Ideal Absolutes

Beryl on Ubuntu Edgy

Tonight I upgraded to Ubuntu Edgy and installed Beryl.

Sounds interesting. You mentioned Ubuntu, what is that?

Ubuntu is a free, open source Linux-based operating system that starts with the breadth of Debian and adds regular releases (every six months), a clear focus on the user and usability (it should “Just Work”, TM) and a commitment to security updates with 18 months of support for every release (and with 6.06 LTS you get 3 years on the desktop and 5 on the server!). Ubuntu ships with the latest GNOME release as well as a selection of server and desktop software that makes for a comfortable desktop experience off a single installation CD.

So what is Edgy?

The Edgy Eft Beta is the first beta release of Ubuntu 6.10, and with this new beta release comes a whole host of excellent new features. Improvements have been made all around such as faster system boot up times, faster GNOME start up times, improvements to the user interface, a shiny new optimized kernel, GNOME 2.16.

Then what is Beryl?

QuinnStorm:
Beryl is a fork of compiz, and a collection of other tools to go along with it.

CSM has become Beryl Settings Manager (beryl-settings)

CGWD has become Emerald, with its companion emerald-theme-manager.

The entire project is currently hosted in SVN at:
svn://svn.beryl-project.org/beryl

OK then, what is Compiz?

Compiz brings to life a variety of visual effects that make the Linux desktop easier to use, more powerful and intuitive, and more accessible for users with special needs.
Compiz combines together a window manager and a composite manager using OpenGL for rendering. A “window manager” allows the manipulation of the multiple applications and dialog windows that are presented on the screen. A “composite manager” allows windows and other graphics to be combined together to create composite images. Compiz achieves its stunning effects by doing both of these functions.

Compiz currently only works in combination with Xgl. Please see that wiki page for general installation instructions. (Compiz is now working under AIGLX as well.)

Compiz plugins as well as window-decorator works with Gnome as well as KDE.

Can you tell me how you did this?

Not right now. Check the forums, LOST is coming on in 20 minutes – sorry.

None of this makes any sense to me.

Hit Digg for more information.

Digg? What the hell is that?

Stick with Windows.