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#1 2008-10-16 01:49:30

Ranguvar
Member
Registered: 2008-08-12
Posts: 2,544

Help setting up Compiz Fusion standalone with gdm, inittab, and tint

Hello!

I'd like to set up my fresh Arch install with Compiz Fusion standalone, using twim, and gdm as the login manager. This all with the inittab method of booting with gdm. Openbox is nice, but I have a fast PC - while I like minimalism, effects are nice.

I've looked at the wiki instructions, and a few forum threads, but haven't so far got it working.

Could someone please explain the different config files I will be working with, and how they mesh together? As in, what process does the system follow through them? Does ~/.xinitrc factor in, or is it only called through startx? That sort of thing.

And, does anyone know if Compiz Fusion will 'mesh' with tint, and provide the same mouse-over image previews of windows available in GNOME?

Thanks smile

Last edited by Ranguvar (2008-10-20 23:40:59)

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#2 2008-10-16 02:29:34

creslin
Member
Registered: 2008-10-04
Posts: 241

Re: Help setting up Compiz Fusion standalone with gdm, inittab, and tint

Did you read through Howto: Standalone Compiz Fusion as WM?

I've never tried this setup myself, but if you did all that and it's not working, you'll have to provide details as to what's wrong..


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#3 2008-10-16 02:58:46

my0pic
Member
From: Melbourne, Australia
Registered: 2008-05-23
Posts: 206

Re: Help setting up Compiz Fusion standalone with gdm, inittab, and tint

If you'll be using gdm create a file called fusion.desktop ("fusion" can be anything you want to name your session and will appear in gdm session listing). Place this file in /etc/X11/sessions.
Mine for reference:

/etc/X11/sessions/fusion.desktop

[Desktop Entry]
Encoding=UTF-8
Name=Fusion
Comment=Compiz Fusion Standalone
Exec=/usr/local/bin/start-fusion.sh
TryExec=/usr/local/bin/start-fusion.sh
Type=Application

Then you need to create a script and place it in /usr/local/bin. As you can see from my fusion.desktop file I've named the script start-fusion.sh. Here's mine for reference:

/usr/local/bin/start-fusion.sh

#!/bin/sh


# Avoid relying on autolaunch to improvise D-Bus sessions for each process
if test -z "$DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS" ; then
    eval `dbus-launch --sh-syntax --exit-with-session`
fi

#compiz ccp &
#emerald &
sleep 6 && cairo-dock &
sleep 12 && mplayer /usr/share/archlinux/arch-anim.mov &
exec fusion-icon

Make the script executable (do all above as root or use sudo) and you should be able to use gdm to login.

Does ~/.xinitrc factor in, or is it only called through startx?

Well, that would be the case if starting from runlevel 3. You would then want to add a line like this to it:

exec start-fusion.sh

btw: fusion-icon is used rather than the #'ed out method in start-fusion.sh as it provides a way to exit out of the session.
You can also use compiz-deskmenu from aur to provide you with a menu in your fusion session.
As far as tint is concerned, I haven't used it. I use cairo-dock which has a systray plugin. Advantage being I can use it as a widget and hide it away.

Last edited by my0pic (2008-10-16 03:06:49)

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#4 2008-10-16 03:05:41

Ranguvar
Member
Registered: 2008-08-12
Posts: 2,544

Re: Help setting up Compiz Fusion standalone with gdm, inittab, and tint

Thanks, my0pic smile Could you please explain why you have both an Exec and a TryExec line?

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#5 2008-10-16 03:33:28

my0pic
Member
From: Melbourne, Australia
Registered: 2008-05-23
Posts: 206

Re: Help setting up Compiz Fusion standalone with gdm, inittab, and tint

Not sure on that one but it still works if removed.

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#6 2008-10-16 10:22:07

Ranguvar
Member
Registered: 2008-08-12
Posts: 2,544

Re: Help setting up Compiz Fusion standalone with gdm, inittab, and tint

Were you able to get Fusion to integrate with your panel of choice? As in, does the 'mouse-over task manager to get quick image previews of running apps' effect work, etc? And is there a way to get Firefox's Open With to use your own menu you chose, instead of forcing you to browse to the app or use GNOME's menu, which is intergrated?

