Compiz not starting automatically on login

[crashsystems]

Binary package hint: compiz

I was one of the people experiencing bug #430694. After the latest updates that problem is fixed, but now Compiz does not start on login. A simple compiz --replace gets it running just fine, but I have to do this each time I start up my laptop.

ProblemType: Bug
Architecture: amd64
CompizPlugins: [core,move,resize,place,decoration,animation,ccp,svg,mousepoll,imgjpeg,gnomecompat,text,workarounds,regex,resizeinfo,session,video,dbus,png,wall,wobbly,obs,snap,fade,expo,ezoom,staticswitcher,addhelper]
Date: Thu Oct 8 14:22:03 2009
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 9.10
MachineType: Dell Inc. Inspiron 1545
NonfreeKernelModules: wl
Package: compiz 1:0.8.3+git20091005-0ubuntu5
PackageArchitecture: all
PciDisplay: 00:02.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: Intel Corporation Mobile 4 Series Chipset Integrated Graphics Controller [8086:2a42] (rev 07)
ProcCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-12-generic root=UUID=b272263a-7f0e-44fe-988d-a9385566d4a0 ro quiet splash
ProcEnviron:
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.31-12.41-generic
RelatedPackageVersions:
 xserver-xorg 1:7.4+3ubuntu5
 libgl1-mesa-glx 7.6.0-1ubuntu1
 libdrm2 2.4.13-1ubuntu1
 xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.8.1-1ubuntu3
 xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:6.12.99+git20090825.fc74e119-0ubuntu3
SourcePackage: compiz
Uname: Linux 2.6.31-12-generic x86_64
XorgConf: Error: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: '/etc/X11/xorg.conf'
dmi.bios.date: 02/25/2009
dmi.bios.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.bios.version: A05
dmi.board.name: 0G848F
dmi.board.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.chassis.type: 8
dmi.chassis.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnDellInc.:bvrA05:bd02/25/2009:svnDellInc.:pnInspiron1545:pvr:rvnDellInc.:rn0G848F:rvr:cvnDellInc.:ct8:cvr:
dmi.product.name: Inspiron 1545
dmi.sys.vendor: Dell Inc.
system: distro = Ubuntu, architecture = x86_64, kernel = 2.6.31-12-generic

[Travis Watkins (amaranth)]

Your .xsession-errors show compiz never even tries to start on login. Try going into System->Preferences->Appearance and changing the Visual Effects setting. It may be on Normal since you've started compiz yourself. If so, change it to None then back to Normal. Otherwise just change it to Normal. After that logout and then login and see if compiz is running.

[crashsystems (crashsystems)]

I just did what you said, except I set Visual Effects to Extra (I doubt that would make a difference, but I'm telling you just in case). I did a reboot, and am having the exact same issue.

[Cory Dodt (corydodt)]

This affects me as well, after upgrading jaunty->karmic. My desktop effects are custom (and i use the advanced compiz config tool to manage them). Turning them off and on has no effect. I *can* start compiz normally manually. But it will not start at desktop startup, and it did before I upgraded.

[Philipp Wendler (philw85)]

Compiz is not starting automatically here, too. When I start it manually with "compiz", it loads fine.

I have a ATI graphics card with radeon and use Lucid. The problem occurred first somewhere near the release of Lucid (I was using the beta before that). I already set the settings for visual effects to Normal (no setting was ticked before), but that didn't help. In gconf, the entry /desktop/gnome/applications/window_manager/current has the value /usr/bin/compiz. My .xsession-errors shows no sign of compiz starting (I can attach it if needed).

Note that there is another bug #565975 which might be a duplicate of this.

[Wilbert Volkers (wilbertvolkers)]

Same here, have ATI card as well. I upgraded from 9.04. Metacity doesnt start either. Probably some setting in xorg.conf, haven't tried anything yet. Maybe tomorrow.

