[Solved] Multiple Desktop activities with Compiz

[magesha]

Hi,

Edit: Please read last post for my current setup which "works"

I have just recently installed PCLinuxOS 2010, with KDE. I am very impressed with both PCLinuxOS and the community here. Was able to fix many of my early problems based on threads here!

I was first testing out the different desktop activities with each of the four desktops having one activity. I must say, they are really well done especially the launcher and some of the widgets. But, I had issues with the windows not redrawing properly, and looking sort of dated. So, I turned on compositing in KDE, using the desktop effects (Configure your desktop > Desktop > Desktop Effects etc.

Here, I found KDE to be quite lacking with a lot of lag, and occasional suspension of compositing due to performance issues. So, I thought I will check out compiz instead. There started my trouble. I ended up setting up my desktop activities many times, and adding new wallpapers to identify the desktops which would mysteriously disappear only to appear again thereby taunting me to think it is possible to have them setup correctly somehow.

Long story short, I figured out a workaround. The activities I created are stored somewhere, and by adding a right-click mouse action to my desktop, I am able to switch between them with relative ease. Not the ideal solution, but good enough.

Now, there are two problems that happen: If I setup compiz to have four desktops, AND KDE to have four desktops, they don't overlap. That is, the pager only shows the KDE desktops and using compiz cube or other means to switch between desktops doesn't update my position on the pager/switcher. Furthermore, when I am in the first KDE desktop, I can switch to my open windows (I have smooth tasks setup to show all windows - the default setup), so if I click on a program icon that is on another desktop, the compiz desktop switch happens to show the window. But, if I click on the pager to change desktop, a KDE desktop switch happens and all icons vanish from smooth tasks.

So, I figured it is like the KDE desktop is a container that contains the compiz desktops. I tried was to set the number of KDE desktop to 1. This works for a bit with everything perfect - clicks on the pager AND keyboard/mouse triggers moving between the different compiz desktop. But somehow the number of desktops on compiz also gets set to one automatically, and the pager updates to show only one desktop. Anyone can think of a solution of any tips for working around this snag? That would be very helpful!

One more question: If I use compiz as the DE, do I still need to keep KDE compositing enabled? (Configure your desktop > Desktop > Desktop Effects > Enable Desktop effects) I would think not, since KWin is not being used.

I am sorry this is such a long verbal post with no pictures. If you would like some screenies or something, let me know. I know this has a lot to do with KDE + compiz interaction and very little to do with PCLinuxOS as such (wonderfully delicious distro, btw!) but since I haven't seen these many helpful people on any other forum before, I thought I would hedge my bets on here  

I noticed there are others who tried to do something similar with little luck in these threads:

http://www.pclinuxos.com/forum/index.php?topic=74942.0

http://www.pclinuxos.com/forum/index.php/topic,73501.0.html


Thanks a lot for any help on this!
Cheers,
Magesha

[Zero Angel]

Whether you have KDE compositing enabled or not shouldnt matter since KWin gets totally replaced by Compiz when it's loaded, thus making those settings irrelevant (also note, KWin and Plasma are different things -- Plasma stays running, which provides your desktop/taskbar, while KWin does not).

[menotu]

You could check to make sure Compiz is added just here:

Configure Your Desktop >> Personal  >> Default Applications >> Window Manager

Also, in

PCC (Configure Your Computer)  >> Hardware >> Setup Graphical Server >

Is your graphics driver setup correctly?

Are you fully updated via Synaptic?

What spec is your PC?

If you updated have you restarted your system?

[magesha]

Thanks Zero Angel and Menotu! I did a couple of more iterations and reset my PC.

Now, everything seems to be working fine. I have four desktops in both KDE (right click on pager >configure virtual desktops) and one in compiz (ccsm > general options > Desktop size > number of desktops) but curiously ccsm > general options > Desktop size > Horizontal Desktop size is 4!! Somehow, with this setup everything works fine.

