Is it possible to get Compiz or Kwin working in LXLE?
  • lxlelxle
    PMPosts: 2,656
    compton is an addon compositor, no a window manager like compiz, so no, you don't replace openbox.
  • NewToLxleNewToLxle
    PMPosts: 35
    That's good to know!

    I'm getting ready to print the Arch Wiki page on Compton
  • mfrazzzmfrazzz
    PMPosts: 18
    I'm using compton on LXLE (mainly just for transparancy as I like to have true transparency on my Terminal windows) and you don't need to replace openbox (or I didn't).

    This page will help get you started, but note that the compton command they use isn't correct (and doesn't really work).  


    In the comments on that page at the bottom, I posted the corrected syntax (but personally, I find his settings ridiculous and ugly with the HUGE shadows).  For me I simply use compton -c -G -b .  Note that when you do this, the Conky "window" will now have shadows (so doesn't look like part of the desktop, as it now stands out more).  You can use options to turn the shadows off on that window, but it didn't bug me enough to look into that.
    Thanked by 1Zaka
  • NewToLxleNewToLxle
    PMPosts: 35
    I don't really get this stuff but I'm experimenting to see what happens. 

    I followed the instructions beginning with:

    sudo add-apt-repository ppa:richardgv/compton

    This is what happened:

    [sudo] password for lxle:
    You are about to add the following PPA to your system:
     PPA for the X compositing window manager, compton < https://github.com/chjj/compton >.
     More info: https://launchpad.net/~richardgv/+archive/compton
    Press [ENTER] to continue or ctrl-c to cancel adding it

    gpg: keyring `/tmp/tmp1bLVzP/secring.gpg' created
    gpg: keyring `/tmp/tmp1bLVzP/pubring.gpg' created
    gpg: requesting key 7F5EA780 from hkp server keyserver.ubuntu.com
    gpg: /tmp/tmp1bLVzP/trustdb.gpg: trustdb created
    gpg: key 7F5EA780: public key "Launchpad PPA for Richard Grenville" imported
    gpg: Total number processed: 1
    gpg:               imported: 1  (RSA: 1)
    OK

    Next I tried the second command line and this is what happened:

    lxle@lxle-DG965OT:~$ sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install compton
    E: Type 'b-src' is not known on line 2 in source list /etc/apt/sources.list.d/richardgv-compton-precise.list
    E: The list of sources could not be read.

    At this point I tried to take the second command line apart and the following happened:

    lxle@lxle-DG965OT:~$ sudo apt-get install compton
    Reading package lists... Done
    Building dependency tree      
    Reading state information... Done
    compton is already the newest version.
    0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
    E: Type 'b-src' is not known on line 2 in source list /etc/apt/sources.list.d/richardgv-compton-precise.list
    E: The list of sources could not be read.

    lxle@lxle-DG965OT:~$ sudo apt-get update compton
    E: The update command takes no arguments
    lxle@lxle-DG965OT:~$ sudo update compton
    sudo: update: command not found

    I'm not ready to make things permanent so I decided to just try running the compton command line and see what happens. 

    I ran this line and the screen just blinked.  There appears to be no change otherwise.

    lxle@lxle-DG965OT:~$ compton -c -r 16 -l -24 -t -12 -G -b

    I also tried @compton -c -r 16 -l -24 -t -12 -G -b  and compton -c -G -b  and nothing changed either way.

    lxle@lxle-DG965OT:~$ @compton -c -r 16 -l -24 -t -12 -G -b
    @compton: command not found

    lxle@lxle-DG965OT:~$ compton -c -G -b
    lxle@lxle-DG965OT:~$

    Only thing following that blog post did was mess this up!  May I ask how do you fix it? :)

    image

    image
  • NewToLxleNewToLxle
    PMPosts: 35
    It was suggested in the Linuxdistrocommunity forums that I:  "Try using the GUI Software Sources, and uncheck the richardgvcompton-precice repo"  I couldn't find the Software Sources but I found the YPPA Manager and removed richardgvcompton-precice and the synaptic package manager and update manager started working again.  Are you guys sure that compton can be made to work on this system?
  • mfrazzzmfrazzz
    PMPosts: 18
    Hi NewToLxle,

    You had it working.  Based on your images you posted, I can see shadows in the first image (which default lxle doesn't have) on your windows (they are subtle by default, but look closely at the edge of the top window over where its over the lower window.  In the top image you can see shadows (shading).  In the 2nd image there are no shadows (so compton was not running or didn't have the settings right).

