Default Compiz Config for all future versions of Mint MATE

[rhY]

I tried to post this repeatedly in the comments on the news bulletins, but I kept getting some Sucuri Access Denied Website Firewall error page.

Clem:

The default Compiz configuration is less than worthless. Please try it out and tell me otherwise. There are no window borders, you cannot manage windows in any way, drag, drop, minimize, maximize. There is no 3d desktop. At all. Which is largely the point. OpenGL effects are all disabled, you can't zoom, draw with fire, nothing. I've provided you with default options several times that would work for the maximum amount of people and make the drop down to Compiz in the Mate Desktop settings completely worthwhile and usable for 99% of the population. I will list it here again for you:

CompizConfig Settings Manager:

Composite: Checked
General Options: Desktop Size: Horizontal Virtual Size: 4
MATE Compatibility: Checked Commands: Open a terminal: <Control><Alt>t
OpenGL: Checked

Enhanced Desktop Zoom, Checked: Zoom In Button <Shift><Super>Button 4
Enhanced Desktop Zoom, Checked: Zoom Out Button <Shift><Super>Button 5
Opacity, Brightness and Saturation: Checked

Desktop Cube: Checked: Appearance: Skydome: Checked (Change Default Colors for Gradient Start/End)
Transparent Cube: Opacity During Rotation: 20.0000
Rotate Cube: Checked: Zoom: 2.0000 Additional Settings: Speed: 5.0000

Firepaint: Checked
Window Decoration: Checked

Mouse position polling: Checked

Window Management:
Move Window: Checked
Resize Window: Checked
Snapping Windows: Checked

Try out that config, you will see it is very usable and not overly-flashy. But does provide a base level of everything that makes Compiz so great! Then just update the repos so that is the default config.

Also, after doing the 19.3 upgrade to 20, Compiz settings don't save after boot and I have to do all of this over and over again. So.... That's a bug report for you as well.

Thank you, other than that Mint MATE is pretty great out of the box. But the Default Compiz Config has GOT to be better. Otherwise you're just leaving a very confusing mess for newbies who might go explore in Desktop Settings.

________________________________________________________

And here's my previous bug report / submission for the Mint 20 Beta that was completely ignored:

Mint 20 Mate Beta Issues:

Default app selections are poor.

Gimp should be installed by default. Period. Also it should be pre-configured to be in single window mode.
Audacious is much lighter/better/faster than Rhythmbox which is bloated and slow.
OBS-studio is insanely popular and should be available in the repos without adding a custom PPA.
Qbittorrent is a lot better than transmission.
K3b is a lot better than brasero
Libre Office apps should be in the favorites list by default. Definitely the spreadsheet and word processor.
Ublock origin should be installed in firefox by default.
VLC should be installed by default. Period.
Aisle Riot should be installed by default, and in the mint menu favorites.

Software Manager Issues.

Tor Browser should be in the software manager.
Editors’ Picks could be a lot better. Gnome Maps, Sublime, PIA Manager, Calibre, and Shutter could definitely be replaced. My suggestions: 0 AD, higan, filezilla, audacity, blender, kdenlive (openshot is too buggy), dolphin emulator
Curating some of the software manager store items to show more polished/popular titles at the top of the list would be good. Especially in the games list.

Compiz Issues.

No default compiz config. Lots to fix here:
Default to 4 desktops/viewports/workspaces (same as Marco or Cinnamon)
Enable OpenGL and Compositing
Enable MATE Compatibility
Enable Enhanced Zoom Desktop (should be Enhanced Desktop Zoom, ENGLISH!) (plus enable the mouse scroll wheel controls)
Enable Opacity, Brightness, Saturation
Enable Desktop Cube and Rotate Cube (and setup better defaults (zoom, speed, etc.)
Enable 3D Windows
Enable Firepaint and Window Decoration
Enable JPEG, PNG, SVG, and Text (Image Loading sub category)
Enable Mouse position polling
Enable Move Window, Resize Window, Snapping Windows, Grid

Mate/Theming Issues.

ALT+CTRL+T should open a terminal. Duh
Dark Themes are darker than the Darker Themes
Calculator is old and ugly. Let’s make a newer/prettier version.
No Darkest Theme (True black)
Have the color selection separate from the theme selection. Themes should be light, lighter, lightest (lightest being total white backgrounds, windows, etc.), and dark, darker, and darkest (darkest being totally black for menus, windows, etc.). Then the folder/icon default color selection can be a separate selection, and it should be a color wheel wherein you can pick ANY color (with a few good defaults available to click on directly).

See Mock Up:
(I spent significant time in GIMP making a mockup, but have since lost it. I believe I posted at the time).

My Number one issue with Mint is that during the Beta cycle, lots of bugs are reported, and almost none of them are fixed before release. What's the point of the beta?

[antikythera]

Just to add that if you or Clem weren't already aware, Audacious is now a Qt framework application and no longer GTK.

https://audacious-media-player.org/news ... 0-released

[rhY]

Here's a Demo of how that works:

https://youtu.be/UGmBy-sYoN0

[Pjotr]

The default Compiz configuration is less than worthless.

Compiz itself is utterly worthless. A glittering heap of unstable garbage. Has always been so since its inception. Trash like Compiz should be dumped entirely by the Mint devs.

In the meantime:

Code: Select all

sudo apt-get remove compiz-core

..... and live happily ever after.

[rhY]

It's still the most advanced and impressive Desktop Environment ever made. Has been for years. I use it all the time and almost never have problems. The latest version of Mint MATE though was a downgrade, but that could be because I didn't do a fresh install. At any rate, the default config should be better if it's an option in the Desktop Settings menu. If you don't like it: Don't use it. Or even delete it. That's your choice, but some of us DO like it and use it. A lot.

