The next best thing to happen to my Ubuntu was the setting up of compiz fusion. It just add some great new features in some real cool fashion. The first thing after having my graphics up and running was to google about compiz-fusion.
Forlong’s Blog had everything that was required to be done.
First Things First
I had to install the ccsm, that is the Compiz Config Settings Manager.
sudo apt-get install compizconfig-settings-manager
Note internet connection or some source for repositories required for the above code to work. And it has to be typed in the terminal.
Next ccsm, had to opened.Typing ccsm in the terminal opens the Compiz Config Settings Manager. Here we have a lot of options which are called plugins. To find what we need, we have the filter box, which filters the plugins based on the search string.
Get the Cube!
Enabled Desktop Cube, Rotate Cube, Cube Reflection and Deformation and 3D Windows. (Type cube in filter to get these options). Also enabled Cube Caps and Cube Gears after meddling with the Transparency of the Cube in Desktop Cube.
Now using the keys [Ctrl] + [Alt] + [Right/Left], moves me to the next or the previous workspace, and the cube isn’t an actual cube, rather it is a cylinder. And the 3D Windows shows the different windows opened in a workspace in the form of layers. You can always experiment with the plugins.
Scale and Expo
Scale decides about the applications and Expo the Workspaces opened I guess. I set Scale to Bottom Right instead of Top Right and Expo to Bottom Left instead of Top Left. Looked convinient. Also set the expo initiate key to [Ctrl] + [Alt] + [Down]. The tips and trick given in the blog are also interesting. Do check out the Scale window title filter. Will be useful when you have lots of windows open in different workspaces and you need to search for it. You can get to the window you want just by typing out a few letters of it’s title!
Cool Window Switching
There are now two kinds of window switching on my laptop now. Switching using [Alt] + [Tab], or using [Win Key] + [Tab].
I enabled Ring Switcher and Shift Switcher and disabled Application Switcher. Now [Atl] + [Tab] works for Ring Switcher to choose between windows in the same workspace. While [Win] + [Tab] works with Shift Switcher to choose between all open windows and that too in Vista Aero style. For Vista Aero style select Flip in Shift Switcher -> Switcher Mode.
There are many more tips and tricks to make your desktop more eyecandy. It’s all trial and error. Try them out. Like it, Keep it.
Now I really loved Compiz Fusion, but because of it I started facing some problems in playing vlc videos, they started to flicker and stuff. So I needed to temporarily switch Compiz off. But that resulted in loss of all my customization. That’s when Compiz-Switch came to help. It’s now real easy to switch on or off Compiz-Fusion and there is no fear of loss of the customization!
Happy Customising! 🙂
[…] You can read about installing and configuring Compiz to spice up your linux here. […]
[…] This is a short list. There are many more software’s that shall capture your interests. Software’s like Compiz Fusion and Gnome Do are preinstalled. Read about how to set Compiz Fusion here. […]