- Unity Terminology
- Appearance Tool
- MyUnity
- Compiz Config Settings Manager
- Unity Lenses and Scopes
- Additional Resources
- Summary
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
Compiz Config Settings Manager
Compiz Config Settings Manager is a configuration tool for Compiz that you may want to become familiar with. To get started with the Compiz Config Settings Manager, you will need to install it from the Ubuntu Software Center, then launch it from the Launcher by tapping the Super key to bring up the Dash, and type Compiz. Click on the Compiz Config Settings Manager icon to launch. The first time you open this manager, you will get a warning (Figure 6-16). Although it is an incredible tool, Compiz Config Settings Manager is not as forgiving as the Appearance and MyUnity tools. Users are cautioned to use Compiz (Figure 6-17) with care, as it is possible to be left with an unusable desktop.
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Figure 6-16. Compiz Config Settings Manager warning
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Figure 6-17. Compiz Config Settings Manager main view
When you open Compiz Config Settings Manager, you’ll notice that some of the categories have the boxes beside them checked. This is because those areas have been integrated with the Unity desktop.
Let’s take a closer look at the features offered with Compiz Config Settings Manager.
In the upper left corner of the Main view, you’ll notice a search box (Figure 6-18). It can be used for quick and easy filtering of the plug-ins list using the text you type in the search box. The search box can also be used like a filter for the options on various plug-in pages.
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Figure 6-18. Compiz Config Settings Manager search boxw
The Advanced Search button at the bottom left corner of the Main view (as seen in Figure 6-19) allows you to filter through all the options of all the plug-ins. Please note this may take a while to load. Advanced Search allows you to search by name, long description, and the values you have set. Once you have a list, you can click on the plug-in and see which groups contain the option you searched for.
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Figure 6-19. Compiz Config Settings Manager General category
The plug-ins for the Compiz Config Settings Manager are divided into eight categories:
- General: Contains the core plug-ins (Figure 6-19).
- Accessibility: Contains plug-ins to make your desktop easier to use, especially for those who have a reading or viewing disability (Figure 6-20). The Color Filter has some interesting settings to allow you to adjust your screen so that it looks as it would be perceived by a person with colorblindness, great for checking that you have not used a poor choice of colors in a document or Web page. The Enhanced Zoom plug-in magnifies the whole screen on demand, and the Show Mouse plug-in shows pretty stars moving around the mouse cursor so you will never lose it again!
- Desktop: Contains plug-ins to configure how your desktop behaves (Figure 6-21).
- Effects: Contains plug-ins to configure various animations and effects, such as Wobbly Windows (Figure 6-22).
- Extras: Contains plug-ins that serve a minor or ambiance purpose like annotate.
- Image Loading: Contains plug-ins that allow various image formats to be loaded (Figure 6-23).
- Utility: Contains plug-ins that provide internal functionality like D-Bus (Figure 6-24).
- Window Management: Contains plug-ins that provide basic to advanced window treatment functionality, like moving windows (Figure 6-25).
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Figure 6-20. Compiz Config Settings Manager Accessibility category
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Figure 6-21. Compiz Config Settings Manager Desktop category
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Figure 6-22. Compiz Config Settings Manager Effects category
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Figure 6-23. Compiz Config Settings Manager Image Loading category
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Figure 6-24. Compiz Config Settings Manager Utility category
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Figure 6-25. Compiz Config Settings Manager Window Management category
To become more familiar with Compiz and the Compiz Config Settings Manager, go to www.compiz.org.