No animations in MATE, can't figure it out at all.

[TsarProdigy]

I'm running Mint 14 64-bit, and I'm using the MATE version. I figured I'd try it out, as Fedora and Ubuntu were the only one's I've ever tried, so I downloaded the ISO and installed it. I must admit, I've had a horrible experience with it. I got the basics down, and I had my theme and dock (Docky) up and running within a few minutes, as well as the global menu fork that's on here (Same link as below). Sorry that this is so long, by the way. Not sure how else to sum it all up.

Basically, I have no animations.
None at all. Nothing for minimizing, roll-up, open, or anything like that. I've gone into Configuration Editor to Desktop>Mate>Interface and turned on animations in there, but nothing changed. I know that there are issues with Compiz in mate past v0.9x, and I found a version of 0.8x here http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=217&t=114613

Problem with this is that when I use this command, it doesn't work.

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deb http://jas.gemnetworks.com/debian debian main
#deb-src http://jas.gemnetworks.com/debian debian main

This is the output I get.

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No command 'deb' found, did you mean:
 Command 'debc' from package 'devscripts' (main)
 Command 'derb' from package 'libicu-dev' (main)
 Command 'dab' from package 'bsdgames' (universe)
 Command 'debi' from package 'devscripts' (main)
 Command 'xdeb' from package 'xdeb' (universe)
 Command 'dwb' from package 'dwb' (universe)
deb: command not found

Attempting to continue with apt-get update, I get this.

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W: Failed to fetch http://jas.gemnetworks.com/debian/dists/debian/InRelease  Unable to find expected entry 'main/binary-i386/Packages' in Release file (Wrong sources.list entry or malformed file)

E: Some index files failed to download. They have been ignored, or old ones used instead.

I went to the link in the code from up above http://jas.gemnetworks/debian and explored through the pool/ directory, and found .debs of everything the command was supposed to download. So I downloaded every one of them, and attempted to install them. I got most of them installed, until I got to some that required dependencies that I couldn't find, regardless of where I searched, and I decided I didn't know enough about them, so i quit, and used Synaptic to delete everything related to compiz.

Past this, I haven't gotten around to doing anything, cause I'm not sure where to start.
This has left me completely clueless, and I was honestly considering going back to Ubuntu, and learning to live with Unity, cause it at least works...
I really appreciate anyone who's willing to help me out on here, though.
I really like Mint, it's just this that's got me stumped, and I'm not quite sure what to do about it.
Not sure what other distro I might turn to before settling with Ubuntu.

[caf4926]

I'm wondering why you installed Mate and not Cinnamon

[timk]

You don't need to do any of that to install compiz, I'm using Mint 14 / MATE / Compiz all from the basic repos and it works fine. For starters, you need to read up on how to use apt-get, because you're using it all wrong. But that's Ok, there's no need to go there anyway.

Just install the Compiz and the Compiz Settings Manager that is already in the repos (from the package manager app) - it'll give you all the animations you could possibly want.

[TsarProdigy]

I'm wondering why you installed Mate and not Cinnamon

Honestly, I tried Cinnamon, and had the same problem. That's why I switched to Mate. Does compiz actually work in Cinnamon? I still have the ISO...

You don't need to do any of that to install compiz, I'm using Mint 14 / MATE / Compiz all from the basic repos and it works fine. For starters, you need to read up on how to use apt-get, because you're using it all wrong. But that's Ok, there's no need to go there anyway.

Just install the Compiz and the Compiz Settings Manager that is already in the repos (from the package manager app) - it'll give you all the animations you could possibly want.

So I just installed compiz and CCSM.
I put marco --replace in the Window Decorations menu, and I turned on animations. Then I loggen in, and back out, and nothing. Still. No change. So I installed Fusion Icon to automatically assign Compiz as the Window Manager, and that changed my borders, but now they're completely unresponsive. I installed the Compiz package right inside the Software Manager, as well as the version of CCSM there also.

To fix it, I have to set Marco as the window manager through the Fusion Icon.

Is there something I'm doing wrong here, or something?
If so, can somebody walk me through it, or at least point me in the right direction, as to where to find the solution?

[Edit] I know I used apt-get update wrong in this instance, by the way. I was following the tutorial on the link posted above, and decided to see what would happen if I just skipped over the error. My bad for not making that one clear.

[caf4926]

TBH nobody really uses Compiz much. The world of Linux moved on and kind of left it behind.

[timk]

TBH nobody really uses Compiz much. The world of Linux moved on and kind of left it behind.

Don't know why. There isn't anything that replaces it, and I rather like it.

[timk]

The first thing you need to do in CCSM is scroll down to the bottom (the "Window Management" section) and check all the window management options. You can check most everything here. This is most certainly your problem. It seems stupid that you have to do this, but you do. The window management features don't work unless you do.

Also in ccsm:
Effects -> Window decoration
General -> Composite


You might also need compiz-gnome and some of the plugins packages. I've the following compiz related packages installed:

compiz install
compiz-core install
compiz-gnome install
compiz-plugins install
compiz-plugins-default install
compiz-plugins-extra install
compiz-plugins-main install
compizconfig-settings-manager install
libcompizconfig0 install
python-compizconfig install

Oh, and you do not need to reinstall to switch to Cinnamon, or anything else. If you just install it with Software Manager, it will show up as a session choice at the login screen.

[timk]

I'm wondering why you installed Mate and not Cinnamon

Because I moved to Mint to get away from GNOME3 and all that mess?

[TsarProdigy]

You might also need compiz-gnome and some of the plugins packages. I've the following compiz related packages installed:.

Unfortunately, I all of these packages installed, and all of those plugins checked, and still, I have nothing, even after logging in and out. The ONLY thing that does work is that it properly replaces my window decorations when I put in marco --replace in the command. Using Metacity --replace changes the borders to something else, but they still work, and anything else removes them completely.

