Ubuntu / Linux news and application reviews.

Fix For Some Apps Starting Behind Focused Windows In Ubuntu (Compiz)

| Date: November 19, 2015 | View Comments | Tags: compiz, customization, fix, ubuntu, unity

In Ubuntu (w/ Unity), some applications/windows open behind focused windows which can be annoying in some cases. Here are a few examples:
  • clicking the "open containing folder" in the Firefox downloads menu, the file manager pops up behind the focused window;
  • activating applications through indicators doesn't always bring them to the foreground, for instance Pidgin chat windows, the file manager opened via the "Open Dropbox folder" Dropbox AppIndicator menu item, Rhythmbox from the Ubuntu Sound Menu, etc.;
  • if there's already a fileroller window open (Archive Manager, a compress/extract job, etc.), the second window you open is not focused.

How To Use Compiz In Ubuntu MATE 14.04 Or 14.10

| Date: November 21, 2014 | View Comments | Tags: compiz, mate, ubuntu, ubuntu mate

If you're using Ubuntu MATE 14.04 LTS or 14.10, here's a quick guide for how to install and configure Compiz. If something goes wrong or you're not satisfied with Compiz, the article includes instructions for reverting the changes.

Ubuntu MATE Compiz

Unity Spread Gets Support For Filtering Windows By Title, Live Window Resize [Ubuntu 14.04 Trusty Tahr]

| Date: February 18, 2014 | View Comments | Tags: compiz, Trusty Tahr, ubuntu, unity

Ubuntu 14.04 Trusty Tahr: Unity 7 and Compiz were updated again today, bringing two improvements: support for filtering windows by title in Unity Spread and "live" window resize mode.

How To Install Emerald In Ubuntu 13.10, 13.04, 12.10 Or 12.04 [PPA]

| Date: May 24, 2013 | View Comments | Tags: compiz, emerald, eyecandy, ubuntu, unity

Emerald Window Decorator development may have stopped and the package is no longer available in the Ubuntu repositories for a few releases, but there are users who want to continue using it, so to make it easier to install, I uploaded Emerald to the main WebUpd8 PPA, for Ubuntu 13.10, 13.04, 12.10 and 12.04.

Emerald is a window decorator for Compiz that allows full composite window decorations. There are many themes out there that come with frames, titlebars, buttons and so on that you won't see in other window decorators, this being the main reason why Emerald was so popular a while back. Emerald is also highly customizable.

Because it requires Compiz, Emerald doesn't work in GNOME Shell, but it should work with Unity (3D), GNOME Classic with Compiz or Xfce with Compiz for instance.

Here are a few of the many Emerald themes available on Gnome-Look, DeviantArt and so on:

HalfTime Emerald theme

How To Set Up Compiz In Xubuntu 14.10, 14.04 Or 12.04

| Date: November 01, 2012 | View Comments | Tags: compiz, eyecandy, linux, ubuntu, xfce, xubuntu

xubuntu compiz

This article shows how to set up Compiz in Xubuntu (w/ Xfce) 14.10, 14.04 or 12.04.

Ubuntu Multi-Monitor Tweaks (Full Screen Flash Fixes, Span Wallpaper Across Monitors, More)

| Date: October 11, 2012 | View Comments | Tags: compiz, flash, linux, multiple monitors, tips n tricks, tweak, ubuntu, unity

If you are using a multi-monitor setup in Ubuntu, here are a few tips which should help you fix some annoyances, like:
  • get full screen flash videos to be displayed on any monitor
  • get flash videos to remain full screen while working in the other desktop
  • a tweak to move windows to a different display using keyboard shortcuts
  • how to extend the wallpaper across monitors or use a different wallpaper for each monitor

How To Reset Unity And Compiz In Ubuntu 14.04, 13.10 Or 13.04

| Date: October 02, 2012 | View Comments | Tags: compiz, linux, Quantal Quetzal, tips n tricks, ubuntu, unity

unity

In Ubuntu 14.04, 13.10 and 13.04, Unity (and Compiz) are using Gsettings and because of this, the "unity --reset" command used to reset Unity in previous Ubuntu versions doesn't work anymore. In case some settings are messed up and you want to reset Unity and Compiz to their default settings, here's a new way of doing this that works with Ubuntu 14.04 Trusty Tahr, 13.10 Saucy Salamander and 13.04 Raring Ringtail.

