Install Compiz 0.8.x Experimental Plugins In Ubuntu

Compiz 0.8.x has some very cool plugins which are marked as "experimental" and thus are not available in the Ubuntu repositories. Johnnyg posted instructions about installing these plugins @ Gnome Look - I gave it a try and everything seems to be working (though I've only tested 3-4 plugins so far).

Among the experimental plugins are: Static Windows, Anaglyph, Animatons Plus, the famous Cube 3D Models, Cube Snow Globe, Cube Atlantis, Photowheel, Wizard, Window Previews (not the KDE Plasma thumbnails!), Workspace Naming, Toggle Decoration, Put Plus, Snap Windows and more.

If you want to install these plugins (remember, they are experimental so use them at your own risk!), all you have to do is run the commands below (for both Ubuntu 32bit and 64bit - only if you run Compiz 0.8.x, preferably 0.8.6!):

1. Close CCSM (if open) and run the following commands to install the required dependencies and download the build script:

sudo apt-get install compiz-fusion-bcop compizconfig-settings-manager compiz-dev build-essential libtool libglu1-mesa-dev libxss-dev libcairo2-dev git-core
cd && git clone git://anongit.compiz.org/users/soreau/scripts compizexperimental
cd compizexperimental/
chmod +x compiz-addons

2. Now run the script:

a) To selectively install the plugins, use the following command:

cd ~/compizexperimental/
./compiz-addons

At this point you will be asked what to do about each plugin. Here, enter "i" and then press the ENTER key for each plugin you want to install.

b) To install all the plugins at once, with no prompt:

cd ~/compizexperimental/
./compiz-addons install all

2. Restart Compiz: press ALT + F2 and enter:

compiz --replace

Then go to System > Preferences > CompizConfig Settings Manager and enable some new plugins.

Uninstall all the experimental Compiz 0.8.x plugins

If you want to remove all the plugins installed by the instructions above, use the following commands:

cd ~/compizexperimental
./compiz-addons uninstall all

Then restart Compiz (see step 2 above).


Note: I've tested it on Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick Meerkat 32bit.

Thanks to johnnyg for the instructions and Scott Moreau for the experimental Compiz plugins build script!