This is really confusing to me.. Never have I had such a problem in Linux. I'm considering just staying on Ubuntu 10.04, even after support ends. The Software Center packages should still be available after that, right? It's coming up in April.

[Edit] I'm going to attempt cinnamon, and see how that goes.
Using these packages.

Cinnamon
Cinnamon-themes
Mint-meta-cinnamon

Maybe there'll be a spot of luck with that.

[TsarProdigy]

After a lot of time playing with Compiz, I finally got it working! Not sure why the Window Management plugins weren't working before, but they are now.

Only problem is now, I have to use GTK Window Manager, and I can't find how to change the theme... or at least move the buttons to the left... gconf-editor didn't help, as I tried that already. And Emerald gives me an error..

Segmentation fault (core dumped)

Nothing beyond that. No buttons pop up. I don't really care about Emerald, honestly, as long as my controls can be changed, and the buttons can be moved to the left.

[timk]

Well, as a last ditch effort, you might check the contents of ~/.xsession-errors, there may be a useful message in there.

[timk]

After a lot of time playing with Compiz, I finally got it working! Not sure why the Window Management plugins weren't working before, but they are now.

Only problem is now, I have to use GTK Window Manager, and I can't find how to change the theme... or at least move the buttons to the left... gconf-editor didn't help, as I tried that already. And Emerald gives me an error..

Segmentation fault (core dumped)

Nothing beyond that. No buttons pop up. I don't really care about Emerald, honestly, as long as my controls can be changed, and the buttons can be moved to the left.

If you can find out how to rearrange the buttons with compiz running, let me know, I can't find it anywhere. I can only assume it has to do with a lack of a MATE compatibility package for Compiz, as GNOME has.

EDIT: actually I just found this:

viewtopic.php?f=217&t=114613

[TsarProdigy]

EDIT: actually I just found this:

viewtopic.php?f=217&t=114613

Actually, that's the post referenced in the initial post up above.
It's a fork of an earlier version, not the version that's in the Software Manager.

You can try looking around in the Pool/ folder mentioned in the first post above, and see if you can find a way to get the MATE backend to work by installing the .debs. I have a feeling it's there, somewhere.

I've managed to change every aspect of the theme, with both Mate settings, Cinnamon settings, and some of the other stuff. Only reason I'm in Mate now is because I have the global-menu in it, and I'm not sure how to get it to work in the other environments. That, and the fact that Compiz doesn't run any different of any of the other environments I have installed.
I have Cinnamon, Mate, gnome.desktop, GNOME Classic, Ubuntu Unity, Cairo-Dock (GNOME), and XClient. All of which I think I've tried Compiz in, and they all behave the same.

[timk]

Yes, have it installed and everything's working. My problem with .8 compiz was that even though I'd removed compiz .9, I left libdecorate0 .9 behind (it has to be removed manually) and it was causing emerald to segfault and gtk-window-decorator to crash. Installing libdecorate0 .8 from the same repo as compiz fixed that.

[homerscousin]

I assume you are after the desktop special effects? Annimations? Have you considered KDE? Compiz is kinda on hold whereas KDE is very actively being developed and it does pretty much all the stuff compiz did, and I do mean did.

I'm running an Ivy Bridge CPU with the Intel hd4000 graphics. Ran Mint 13 KDE until 2 days ago. Fresh installed Mint 14 KDE. The effects I have tried so far seem to be a touch smoother over v13. Could be the newer kernel, or any of many new files installed. It works. It works well. I've lost touch with Cinnamon and the features and direction it holds and what it offers for desktop effects. To me, if you want eye candy and special even annoying crap on your desktop, KDE is the only way to go.

KDE 4.10 is due out feb 08. It is supposed to have much better support for annimated wallpapers. I want that.

[TsarProdigy]

Yes, have it installed and everything's working. My problem with .8 compiz was that even though I'd removed compiz .9, I left libdecorate0 .9 behind (it has to be removed manually) and it was causing emerald to segfault and gtk-window-decorator to crash. Installing libdecorate0 .8 from the same repo as compiz fixed that.

I'm not even running .8 anymore. I'm running the full Ubunutu one, that isn't (according to several forums) supposed to work. it works fine, minus the window borders.

I assume you are after the desktop special effects? Annimations? Have you considered KDE? Compiz is kinda on hold whereas KDE is very actively being developed and it does pretty much all the stuff compiz did, and I do mean did..

I've decided not to tamper with it anymore, but I will try KDE on my Desktop, cause that sounds very interesting...
My only experience with KDE was on Windows 7, with Plasma, but that's it. I'll definitely try it out. But we'll see. All of my systems are far underpower in comparison to yours. Excuse me while this gets off topic a bit.

Laptop:
Acer 5552
AMD Athlon II @2.33GHz
4GB RAM
AMD HD 4650 (I think)

Desktop
Intel Pentium D 3.0GHz Prescott
2GB RAM
Gigabyte 8500GT 256MB
I am actually in the process of building one right now, I just have to get the CPU and the motherboard, and some RAM for it.
Gonna go with an Ivy Bridge i3-3220 3.3GHz, 4GB RAM, which I'll eventually get another 4GB, and I'll put my 8500GT in that until I can afford a new GPU.

[homerscousin]

To TsarProdigy, if there is any way possible for you to forget that i3 3220 and go for the i5 3570k, do it. Right now it is about $100 more. But the capabilities of the onchip HD4000 Intel graphics exceeds that of your 8500 GT. Plus you get 4 cores. Stick with 4 Gb ram to save a few bucks. It will be significantly faster and you won't need a graphics card unless you are anywhere near a hardcore gamer.