Update: this article was initially for Ubuntu 12.10 and 13.04. I subsequently tested new Ubuntu releases and these instructions work with Ubuntu 13.10 and 14.04 as well.


Fix GNOME Panels On Top Of Fullscreen Flashplayer Bug In Ubuntu 12.04 Classic GNOME Session

| Date: June 18, 2012 | View Comments | Tags: classic desktop, compiz, fix, linux, ubuntu

compiz classic gnome session bug

Currently, there are a couple of annoying bugs in the Ubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin Classic GNOME session when using Compiz:
  • For some fullscreen windows such as Flashplayer (this doesn't happen for HTML5), the GNOME panels are displayed over the fullscreen window, like in the screenshot above;
  • When a window is displayed on two virtual desktops, if the window loses focus, its position is randomly changed to somewhere on the first virtual desktop.

How To Create A Standalone Compiz Session In Ubuntu

| Date: February 08, 2012 | View Comments | Tags: compiz, linux, ubuntu

Custom compiz session ubuntu

This guide has been written by WebUpd8 reader Neil Rodgers and it shows how to create your own standalone Compiz session in Ubuntu (the instructions below are for 11.10, but they may work in other Ubuntu versions). Using a custom Compiz session gives you flexibility to load only what you want, so you can get a lightweight session, while still using Compiz.

Install Emerald In Ubuntu 11.10 Oneiric Ocelot Via PPA

| Date: January 16, 2012 | View Comments | Tags: compiz, emerald, eyecandy, linux, themes, ubuntu

emerald


Emerald Window Decorator is not available in the Ubuntu 11.10 Oneiric Ocelot repositories so to make it easier to install, I've uploaded the latest stable Emerald version (0.9.5) to the main WebUpd8 PPA.

Unity 3D (Launcher, Top Panel) Doesn't Load - Possible Fixes

| Date: December 19, 2011 | View Comments | Tags: compiz, fix, linux, ubuntu, unity


While testing various stuff, I've managed to break Unity 3D quite a few times (by "breaking", I mean: the launcher, Dash and the top panel don't load and you log in to an empty desktop), like a recent bug that was fixed in Ubuntu Tweak 0.6 pre-release that caused Unity to crash. So I though I'd write a post with a few basic solutions for this, in case it happens to some of you too. 

This usually occurs if somehow the Unity plugin has been unchecked in CompizConfig Settings Manager: manually, by enabling an unsupported Compiz plugin that disables it, by some third-party application and so on.

How To Find Out If Your Computer Can Run Unity 3D (w/ Compiz)

| Date: October 11, 2011 | View Comments | Tags: compiz, linux, tips n tricks, ubuntu, unity

If Unity 3D isn't working on your computer and you want to find out if this is because of a bug, because you're using the wrong drivers or because of your computer's hardware, you can use a command which lets you know if your computer can run Unity 3D:

/usr/lib/nux/unity_support_test -p

DockBarX Live Window Previews Finally Work With Compiz 0.9.x

| Date: September 30, 2011 | View Comments | Tags: avant window navigator, compiz, dock, dockbarx, linux, ubuntu

DockBarX live window previews

DockBarX is a lightweight taskbar / panel replacement for Linux. It works as a GNOME panel applet (for GNOME 2.x), as an Avant Window Navigator applet or as a stand alone dock (called DockX) that you can use in any desktop environment: KDE, XFCE, GNOME 3 (with GNOME Shell), etc.

DockBarX has been updated today with a work-around for the bug that caused live windows previews not to work with Compiz 0.9.x in GNOME (well, for most of us anyway because it seems it worked for some of you).

