Ubuntu 11.10, Unity and enhanced desktop effects
In the Ubuntu 11.10 operating system with the Unity desktop environment, enhanced desktop effects can be achieved with a composite window manager.
Compiz is a compositing manager, which means, that it enhances the overall user interaction by adding fancy effects to your windows, such as wobbling windows and smooth virtual desktop views. Compiz can also be a window manager, which means, that it is the software between you and your desktop windows. It enables you to move or resize windows, to switch workspaces, to switch windows easily (using Alt+Tab or so), and so on. Compiz Fusion is the result of a merge between the well-known Beryl composite window manager and Compiz Extras, a community set of improvements to the Compiz composite window manager. Compiz Fusion aims to provide an easy and fun-to-use windowed environment, allowing use of the graphics hardware to render each individual window and the entire screen, to provide some impressive effects, speed and usefulness. Compiz is an open-source software project, meaning anyone can use it freely and contribute.
Open the Ubuntu Software Center, search for CCSM and install the Compiz Config Settings Manager (ccsm). Open Dash, search for and start CompizConfig Settings Manager.
Go to “General”. Open “General Options”. Configure the number of virtual desktops. If you have a netbook or a small screen, you might want to have more rows, so larger windows can be handled. Enable “Gnome Compatibility”. Now, you can run a command with Alt+F2, open a terminal window with Ctrl+Alt+T, make a screen shot with PrintScreen and make a window shot with Alt+PrintScreen.
Go to “Accessibility”. Enable “Enhanced Zoom Desktop”. Open it. Enable mouse “Zoom In” for Super+Button4 and mouse “Zoom Out” for Super+Button5. Now, you can zoom in and out with Super and the mouse roller. Enable “Opacity, Brightness & Saturation”. Now, you can make a window transparent with Alt+MouseScroll.
Go to “Desktop”. Enable “Desktop Wall”. Now, you can switch between desktops with Ctrl+Alt and arrow keys. Enable “Expo”. Now, you can view all desktops with Super+S.
Go to “Effects”. Enable “Wobbly Windows”. Now, you can wobble a window when moving it and snap a window to another window with Shift while moving it.
Go to “Extras”. Enable “Screenshot”. Now, you can press Super and use the mouse to select an area on your screen, that you want to store as an image file on the desktop. The Unity window manager might crash at this point due to a segmentation fault in libunityshell.so. However, after a start of Unity or a reboot, the window manager and Screenshot works. The Unity can be started in the background terminal by pressing Ctrl+Alt+F1, entering username and password, running the following command and returning to the window manager by pressing Ctrl+Alt+F7.
unity &
Go to “Window Management”. Enable “Shift Switcher”. Now, you can switch between the windows on the desktop with Super+Tab and Super+Shift+Tab.
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