[MartyMint]

It's still the most advanced and impressive Desktop Environment ever made.

I'm impressed that it consistantly fails to retain settings throughout boot...
...tears screens...
...crashes X...
...specific effects negate each other...


...but wobbly windows was impressive in 2011.

[all41]

The only issue I have ever encountered with Compiz is desktop focus and I have a workaround.
Sorry to see such experienced users disparage this. I do not use the eye candy, but the compositor and window placement
makes this manager top my list.
Using compiz w MATE20 ram usage 639mb
Using marco+compoiting only uses 556mb, so there is a price
I booted each and timed at 2.0 minutes to take the readings with identical conkys

[rhY]

It's still the most advanced and impressive Desktop Environment ever made.

I'm impressed that it consistantly fails to retain settings throughout boot...
...tears screens...
...crashes X...
...specific effects negate each other...


...but wobbly windows was impressive in 2011.

I don't have those issues. And I don't use wobbly windows. Which you can clearly see in the demo I posted above. The tearing issue is generally a video driver issue, FYI.

[MrEen]

You might want to take this up with Ubuntu, since they provide all the compiz related packages.

While they have a ton of open bug reports for compiz itself, the settings manager doesn't have many. You could make your suggestions here.

[antikythera]

This topic has made me wonder if MATE could have Muffin as an additional WM option since it can do what marco and compiz do. I may ask upstream because as and when compiz is deprecated, muffin could be a reasonable replacement.

[MartyMint]

Don't get me wrong, just as a compositor itself, Compiz is "fine".

It's the graphical gimmicks included with Compiz that feel very beta.

[rickNS]

Like @all41, I've NEVER had a single issue with compiz.
So I disagree with Pjotr opinion that it is usless junk, and should be removed from Mint, glad he doesn't make a ll the decisions.

[rhY]

Like @all41, I've NEVER had a single issue with compiz.
So I disagree with Pjotr opinion that it is usless junk, and should be removed from Mint, glad he doesn't make a ll the decisions.

Agree 100%. MATE with Compiz is the best Desktop ever. Far beating XFCE, Unity, Enlightenment, Cinnamon, or anything else I've tried.

Unfortunately right now the Default Compiz Config is garbage. Which is what this thread is about. All the haters and people whining about wobbly windows are off topic. Get a life.

If you don't like Compiz: DON'T USE IT. For those of us who use it every day all day, can we just get a usable config out of the box?

Thanks again for Mint MATE.

Here's a few other awesome Mint/Compiz Demos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W71nggn-vDQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_AhpjorIS0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObtNu6Mv3lA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkG_WOyds-k
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pA5POJ3MQs

[clem]

wow, I can't believe this.. I'm sorry rhY I'm going to have to pull this.. heh.. this piece of software.

First I can't believe how much efforts were put into making this work out of the box despite the chaotic development it has had and the lack of support from upstream.

Second I can't believe it went from working perfectly in 19.3 to being COMPLETELY broken.

Third I can't believe this passed QA, BETA and STABLE without this being flagged as an important issue. This to me shows the lack of interest we, the development team, but also we as a community of users, have of Compiz nowadays.

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

Fifth, I really don't like what's going on upstream between Ubuntu, MATE and Compiz, ini and dconf... this is a complete mess.

I thought you were exaggerating when you said it was broken. I have to say I'm shocked. I'm sorry, this has no place in the default OS, I'm removing it.

[Pjotr]

this has no place in the default OS, I'm removing it.

Excellent decision! There's only one fit place for that glittery Compiz garbage, and that's the trash heap.

[juan_lutz]

wow, I can't believe this.. I'm sorry rhY I'm going to have to pull this.. heh.. this piece of software.

First I can't believe how much efforts were put into making this work out of the box despite the chaotic development it has had and the lack of support from upstream.

Second I can't believe it went from working perfectly in 19.3 to being COMPLETELY broken.

Third I can't believe this passed QA, BETA and STABLE without this being flagged as an important issue. This to me shows the lack of interest we, the development team, but also we as a community of users, have of Compiz nowadays.

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

Fifth, I really don't like what's going on upstream between Ubuntu, MATE and Compiz, ini and dconf... this is a complete mess.

I thought you were exaggerating when you said it was broken. I have to say I'm shocked. I'm sorry, this has no place in the default OS, I'm removing it.

Dear Clem ... Compiz situation OK but what is about some CINNAMON Spices - Extensions ?
viewtopic.php?f=208&t=336948&p=1933896#p1933896

[kneekoo]

Interestingly enough, my Compiz configuration (in Mint 19.3) is almost identical to what rhY recommended, although I never touched it (a.k.a. default).

The differences are these:

Transparent Cube: Opacity During Rotation: 20.0000 (default: 100)
Rotate Cube: Checked: Zoom: 2.0000 (default: 0) Additional Settings: Speed: 5.0000 (default: 2)

By the way, I liked MATE but ever since it started having problems with the audio applet crashing every now and then, and almost every time you switch audio sources, it makes me miss Cinnamon. Now I only use this MATE installation because the other one (Mint 20 Cinnamon upgraded from 19.3) has some driver issues and I'm waiting for Mint 20.1 for a fresh install - with Cinnamon.

[rickNS]

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"

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Compiz
states; "Before starting Compiz, you should activate some plugins to provide basic window manager behaviour or else you will have no ability to drag, scale or close any windows. Important plugins are listed below:

Window Decoration - provides window borders, see #Window decoration.
Move Window.
Resize Window.
Place Windows - configure window placement options.
Application Switcher"

As it only takes a few seconds to do that, then compiz is just fine. Not COMPLETELY broken at all.

I'm removing it.

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

[antikythera]

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.

[scjet45]

I'd sooner have the stability and configurability of KWin over Compizz.