4 Installing and configuring Compiz Fusion

Installing Compiz Fusion is as simple as any other port:

# cd /usr/ports/x11-wm/compiz-fusion
# make install clean

Make sure to select the “EXTRA” plugins and the “EMERALD” window decorator from the options dialog that appears. If you are using GNOME, or already have support for gconf in your system, you may also wish to select “gconf support”. In this way, your effect settings will be integrated with the other desktop settings, and will be viewable via gconf-editor. Compiz Fusion can however save its settings to flat files, if such an integration is not wanted. In this case, a .compizconfig directory will be created inside your home directory.

When the installation is finished, start your graphic desktop and at a terminal, enter the following commands (as a normal user):

% compiz --replace --sm-disable --ignore-desktop-hints ccp &
% emerald --replace &

Your screen will flicker for a few seconds, as your window manager (e.g. Metacity if you are using GNOME) is replaced by Compiz Fusion. Emerald takes care of the window decorations (i.e. close, minimize, maximize buttons, title bars and so on).

You may convert this to a trivial script and have it run at startup automatically (e.g. by adding to “Sessions” in a GNOME desktop):

#! /bin/sh
compiz --replace --sm-disable --ignore-desktop-hints ccp &
emerald --replace &

Save this in your home directory as, for example, start-compiz and make it executable:

% chmod +x ~/start-compiz

Then use the GUI to add it to Startup Programs (located in System, Preferences, Sessions on a GNOME desktop).

To actually select all the desired effects and their settings, execute (again as a normal user) the Compiz Config Settings Manager:

% ccsm

If you have selected “gconf support” during the build, you will also be able to view these settings using gconf-editor under apps/compiz.