[Trisquel-users] Compiz simply how to tell if your hardware works.

[my2joke at yahoo.com]

This post was prompted by Yousef.

IF A MODERATOR OR DEVELOPER HAS OTHER INFORMATION PLEASE POST IT.

Here is a simple way to determine if your hardware is compatible with the  
SMALL AMOUNT of information that has been provided by various hardware  
providers to enable YOU to run Compiz.

The problem is this:

Trisquel is trying to maximize for three variables.

a) the FREE FROM ENCUMBERANCE software that is presently in Linux.
b) your hardware that MAY be from a company that decided to provide  
information to Linux.
c) your hardware that MAY NOT be from a company that decided to provide  
information to Linux.

It is a "given" that one cannot "maximize" for more than "one variable".

Trisquel developers have decided to "maximize" for unencumbered software.

So.

Given that.

Here is the SIMPLE WAY you can very quickly determine if you have hardware  
that was made by a company that has decided to try in some small way to be  
helpful to the Linux community.

Please open "Synaptic".

Please type into it: the word "compiz" without the quotation marks.

Please check EVERYTHING YOU SEE.

A lot of what you click will not be "necessary" but it will not "hurt" the  
system, it "might" be a little on the "bloated" side, but in the day of  
multigigabyte hard drives and two or four gig memory sticks it is CHUMP  
CHANGE.

Close synaptic and then RESTART the system.

When you log back on you will probably get some "updates".

Do them.

If you are asked to restart the system do so.

When you restart the system you should then go to System/System tools/Compiz  
Fusion Icon.

Click it and you should see a "little blue box with an arrow point up and to  
the left" in your panel to the bottom right.

Right click on the box, YOU WILL HAVE TO DO THIS SEVERAL TIMES.

Select Window Decorator: Emerald.
Compiz options, you can have either but it is usually "loose" bindings.
Select Window manager: emerald
Settings manager, you should at least select "wobbly windows" I recommend  
that you do not select other options.

Then right click and "reload window manager".

One of several things will happen.

a) if your "window" SNAPS to one corner or the other and you cannot move it  
then there is a "conflict" between the hardware and the compiz settings, and
DUE TO THE MULTITUDE of possible problems, it will be very hard to reconcile  
those.

I recommend that you close the window, go to the fusion symbol and close it,  
close the distro and then reboot and not to try to enable the compiz effects.

b) if your window does NOT snap to a corner and you see what you would call  
"normal" configuration in the BOX AROUND THE WINDOW: that is around a  
document or around Firefox then you have enabled the effects but your  
hardware does not work with it and you basically have some software running  
that won't hurt the system but it doesn't do anything "bad" to it except  
"waste" some resources.

For the MODERN system it is chump change, for an old system it might slow  
things and you might choose to disable compiz.

c) If you see a "box" either "around" or "on the top of" a window that is  
"kind of" RED.....then hey...you have compiz running!!!

You should be able to left click the top of a window and "drag" it to the  
left or right and it should "wobble".

AGAIN...........IF A DEVELOPER OR OTHER USER...has OTHER information for  
this, please POST IT.

janus