XGL and Ubuntu/Kubuntu.

        If you've played with Kororaa Linux's live CD, you know how nifty the
eyecandy effect of Xgl is (heck, even if you've used MacOS, you know).
The Dapper 6.06 is mostly setup to allow the use of Xgl, with the
following notes/steps:

* You need a 3D accelerator that's supported. nVidia seems to work
fine. ATI and Intel also work well, but there are some caveats with
some Intel cards, and some ATI cards. Make sure your 3D works before
installing the Xgl package.

* You need these packages -- libgl1-mesa libglitz1 libglitz-glx1
xserver-xgl (setting this one should install the others) -- and one of
-- compiz-gnome compiz-kde.

This command should do everything:
sudo apt-get install xserver-xgl compiz-gnome compiz-kde

* It's best to try the Xgl in a relatively "safe" way -- this means
instead of replacing your "main" X11 server, we edit the kdm or gdm to
run a shell script which runs Xgl nested inside of your regular X
server. If you have any troubles, you can just choose another session!

Here is the script I wrote (save as /usr/bin/startxgl.sh):

#!/bin/bash

#### XGL
# This starts Xgl as a nested X11 window inside regular X, in fullscreen
mode.
# We then run KDE under this. This allows us to test XGL without
risking our
# regular session.

# Start Xgl server.
Xgl -fullscreen :1 -ac -accel glx:pbuffer -accel xv:pbuffer &
sleep 2
export DISPLAY=:1

# Run the eye-candy bits.
# Full set of plugins:
#gconf,miniwin,decoration,transset,wobbly,fade,minimize,cube,rotate,zoom,scale,move,resize,plac
e,switcher,trailfocus,water
LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/usr/lib/opengl/xorg-x11/lib compiz --replace decoration
wobbly fade cube rotate zoom scale move resize place switcher water &
# sleep 2
gnome-window-decorator &

# KDE session here.
startkde

#### /XGL

Replace startkde with gnome-session if you're a Gnome person.

The other thing to do is add the Xgl session file to the
/usr/share/xsessions directory. The easy way to do this is run:

sudo gedit /usr/share/xsessions/xgl.desktop

and paste in
[Desktop Entry]
Encoding=UTF-8
Name=XGL
Exec=/usr/bin/startxgl.sh
Icon=
Type=Application

If you're a Gnome person, you'll now have a session (when picked from
[gk]dm) which acts entirely like the Kororaa Linux. However, if you're
a KDE person like me, you'll see how the KDE version of the window
manager code is not ready for prime time yet. There are rumblings on
the KDE development lists about people extending Kwin to support the
compiz plugins/code natively, and rumbling from the compiz developers
about supporting KDE properly.

So, for our FANCY 3D desktop we have ALMOST everything!
* 3D drivers? Yup!
* 3D video server? Xgl! Extra right now, promises to be in mainline X
as of Xorg 7.1.0.
* 3D window manager? Compiz under Gnome works well, not so much under
KDE. Another year and this should be taken care of.

It's still at the "neat to look at, not useful to use" stage right now,
but it's far enough along that it's easy to sit down, read a bunch of
code, and do some contributing -- and get to see real changes at the end
of the day!

For some reason, the Ubuntu wiki removed a version of these
instructions. Google cache has them here:
http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:nqx3s8P7WXAJ:https://wiki.ubuntu.com/XglHowto+howto+ubuntu+xgl+wiki&hl=en&gl=ca&ct=clnk&cd=1
Received on Mon May 29 04:34:09 2006