    For your commands...  The sudo apt-get install worked.  The error / warning you saw was some issue with the sources file, but it didn't stop the install from working (thats why when you tried to do the install on a separate line, it said it was already the current version).

    NOTE: sudo apt-get update is for updating the repository, not a specific package.  Thats why you were getting errors there.  

    Also note that I did NOT add the ppa in that blog post (the richardgv thing).  Sorry, but I didn't know that was even in there (I had already installed compton just from the default ppa's in LXLE) so was only using this as a guide for doing the settings, not for installing it, since compton was available without adding a ppa.  So yes, remove that ppa since it has a problem and that will fix your update manager.  I would suggest you then do the following:

    sudo apt-get remove compton
    sudo apt-get install compton

    This will remove the version you installed from that ppa, and reinstall the one that comes from the standard repository.

    As for when you did the compton command lines, you were running the commands I already stated are wrong in the first couple, and they don't work, but then the last one (compton -c -G -b) did work and is what I'm seeing in your first image you posted.  If you want to really see shadows like the blog post was trying to do, then use this command:

    compton -c -r 16 -l 24 -t 12 -G -b

    (Same command, but with the minus removed in front of the numbers so it will work properly).  Believe me, after you run that command, you WILL see the shadows (they are NOT subtle at all...  lol).

    And yes, Compton works fine on LXLE and yes, you had it working.  I hope this helps to clear things up.


    Thanked by 1Zaka
  • NewToLxleNewToLxle
    PMPosts: 35
    mfrazzz it does help clear things up, thank you for that.  But as you can see by terminal below that it isn't working.  It appears that there isn't a package for compton anymore.  Even tried typing it in the Synaptic Package Manager and nothing shows up. 

    Following the first instructions you gave me:

    My terminal reads as follows:

    lxle@lxle-DG965OT:~$ sudo apt-get remove compton
    [sudo] password for lxle:
    Reading package lists... Done
    Building dependency tree       
    Reading state information... Done
    The following package was automatically installed and is no longer required:
      libconfig8
    Use 'apt-get autoremove' to remove them.
    The following packages will be REMOVED:
      compton
    0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 1 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
    After this operation, 265 kB disk space will be freed.
    Do you want to continue [Y/n]? y
    (Reading database ... 182663 files and directories currently installed.)
    Removing compton ...
    Processing triggers for desktop-file-utils ...
    Processing triggers for man-db ...

    lxle@lxle-DG965OT:~$ sudo apt-get install compton
    Reading package lists... Done
    Building dependency tree       
    Reading state information... Done
    E: Unable to locate package compton
    lxle@lxle-DG965OT:~$

    Command Not Found:

    lxle@lxle-DG965OT:~$ compton -c -r 16 -l 24 -t 12 -G -b
    compton: command not found
    lxle@lxle-DG965OT:~$ compton
    compton: command not found
    lxle@lxle-DG965OT:~$


  • mfrazzzmfrazzz
    PMPosts: 18
    Ok, I just noticed in your previous post when I looked at it again, that it showed precise in the output, so you must be on the 12.04.4 revisited version I assume?  Looks like thats one of the differences as I'm on the 14.04 version and in trusty, compton is available.

    Ok, so I just brought up my 12.04.4 revisited and confirmed you do need to add the ppa.  So do the following:

    sudo apt-add-repository ppa:richardgv/compton
    sudo apt-get update
    sudo apt-get install compton

    Once I do that, I'm not seeing the errors you had, so lets try that again and see if you no longer have the error with update-manager.  If you do, then we need to look at what is different with the repositories.
    Thanked by 1Zaka
  • NewToLxleNewToLxle
    PMPosts: 35
    mfrazzz, lxle and the rest,

    I'm sorry it took me a day to get back with you guys.  After reading what mfrazzz said here I decided to do some comparisons and make some screen shots of what I found.  I have LXLE Live 12.04 (I don't know if it's 12.04.4 or not)  12.04 Installed, and 14.04 Live. 

    The First thing I wanted to check is the PPAs

    12.04 Live

    image

    image

    12.04 Installed

    image

    image

    14.04 Live

    image

    image

    image
  • mfrazzzmfrazzz
    PMPosts: 18
    So, if I'm interpreting what you are showing in your images is that on the LiveDVD for 12.04, the compton PPA is available so you can install compton, but after an install, the ppa is not there?   I'll have to play around with it in VMs to confirm (maybe later tonight, I can't this afternoon).  But can you confirm thats what you are trying to get across with your images?

    The real question comes is do you get the errors with the update manager now like you were seeing before?  I could not reproduce that issue on my 12.04.4 install.
Add a Comment