@Zero Angel: 

Whether you have KDE compositing enabled or not shouldnt matter since KWin gets totally replaced by Compiz when it's loaded, thus making those settings irrelevant (also note, KWin and Plasma are different things -- Plasma stays running, which provides your desktop/taskbar, while KWin does not).

Yea, I have no effect change from disabling the compositing in KWin. Thanks for clarifying about Plasma.

@menotu:

Configure Your Desktop >> Personal  >> Default Applications >> Window Manager

Done!

PCC (Configure Your Computer)  >> Hardware >> Setup Graphical Server >

I am here, how to tell if it is setup correctly? Mine is a compaq Presario CQ40. The stuff there is as follows:



Options:



Testing worked fine (I got multi colored stripes). Any tips on how to find version of my graphics card to ensure that it matches? Under PCC > Hardware > Browse and configure Hardware > Video Card, I have:

Identification
Vendor: ‎Intel Corporation

Description: ‎Mobile 4 Series Chipset Integrated Graphics Controller

Media class: ‎VGA compatible controller

Connection
Bus: ‎PCI

PCI domain: ‎0

Bus PCI #: ‎0

PCI device #: ‎2

PCI function #: ‎0

PCI revision: ‎0x07

Vendor ID: ‎0x8086

Device ID: ‎0x2a42

Sub vendor ID: ‎0x103c

Sub device ID: ‎0x3607

Misc
Module: ‎Card:Intel 810 and later

Anyways, since all is working fine right now, it is totally fine to ignore this thread. I just posted these in case something is off. I will keep observing over the next couple of bootups, and if nothing breaks, will mark the thread "Solved". Although, I am too tempted to now goto the pager right click > "configure virtual desktops" and select the different activity for each desktop. I am going to fight that impluse for a while

Thanks for the help, you guys! Unfortunately, I changed so many things that I can't really tell what fixed it. But if I manage to break it again, I will post a small summary on the settings that is working for me

Cheers,
Magesha

[magesha]

Ok, I couldn't resist the temptation for too long  I tried changing the virtual desktop to "Different activity for each desktop" and what that does is add another activity in addition to the one I had. So, I unticked that and deleted the new activity and all is back to normal.

In summary here is my setup:

1. Configure your desktop > Personal > Default Programs > Window manager > compiz,
2. Configure your desktop > Look n' Feel > Desktop > Multiple desktop > set # to 4, and untick "Different activity for each desktop",
3. Running Compiz fusion icon in my tray (by adding fusion icon to /home/<username>/.kde4/Autostart/ as a launcher link,
4. In ccsm, General Options > Desktop Size: Horizontal Virtual Size =4; rest all set to one,
5. Right click on desktop >Configure <activity name>, and under mouse actions, add an action to switch activity (I use middle mouse button), and add as many activities as you please

Sorry to beat a dead horse, but just want to summarize all the settings before making this "Solved"

Thanks for the help!

Cheers,
Magesha

[Stupidspencer]

OMG, thank you for starting this thread!!  This just happened to me for the second time and I don't know how I fixed it the first time (months ago)... Just started mindlessly messing with crap and all of a sudden it worked. Then I decided to go and enable desktop effects again. And for the last 4 hours or so (seriously) I've been trying to get my virtual desktops back.  This forum is so helpful, I should've looked for the solution here hours ago.
Thanks!

[oboedad55]

You could check to make sure Compiz is added just here:

Configure Your Desktop >> Personal  >> Default Applications >> Window Manager

Also, in

PCC (Configure Your Computer)  >> Hardware >> Setup Graphical Server >

Is your graphics driver setup correctly?

Are you fully updated via Synaptic?

What spec is your PC?

If you updated have you restarted your system?

Thanks for this post. I've been running Gnome for a long time and had forgotten a lot of what I knew about KDE, so this was great for me to get compiz up and running in KDE. I had the wrong WM selected, after that all was smooth sailing.