A small word about Compiz

From Wikipedia, "Compiz is one of the first compositing window managers for the X Window System that is able to take advantage of OpenGL-acceleration. The integration allows it to perform compositing effects in window management, such as a minimization effect and a cube workspace. Compiz conforms to the ICCCM standard and as such can substitute for the default Metacity in GNOME or KWin in KDE. Compiz brings some of the features found in competitors, such as Exposé in Apple's Mac OS X and a new Alt-Tab application-switcher, similar to the one found in Microsoft's Windows Vista. Compiz is built on the Composite extension to X and the GLX_EXT_texture_from_pixmap extension to OpenGL. Compiz was released by Novell in January 2006 in the wake of a new Xgl version."

"...Compiz works with modifications on the standard X.Org server, with AIGLX enabled. With AIGLX, Intel cards can also be used with Compiz. Even mobile cards work there."

At september Compiz integrated with AIGLX in X.org server 7.1 was accepted into unstable. It currently maintained by Debian X Strike Force.

Here is a small document about how to set up your X.org with AIGLX enabled and Compiz integrated with Gnome.

The Procedure

First, you should verify if your video card is supported. Check the list of supported cards below.

We will need to fetch some packages from unstable, so point Debian official Unstable repository in your sources.list. (deb http://ftp.debian.org main unstable) and update it.

Use aptitude to install the follow packages:

Now edit your /etc/X11/xorg.conf adding the section Extensions as you can see below:

Section "Extensions"

?EndSection

Also, you will need to add "XAANoOffscreenPixmaps" option in section "Device":

Option "XAANoOffscreenPixmaps" "true"

Restart your X.org server and login into Gnome. Open terminal window and type the following command:

compiz --replace

If everything is correct you will be able to use all compiz resources.

Limitations

The water resource wich use GL_ARB_fragment_program, doesnt work propely using AIGLX in X.org 7.1

Troubleshoting

If something fail you could check /var/log/Xorg.0.log and search for possible problems with DRI and GLX. You also should verify if AIGLX was successfully loaded.

Hot keys

Switch desktops on cube: Ctrl + Alt + Left/Right Arrow

Switch desktops on cube - with active window following: Ctrl + Shift + Alt + Left/Right Arrow

Rotate cube manually: Ctrl + Alt + left-click

Zoom-in once: Super-key right-click

Zoom-in manually: Super-key + wheel mouse up

Zoom-out manually: Super-key + wheel mouse down

Move window: Alt + left-click

Slow-motion: Shift + F10

Transparency: Put mouse cursor over the window then press Alt + wheel mouse down

Exposé effect: Ctrl + Alt + Up Arrow or Point the mouse in top right at screen