –replace &)

45835405wr0 openSUSE 10.3: Running Compiz Fusion Using ATI Cards (mostly for KDE)

Gor Gnome check the official how-to for opensuse (see below).

9. Configure your Compiz desktop using Emerald theme manager (if you are using it) and CompizConfig Settings Manager:

~> emerald-theme-manager

82377193fl2 openSUSE 10.3: Running Compiz Fusion Using ATI Cards (mostly for KDE)

~> ccsm

82714461lm6 openSUSE 10.3: Running Compiz Fusion Using ATI Cards (mostly for KDE)

I guess that’s about it …. hope it went all fine … it did with my setup. Now spend sometime with ccsm to set it up according to your likings. Looking forward for more plugins coming from the Compiz Fusion community in future.

No videos this time as my digicam is being borrowed and I was unable to make one using recordmydesktop, as it was really overloading the whole system with major jerks while recording.

Tip/Troubleshooting: If in case with Step 8 you are not getting proper autorun of the script, or you encounter the known bug with KDE Session, where you save session and then on next log-in Compiz Fusion doesn’t start, the another methos is to put the same file under /home/user_name/.kde/Autorun and rename it to kde-start-compiz.sh.

Video: Here is a small video shot using my phone’s camera, so quality is really bad …. just to show that it is running.

Tip for Superkaramba Users: If you are running Superkaramba and want to see those applets on all viewports then do the following:

Launch ccsm -> Make sure Regex Matching plugin is enabled. Then select Window Rules (enable it) -> under Below, Sticky and Non-minimizable and enter the following line:

class=Superkaramba & type=dock

That is it.

My 2 cents (12.10.07): A friend of mine was installing Compiz Fusion on his box running nVidia card and followed the official opensuse wiki on Compiz Fusion. According to the wiki you need to run Xgl as well for nVidia …. this is not true (hopefully they will correct/add information for users with nVidia card and needing AIGLX/nVidia instead of Xgl). Users with nVidia cards will simply need to follow the same steps (#4 in wiki) that is used to activate Beryl.

IMPORTANT UPDATE (21.10.07) Compiz 0.6.2 and Compiz Fusion 0.6.0: With the latest release of Compiz and Compiz Fusion, it seems that 1-click option (Step 1) is now all that you need, everything else being automated. Make sure that Xgl is switched on (Step 4). For the rest you can still refer to my post. Major new improvement in this release is Compiz Manager - a wrapper script that will launch Compiz automatically with all the relevant optimization parameters if it detects hardware and drivers capable of running Compiz or if the Xgl is activated. It will also launch fusion-icon that sits in the tray bar for easy accessibility to different decorators and settings tool. Also includes KDE window decorator and a GTK window decorator respectively and the Emerald decorator is also included in both selections.

fusioniconey8 openSUSE 10.3: Running Compiz Fusion Using ATI Cards (mostly for KDE)

Also make sure to keep an eye on official how-to @opensuse.org site in future, as Compiz Fusion will keep on updating. I will also update my post if so will be required in future in regard with newer versions. Remember that Compiz Fusion is a radically changing beta software for the GNU/Linux desktop.

Adios :)

UPDATE (22.11.07): Running Compiz Fusion Using ATI Cards and AIGLX

paypaldonatego9 openSUSE 10.3: Running Compiz Fusion Using ATI Cards (mostly for KDE)

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