Default Compiz Config for all future versions of Mint MATE

[all41]

So you remove it from future versions of mint, but will it remain in the repo for those who want to install it ?

Compiz is in the ubuntu repository, so unless they remove it from there you should be fine to install if you so wish.

Yep still there-and in the repositories for 20.1 Mate-it's still without default configs (yeah) which is a plus factor with me.
With Mint 20 I noticed Compiz out of box without defaults--no problem at all. Previous versions had too much fluff enabled,
so I thought it nice to get Compiz without the toys and enable just what I needed. I actually considered this to be an upgrade.

Then the crap hit the fan--complaints of no decorations--etc. Not Mint's fault at all-an upstream decision (and imho a good one).
Those of us that use Compiz knew exactly what to do and did not complain or report--but the decision was made to
exorcize Compiz from Mint's MATE offering.
But it's alive and well for 20.1 MATE, just go to the repositories.

[rhY]

I've updated the github for the beta with a link to this forum post, and also went to trello, but there's no way to add comments on trello or add cards. So it's as good as worthless.

Removing compiz is a terrible idea. Why not just ship with a basic config that works?

This forum post provides all the data needed to ship a working default config out of the box.

I'm happy to help and even maintain the compiz branch of Mint moving forward.

There are thousands of people using compiz in mint obviously, if you go look on YouTube. Just updating a basic config file and having a bit of responsiveness (or someone on the team who cares) should be easy. I'm not at all sure why this has been such an on-going issue. I've been reporting this during every beta cycle now for years. And posting reviews with criticism on YouTube.

It's frustrating to hear, "Oh we haven't handled this well, so we'll just remove it now." That's like a basketball player missing a single shot and then saying, "Oh, I'll just quit playing basketball." Maybe it would be better to just practice a few more free throws?

[JosephM]

I've updated the github for the beta with a link to this forum post, and also went to trello, but there's no way to add comments on trello or add cards. So it's as good as worthless.

Trello is really only for the devs. It's public so anyone interested can follow what is being done. Letting anyone add, comment, etc, would turn it into a mess really quickly

[rhY]

So I got the beta, installed it on real hardware and did an extensive test utilizing many common tasks:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lb6rofiwYvs

[all41]

Clem has announced that Compiz packages are now re-instated in Mint and now include some default configs.
Thanks Clem and Mint Team

[7rocks]

Fourth, I can't believe this project would actually ship a default configuration which doesn't even have window decorations. This is crazy.

Crazy maybe, but apparently shipping without configuration is quite "normal". Both the Debian, and Arch wiki's give a short warning to at least activate a couple plug ins before using compiz. Namely windows decoration, resize, and move.

https://wiki.debian.org/Compiz
states; "Before starting Compiz, it's important to configure it, otherwise it'll be impossible to interact with it. Use the Compizconfig Settings Manager to, at least, activate the Window Decoration, Move Window, Resize Window, Place Window"

This link above worked for me on Linux Mint Mate 19 and 20.1
Method / Howto
Go to a terminal session for the current user.

Code: Select all

compiz --replace

then you can configure everything else from the 'Control Centre' menu item.

To make it start automatically for that user:
Menu
type 'startup applications'
Add the

Code: Select all

compiz --replace

command
Logout and in again.
Voila!

[caltrop4]

I never had any success with compiz all the way back to Mint Mate 18.1

and now with 20.1...

seems like Mint is diminishing as is much software for many distros

compiz - never could get it working, still don't know what's supposed to do & marco... I just turn it all off, set marco to no composting, I'm not running Cinnamon or Kde so the graphics don't really matter to me

[phord]

I've been using Mint 19 and 20.1 with MATE at home on my 4k monitors happily for over a year now. This week I'm travelling so I'm suffering with the tiny laptop screen and my aging vision. I went looking for a decent magnifier solution for occasional scrutiny of pixels, but it seems that none exist. The only happy magnifier users I found were using Compiz Zoom / Magnifier.

Compiz -- is that thing still kicking? (I used to be a fan. I actually upstreamed a bugfix or two in Compiz 8 or 10 years ago. But then Unity made it useless for a few years.)

So, I turned it on and saw the terrible default config issues raised in this thread. What a mess! I tried the "reset to defaults", but that did no good. Then I found some other(?) reset to defaults button, and it magically began working. Mostly.

It is mostly smooth as butter. My windows swirl around in the Ring Switcher (or glide across in Shift). I can scale windows again, got my cube back, and -- most importantly for now -- the Zoom plugin is solving my tiny display problems.

Meanwhile, several bugs I was facing in Marco have gone away, too. Honestly, those almost made me abandon Mint (again), but I've found partial workarounds and put up with their borkedness for two more years now. If Compiz had been a more prominent option before, I probably would have been much happier with Mint all this time.

I do agree that Compiz is old, dusty and was never well maintained even 10 years ago. But it is much more than eye candy. Sometimes it provides essential features. Please don't kick it to the curb forego all the integrations that still need it.

Thanks, Clem, for keeping the old beast around.