KDE Plasma instead of Compiz..

Soundsystem00

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So I got compiz running but it then destroyed my window manager so I didnt have any kind of minimize buttons, taskbars, ect.

Well I would like to find a window manager to add so that it works..

But, my friend ( linux fan but lives far away ) said that I should just get KDE Plasma instead. I looked at a tutorial but ran into this problem


"sudo tasksel install kubuntu-desktop
E: Unable to correct problems, you have held broken packages.
tasksel: apt-get failed (100)"

Yeah, on the "how to install kde plasma on ubuntu" tutorial, it is having me install Kubuntu or something, which didn't make a lot of sense and of course did not work. But maybe it is the same thing? I am not sure, I am still new to this. Is it possibly doing this because I still have Compiz installed? I would just like to have a windows manager with more effects and customization in ubuntu. I do not even have an effects option in my desktop background area.

Thanks in advance.
 


Hi @Soundsystem00 You seem to be confused. Compiz isn't exactly a windows manager http://www.compiz.org nor is KDE https://kde.org KDE is a full desktop environment which uses kwin as composiitor, compiz is another compositor so you can use some effects in your desktop. What windows manager are you using? some WMs won't take compositing that easily. Could you post a screenshot of your desktop? KDE isn't lightweigh so if you own a low specs pc it might not work the way you'd like. If you're using Ubuntu (16.04?? 18.04?? 19.04??) defaults then I assume your DE (desktop environment) is gnome which uses GNOME shell to provide compositing. To install KDE in Ubuntu I think opening a terminal and typing
Code:
sudo apt-get install kde-plasma-desktop
should work. However, you can run first
Code:
apt policy kde-plasma-desktop
that will show kde packages candidates available for install, then run the first code to install. Also, you might download a different Ubuntu flavor http://releases.ubuntu.com

Hope this helps! :)
 
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Okay cool I will try that when I get home to my MSI machine and I will let you know what happens. The msi has 32gb ram, 6gb nvidia graphics memory and 1tb m.2 ssd, it shouldn't have any issue running this. It ran compiz really well, but compiz made my dock and taskbar disappear. I would be fine running compiz if I could figure out how to run it with gnome.
 
Okay cool I will try that when I get home to my MSI machine and I will let you know what happens. The msi has 32gb ram, 6gb nvidia graphics memory and 1tb m.2 ssd, it shouldn't have any issue running this. It ran compiz really well, but compiz made my dock and taskbar disappear. I would be fine running compiz if I could figure out how to run it with gnome.
So you're not using any window manager but Gnome desktop, and no, they're not the same. Gnome as well as every DE out there does use a window manager to manipulate windows' apps but that's not the same as to using a window manager like icewm, awesomewm, fluxbox, enlightenment and many others. Read here https://www.lifewire.com/window-manager-vs-the-desktop-environment-in-linux-4588338 and here https://www.linux.org/threads/desktop-environment-vs-window-managers.11349/ to have a better understanding on the subject. With those specs I think you might be better off by downloading and installing Kubuntu, since you're already using Ubuntu that one will suit you well. https://kubuntu.org/ It should run with no problem given you pc's specs.
 
Okay I got kubuntu installed. It is alright. But there are new annoyances.

I really don't know how to install things very easily. Installing anything seems hit or miss.

My audio was working fine in ubuntu but now it does not anymore.

Also, when I drag a window it does this annoying thing where the whole window just turns into the top part. so it becomes flat and just the title. It is so irritating and I can't turn it off.

All I want to do now is get better at kubuntu, and install Kali on a partition. I have a ton of partitions and am really confused. Where to start?
 
@Soundsystem00
You might want to read here https://help.ubuntu.com/kubuntu/desktopguide/C/index.html and here https://kubuntu.org/news/kubuntututorialdays/ Also, take a watch here
here
and here

Hope this helps! :)

EDIT: I'd suggest that you install virtualbox
Code:
sudo apt-get install virtualbox
once installed, launch it and create a Kubuntu VM, save it to a snapshot so you can revert it to its original state if things go wrong, read to the posts and watch the videos I linked above and then try whatever it is you want to in the VM instead of your real system, this way you'll save yourself from wasting time and some frustation in the event that you broke the system. Once you're sure you've learnt how to do what you want to do then do it in the real system.
 
Last edited:
@Soundsystem00
You might want to read here https://help.ubuntu.com/kubuntu/desktopguide/C/index.html and here https://kubuntu.org/news/kubuntututorialdays/ Also, take a watch here
here
and here

Hope this helps! :)

EDIT: I'd suggest that you install virtualbox
Code:
sudo apt-get install virtualbox
once installed, launch it and create a Kubuntu VM, save it to a snapshot so you can revert it to its original state if things go wrong, read to the posts and watch the videos I linked above and then try whatever it is you want to in the VM instead of your real system, this way you'll save yourself from wasting time and some frustation in the event that you broke the system. Once you're sure you've learnt how to do what you want to do then do it in the real system.

Hey. I installed a virtual box ( oracle ) and I did get Kali to work but I didn't much like it. It was a very small window and I could not figure out how to enlarge it. When the mouse activated inside the virtual box, it got stuck in there and I could not figure out how to get it out for the life of me. I know, embarassing, but I have made it this far.

I guess my MAIN MAIN thing(s) I want to do right now is this.

1. Install Kali on a 50/50 partition with kubuntu on my second SSD without erasing anything again.

2. Figure out how to get the minimize window effects to work on kubuntu and figure out why everything else works but certain effects.
 
Hey. I installed a virtual box ( oracle ) and I did get Kali to work but I didn't much like it. It was a very small window and I could not figure out how to enlarge it. When the mouse activated inside the virtual box, it got stuck in there and I could not figure out how to get it out for the life of me. I know, embarassing, but I have made it this far.

You probably need to install virtualbox guest additions, to install them, in the devices menu in the virtual machine's menu bar, Oracle VM VirtualBox has a menu item Insert Guest Additions CD Image, which mounts the Guest Additions ISO file inside your virtual machine. Once installed, turn off and turn on back the VM and you should be able to resize the "window".
Also, visit and register in the virtualbox forum and search for your issue if installing the guest additions don't work, hopefully you'll find a solution. Remember to save the VM to a snapshot so you can revert changes if anything goes wrong.
 


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