Ubuntu on Thinkpad X41 - Installing the Beryl Window Manager

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This is one of a number of posts detailing how to install Ubuntu 6.10 (codename Edgy) on a Thinkpad X41.

This post explains how to install the Beryl window manager on Ubuntu Edgy. Beryl is a very impressive window manager for Linux that adds many extremely cool effects and themes to the desktop. These include things like a 3D cube workspace switcher, a tab switcher with window preview, many minimize/maximize animations, and much much more. Watch this video to see Beryl in action.

Source link - http://wiki.beryl-project.org/wiki/Install_Beryl_on_Ubuntu_Edgy_with_AIGLX

To install Beryl:

1. First the Beryl repository must be added. Open a terminal by clicking Applications->Accessories->Terminal
2. Type sudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list
3. Add the two lines

deb http://ubuntu.beryl-project.org/ edgy main
deb-src http://ubuntu.beryl-project.org/ edgy main
Note: If you are installing Ubuntu Feisty (version 7.04), replace the ‘edgy‘ with ‘feisty‘ in the lines above.

4. Save the file and close gedit.
5. To ensure that the packages are correct, type:

sudo wget http://ubuntu.beryl-project.org/root@lupine.me.uk.gpg -O- | sudo apt-key add -

6. Update the package list before installing by typing:
   sudo apt-get update
7. Enable AIGLX and configure the X server by typing:
   1. sudo gedit /etc/X11/xorg.conf
   2. In the “Module” section, make sure that these three lines are included:

   Load “dri”
   Load “dbe”
   Load “glx”

   3. In the “Device” section (for the graphics card), add the line: Option “XAANoOffscreenPixmaps”
   4. Search for the section “DRI” and make sure it looks like below, if not then add it:

   Section “DRI”
   Mode 0666
   EndSection

   5. Close gedit and restart the X server by typing the line below. This might freeze, and if so, restart Ubuntu, using the power button if necessary:

   sudo /etc/init.d/gdm restart

8. Install Beryl by typing:

sudo apt-get install beryl

9. Make Beryl start automatically.
   1. Save the file http://www.skynet.ie/~sos/ubuntu/startberyl.sh to /usr/bin
   2. Make the script executable by typing

   sudo chmod a+x /usr/bin/startberyl.sh

10. For safety’s sake, so that Beryl can be disabled easily later if it turns out to be buggy, create a new Session. Save the file http://www.skynet.ie/~sos/ubuntu/Beryl.desktop to /usr/share/xsessions
11. When Ubuntu next starts up, you will have the option to use Beryl. To do this, in the log in screen
    1. Click Options->Select Session
    2. Choose Beryl
    3. Click Change Session
12. To play around with Beryl settings, once logged in click the red diamond icon in the top right corner task bar.
13. To see the cool cube effect, press Ctrl-Alt-Left and Ctrl-Alt-Right keys. you may only have one workspace open, so add more by right clicking on the Workspace switcher at the bottom right of the screen, choosing “Preferences” and setting the number of workspaces.
14. To edit or change themes, open System->Preferences->Emerald Theme Manager and play around.
15. To make double clicking on title bars maximise the window, which on my laptop changed this behaviour to the irritating “collapse window” effect, open System->Preferences->Emerald Theme Manager->Emerald Settings->Titlebar Double-Click-Action->Maximise/Restore