Compiz Fusion Guide-A complete guide to install compiz fusion in Ubuntu: Post 1

Posted by Vivek ||

November 13, 2008 ||

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The versatility of Ubuntu Linux is what separates it from other operating system. Not to mention the fact that eye candy in Linux has come a long way. I am sure every one who has tried Ubuntu or some other distro of Linux has definitely played with the famous cube. If you haven’t yet seen it or tried it and are keen on trying it, then this is just the perfect post for you.

Today we are going to see how you can get the famous 3D cube running on your Ubuntu. Not just that we are going to see a complete configuration guide which will blow your mind away. Also, we’ll see how the 3D cube has come a long way and now you can also use 3D cylinder and 3D sphere. The end result will look something like this.

Because, this going to be a really long post as we have to configure it a lot, we have planned to launch this post as a series so that we don’t make this post really long and also allow our readers some time to breath before they have all the features running. In order to get all the famous effects on Ubuntu, you’ll need to install something called as compiz fusion. Also, this post and posts in this series is almost useless for people who do not have a graphic card in their computer.

We’ll divide this post into 3 post series. The first post will talk about how to install compiz fusion and before installing how to set up your computer to take full advantage of compiz fusion. We are now going to see how to setup your computer for unleashing compiz fusion. Ubuntu by default doesn’t support proprietary drivers. However, we’ll have to install them in order to take the complete advantage of the graphic card and hence compiz.

I have tested this guide on HP dv6910tx with nVidia 8400M GS running Ubuntu 8.10 (Intrepid Ibex)

Check if you already have graphic drivers running and activated

To check whether you computer has third party restricted drivers, you’ll have to add some third party repositories to your software sources. But before that it’s a good idea to check if you already have the required drivers. To do so, go to System->Administration->Hardware Drivers. A window will pop up and will show if you have drivers running already.

In case you already have the drivers, you’ll see them activated, if not then you’ll have to activate them. However, if you do not see any drivers and you are sure that you have a graphic card which has restricted drivers then you’ll have to follow the steps below.

Installing Restricted Drivers

To install third part restricted drivers, you’ll have to add third part repositories to your software sources. To do so, go to System->Administration->Software Sources.

In the Ubuntu Software tab make sure that the check box Proprietary Drivers for devices (restricted) is selected. Now you’ll be able to see if there are any restricted drivers available for your graphic card. If there are, then you should install it and activate it. After installing the drivers make sure to restart the computer.

Installing Compiz Fusion

We are now all set to install compiz fusion in Ubuntu. We want to ensure that this guide is as user friendly as possible and hence I will try to avoid terminal as much as possible. You can install it by clicking the link below:

apt:compizconfig-settings-manager

You will be prompted with a window like this

Click on Install to be begin the installation. After the installation is done, you’ll see a window like the one below confirming the successful installation.

That’s all now we have compiz fusion installed on Ubuntu. In the next series we’ll see how to configure compiz fusion and get the desktop cube and other funky effects. In case you don’t want to miss the rest of the series feel free to subscribe to our RSS.

Tags: compiz, compiz fusion, compiz fusion guide, configuring compiz, installing compiz, ubuntu compiz

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