[Wilbert Volkers (wilbertvolkers)]

As a workaround I added compiz as startup APplication:
System -> Preferences -> Startup Applications -> Startup Programs -> Add -> Command -> 'compiz --replace'. Maybe reinstall of the Hardware Drivers will work. I'm not going to try this now, with 9.10 I replaced a module to have a watermark 'unsupported hardware' removed (ATI Radeon HD 5700 Series).

[Philipp Wendler (philw85)]

This bug is still there in Maverick.

[Claudio Moretti (flyingstar16)]

Confirming this behavior in Maverick, as philw85 said.
Also, it happened to me after removing some packages through computerjanitor, but I have no clue about which one did create the issue.

[Tessa (unit3)]

Seeing this now after an upgrade to Natty (11.04) and using the "classic" session, I have to run "compiz --replace" on every login now. :(

[Nemes Ioan Sorin (nemes-sorin)]

I will subscribe to this bug for Natty - Ubuntu Classic

everything work ok after compiz --replace but then it will be no window decorator - so also I have to use fusion icon OR displex indicator to specify metacity as window decorator.

- still don't know why the visual effects functionality is dropped out from Appearance Window - we suppose that any superior Ubuntu version will act as an evolution not as an involution as in this case.

- I think is not a good policy to trow everything on Unity and to let out other (big) user-base wishes ..and I mean Ubuntu Classic lovers. They are still a majority ..at least Unity usability problems will be fixed.

  This is not good for marketing - please fix this that button and please keep with the large user base not with minority.
  I hope it will not be the case of too much critical thinking or too much debates for just put that functionality back - Visual Effects - on the same place on Appearance Window.
   Ubuntu Classic will still stand long time after 11.4 ..peoples don't switch to Unity just because ..they need good reasons and time for accommodation.

Thanks for listening

[PhobosK (phobosk)]

Well sadly the people that do these kind of nonsense are not the one listening.... They just do the things THEY think are the right ones....
And Natty with its bugs/Unity/Classic/etc. etc. is a total disgrace and i think switching to another distro will happen very soon for me...

Anyway a temp workaround to this problem till someone decides it is of importance....:
1. apt-get install fusion-icon
2. Start it and make sure for window manager you select Compiz and for window decorator - GTK window decorator
3. Add to the startup applications (in the Gnome Control Center) an entry reading:
      compiz --replace
4. Logout and login again to be sure it works fine

[Steve White (stevan-white)]

This behavior just started for me too, in 11.10 with an ATI card.
ATI Technologies Inc RS880 [Radeon HD 4200]

I have been having a lot of trouble on the system with a different distro bug,
    https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/sysvinit/+bug/858122
and had hoped this weeks bunch of updates would improve that. Well, it got worse immediately after these updates.

I have no idea what triggers it. Probably karma, payback for general bad-personhood.

Anyway, the general problem is that the Metacity window manager isn't being started on log-in.

To fix this, under the main menu, System Tools -> Startup Applications.
In my case, Metacity wasn't listed, so I added it, with data
     Metacity
    /usr/bin/metacity
     Window Manager
made sure the item was checked, and re-logged in.

Now Compiz starts.

[Steve White (stevan-white)]

Sorry, the above is confused.
With that advice, Metacity starts, *not* Compiz.

I think you can do the same with Compiz though if that's what you like.

[Eugene Sajine (euguess)]

Same thing here:

11.10 both unity and gnome3 on toshiba qosmio G-35

Compiz fails to start at login. Compiz-fusion-icon didn't start when clicked. I went to the startup apps and added "compiz --replace" command. Then it works.

In addition to that compiz is dying after the screen gets locked because of inactivity and then unlocked.
just no effects shown.

[Eugene Sajine (euguess)]

At some point compiz loaded the way described in comment #15 started to cause the screen to get stuck up in black state and not able to come back after idling.

[N1ck 7h0m4d4k15 (nicktux)]

Hello,
as part of the bug clean up ahead of 16.04 LTS I'm marking this as invalid because it affects an Ubuntu release which is now unsupported. If you can still recreate this bug in a supported release please do open a new bug and we can triage it for consideration in the 16.04 LTS development cycle.

Regards
NickTh