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#7 2008-10-16 14:22:27

my0pic
Member
From: Melbourne, Australia
Registered: 2008-05-23
Posts: 206

Re: Help setting up Compiz Fusion standalone with gdm, inittab, and tint

Compiz Fusion works as advertised. I'm assuming you're referring to  the window previews plugin in ccsm? Cairo-dock and avant-window-navigator both work well with compiz-fusion standalone. I've just tried tint and it doesn't seem to be able to do want you want using compiz. It worked, but no window previews sad

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#8 2008-10-16 14:57:23

Ranguvar
Member
Registered: 2008-08-12
Posts: 2,544

Re: Help setting up Compiz Fusion standalone with gdm, inittab, and tint

Thanks smile That saves me some trouble. I'll try pypanel, since I'm not a huge dock fan (I hate Apple and Macs, so that killed it for me), and report back if it works for anyone who reads this in the future.

EDIT: pypanel also does not have previews sad

Last edited by Ranguvar (2008-10-20 23:16:08)

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#9 2008-10-20 23:42:16

Ranguvar
Member
Registered: 2008-08-12
Posts: 2,544

Re: Help setting up Compiz Fusion standalone with gdm, inittab, and tint

Hey,

Does anyone know if it's possible to use the GNOME menus without gnome-panel? As in, load their menus into compiz-deskmenu, or similar? I ask because GNOME's menus seem to auto-update with almost all added applications.

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#10 2008-10-22 01:44:47

Ranguvar
Member
Registered: 2008-08-12
Posts: 2,544

Re: Help setting up Compiz Fusion standalone with gdm, inittab, and tint

Bump. It's rather annoying; I install lxpanel and it has a Menu option showing GNOME's menus. But, I don't like lxpanel, I would like to add a menu to PyPanel or similar. How can I launch the GNOME menus in my own way?

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#11 2008-10-22 08:58:16

my0pic
Member
From: Melbourne, Australia
Registered: 2008-05-23
Posts: 206

Re: Help setting up Compiz Fusion standalone with gdm, inittab, and tint

Can only think of circular-application-menu in aur. It's the only one I know of which will parse the gnome menu files. Unless there's a way to run the main-menu applet or the menu-bar applet without gnome-panel.
I'm using compiz-deskmenu. Simple and very easy to configure. Admittedly, it's menu isn't dynamically updated like gnome's but I can live with that. Only took a short time to flesh it out. I used an instance of gnome-panel and loaded it up with application launchers for all the apps I wanted to include. Then, working off the properties window of each of the launchers I made a corresponding entry for compiz-deskmenu. Here's a screenshot to show what I mean.

compizdeskmenuso0.th.png

The hardest part about it all is figuring out how to set out the menu smile I just followed gnome's layout mostly and just included what I wanted.

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#12 2008-10-22 11:19:53

Ranguvar
Member
Registered: 2008-08-12
Posts: 2,544

Re: Help setting up Compiz Fusion standalone with gdm, inittab, and tint

Perhaps I should write a script to parse gnome-menus and update compiz-deskmenu tongue

Thanks for the tip. How do you start your apps, though? Do you add compiz-deskmenu to a panel?

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#13 2008-10-22 16:17:03

my0pic
Member
From: Melbourne, Australia
Registered: 2008-05-23
Posts: 206

Re: Help setting up Compiz Fusion standalone with gdm, inittab, and tint

To use compiz-deskmenu  you need to create the keybindings for it in ccsm. I mapped Control+Space on the keyboard to bring up the menu. The viewport switcher plugin is also used for right click menu access.
In ccsm to set the command go to General Options > Commands > Commands > Command Line 0 (or next available)

compiz-deskmenu

Then  to set the key go to Commands > Key bindings > Run command 0

<Control>Space

Then in the viewport switcher plugin > Desktop-based Viewport Switching > Plugin for initiate action

core

Viewport switcher plugin > Desktop-based Viewport Switching > Action name for initiate

run_command0_key

and set button 3 for the mouse to initiate the menu.
Here's the  compiz forum thread on this.

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