Video: MX Compton Manager

[dolphin_oracle]

New version, which includes the changes above and adds detection for apt-notifier.

MX Compton 64 bit 17.01.03

[linexer2016]

Dolphin you are a wizard
The latest release would seem to work a treat. I simply installed it and then run from the terminal, mx-compton and this time when the GUI appeared and I clicked on Launch, I saw an immediate change (for the better). The Alt-mouse zoom function now works the same as it did in the XFCE compositor so pending a log out and reboot (I will tick autostart compton on boot) things look to now be .... dare I say it .... P E R F E C T.
Cheers.
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Whoops I spoke too soon for no sooner than I wrote the above, I closed the compton manager GUI and things reverted to the non-working state (e.g., Alt-mouse wheel no longer zooms). It seems that once you close the app it just won't stick in the background. Curiously, the apt-notifier is displaying now without issue but that's all.

[linexer2016]

And BTW, the Apt-Notifier is working correctly too.

[linexer2016]

DO,
Well, I've tried everything I can think of. I still don't know why momentarily it worked but it isn't now. I rebooted and at the command line invoked the following:
mx-compton [which resulted in the following]
Home Path = "/home/xxxx"
Autostart status is "false"
Found existing conf file
Compton is NOT running

So then I clicked on the launch button in the GUI that was on screen and then left the GUI running, I then observed in the associated terminal screen the following ...
compton button pressed
compton 4762
Compton is running
apt-notifier is running
unhide apt-notifier icon
Another composite manager is already running
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Why "Another composite manager is already running", I have no idea unless it had something to do with that phenomenon observed earlier in the thread when there were two icons for mx-compton, one in personal and the other in system although there is now only one in personal after your apparent fix of that issue.
The GUI running in the background as I write shows a Stop Compton and a check box for autostart on login but the latter just refuses to work and indeed when I close the GUI it remains as if I have never run compton for this session and clearly the autostart does not survive the reboot either. The most visible example of compton working for me was when it momentarily worked earlier and permitted the alt-mouse zoom effect and my enthusiasm that it was working which proved premature. Beyond that, even though the GUI suggests compton is running I think the only thing that is running is the GUI itself for no other effects can be observed. Finally, the XFCE compositor is not running so that can't be blamed for the already running message.

[dolphin_oracle]

Well thanks for all the testing.

I think you aRe right. For whatever reason Compton runs while using the gui but when you close the gui it stops.

It shouldn't. You wouldn't believe how simple the code is that is in use in the gui.

The only thing I can come back to is the Nvidia driver thing I mentioned earlier.

It would explain the why autostart doesn't work either despite the fact that the setting is clearly taking hold (false means not hide, which in weird desktop file land means autolaunch is confirmed right.)

I even changed the launch/stop button code so that the button doesn't change unless the Compton running test passes. That wasn't the case in the original code.

The compton.conf that ships with the mx-compton is such that you shouldn't notice.much change. I can't tell it's running except.by looking at tooltip (90 % opactity) or the terminal with another window behind it.

Anyway I literally have nothing left to try. Thanks for all the help. Your input still results in several worthwhile changes to the app even if it still doesn't quite work.

[linexer2016]

Once again DO, it has been a great pleasure in (trying to) working the issues out. Yes, I do think that you are indeed on to something when you mention the Nvdia driver and in truth, whilst MX has more than satisfactorily addressed the set up of Nvidia drivers, there must still be some deeply hidden/obscured parts of that driver that I suppose we shouldn't expect to be able to fully explore given its non-Open Source heritage.

Anyway DO, I will now uninstall MX-Compton and revert to the XFCE compositing as it offers some (limited like you've mentioned Compton) functionality but at least it doesn't leave one in any doubt if it's working or not.

Best wishes and keep up your own very good work - I continue to find just so much to admire and respect in this what I am convinced, is the ultimate Linux distro.

Linexer2016

[dolphin_oracle]

If you can believe it, I have one more bone-headed idea, if you are up to trying it.

[linexer2016]

Just love bone headed ideas DO so let's hear it

[dolphin_oracle]

Just love bone headed ideas DO so let's hear it

ive got to change some code in several places, but im thinking of forking the process that starts compton into the background rather than just compton itself. technically compton wont be daemonized. but im thinking the end user wont even notice.

im going to test onn my system first and if it works ill post a new deb.

thanks!

[richb]

I do not pretend to understand all this, but hopefully will not affect those using kwin or KDE which does its own compositing. Understanding these are not supported modifications, but would be nice if they were not affected.