autostart compiz

[lawmanuk]

i manage to start compiz by running the compiz fusion icon and then restarting window manager.

the problem is that i have to do this on each pc start.

is there an auto way for this to happen every time?

thanks

[cmost]

Yes! Navigate to System --> Preferences --> Sessions
Click the 'Add' button
Fill out the dialog:
Name: Compiz-Fusion 3D desktop (or whatever you like)
Command: fusion-icon
Comment: Enable dazzling 3D effects (or leave it blank, whatever.)

This will autostart Fusion-icon (and thus Compiz-fusion) for every session!

Another way to do this (a better way) in my opinion, is to create a little shell script designed so that Compiz-fusion is the last thing to start. This prevents weird visual anomalies from occurring as Compiz-fusion and other services / applications try to start at the same time. To do this:

1. Create a new text file...
Copy and paste the following...
#!/bin/bash
killall fusion-icon
killall emerald
sleep 12s
fusion-icon

Note: The sleep command forces a 12 second pause before the fusion-icon command is issued. You can change this to anything.
Save the file as Start-compiz-fusion
Right-click the file and select 'properties' then the 'permissions' tab
tick the box for "allow executing of file as program"
Browse for this file in place of the raw 'fusion-icon' command in the above instructions.

In either case, Compiz-fusion will start at each session. Enjoy!

[grasshopper]

Never saw the last bit before. Thanks for the info.

[alan]

There is a better way:

Applications -> System Tools -> Configuration Editor

Navigate to: /desktop/gnome/applications/window_manager/

Change "current" and "default" values to /usr/bin/compiz

This would be faster and does not cause delays. Because, compiz is directly loaded and not after loading metacity.

[cmost]

Hey, awesome! I didn't know about starting Compiz that way! Thanks!

[grasshopper]

I didn't know that either. Cool.And I don't even use Compiz.

[lawmanuk]

i'm getting errors with this solution. when i restart the computer, compiz doesn't start, and the windows don't have borders.

to fix this i have to restart the window with the compiz icon.

any solution?

[lawmanuk]

just checking if anyone's figured out why compiz messes up spasmodically, with no borders - until window manager reloaded.

seems to happen more on some machines than others.

[alan]

For me it happens very rarely.

[st0.0pidn0.0bie]

it happens every time, so i can't even use compiz / compiz fusion icon. must be a laptop driver or ati thing. oh well i guess, more memory is free for programs

[lawmanuk]

i was finding a lot of noborder problems when compiz was started from the configuration editor as per alan's suggestion above.

i even found that sometimes, compiz wouldn't start this way and metacity was still loading... but still noborder problems.

i've put the configuration editor setting back to metacity, and now start compiz from pref/sessions.

this seems to have removed the noborder problems... so far at least.

(ps. not sure if this is because it reloads the window manager after start?)