Ambiance To Get A Dark Toolbar, Compiz Modal Dialogs Update [Oneiric]

| Date: July 19, 2011 | View Comments | Tags: 11.10, ambiance, compiz, Oneiric Ocelot, ubuntu

Ambiance, the default Ubuntu theme, will get a dark toolbar very soon. The news comes from Andrea Cimitan who has posted a screenshot on Google+:

Ambiance Dark toolbar
(The theme is not yet available in Oneiric)

Modal Dialogs Compiz Plugin Lands in Ubuntu 11.10 [Oneiric Updates]

| Date: July 04, 2011 | View Comments | Tags: compiz, linux, modal dialogs, Oneiric Ocelot, ubuntu

Modal dialogs Unity Compiz

The Compiz modal dialogs finally landed in Ubuntu 11.10 Oneiric Ocelot today. There was some initial work for this, but the actual modal dialogs Compiz plugin has just been uploaded to Oneiric.

Here's a video demoing the new Compiz modal dialogs (Unity 3D):

DockBarX 0.44 Can Run As Stand-Alone Dock, Gets Unity Quicklists, More

| Date: June 09, 2011 | View Comments | Tags: avant window navigator, compiz, dock, dockbarx, gnome panel, linux, ubuntu

DockBarX
(DockBarX running as an Avant Window Navigator applet)


After four months of development, a new DockBarX version has finally been released: 0.44. Previously, DockBarX could run as a Avant Window Navigator / GNOME Panel applet but starting with this version, DockBarx works as a stand-alone dock too (run "dockx" to launch it), great for those running GNOME Shell or the classic GNOME session.

How To Downgrade To Compiz 0.8.6 In Ubuntu 11.04 Natty Narwhal

| Date: May 26, 2011 | View Comments | Tags: compiz, fix, linux, ubuntu

If you're using Ubuntu 11.04 with the classic Ubuntu desktop (no Unity), you've probably noticed that not all Compiz plugins work as they used to in Ubuntu 10.10 and changing some of the default Compiz settings results in quite a few bugs. This can be solved by downgrading Compiz to version 0.8.6 (Compiz from Ubuntu 10.10).

Further more, downgrading Compiz will also give you the notification area (systray) back, without having to whitelist applications and without the bug that occurs sometimes when whitelisting the systray (which prevents you from clicking certain AppIndicators).

Create A Custom Unity Launcher To Trigger The Compiz Scale Plugin [Quick Tip]

| Date: May 24, 2011 | View Comments | Tags: compiz, launcher, linux, scale, tips n tricks, ubuntu, unity

Compiz Scale

In Ubuntu 11.04 (both classic desktop and Unity), you can trigger the Compiz Scale plugin using the SUPER + W keyboard shortcut but if you don't like using keyboard shortcuts, here's how to create a custom Unity launcher (but also works on as a Gnome Panel shortcut) that triggers the Compiz Scale plugin.

How To Reset Unity, Launcher Icons Or Compiz In Ubuntu

| Date: April 29, 2011 | View Comments | Tags: compiz, linux, tips n tricks, ubuntu, unity

If you're using Unity and you want to reset Unity to its default settings, want to reset the Unity Launcher icons or you've changed some Compiz settings which have messed up Ubuntu and want to reset everything, here's how to do it.

Update: for Ubuntu 12.10 and 13.04, see: How To Reset Compiz And Unity In Ubuntu 12.10 Or 13.04.

No More Compiz Desktop Cube Plugin In Unity [Ubuntu 11.04]

| Date: March 07, 2011 | View Comments | Tags: 11.04, compiz, desktop cube, linux, Natty Narwhal, ubuntu

Compiz Desktop Cube Ubuntu

Update: the cube is back and working again!

Do you use the Compiz Desktop Cube plugin? I don't use it so I didn't notice this but it seems you can't enable the Desktop Cube in Ubuntu 11.04 if you use Unity - a bug about this has been submitted but it was marked as "opinion" so it doesn't look like it's going to be fixed, at least not in Ubuntu 11.04:

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