unity-window-decorator ignores shadow settings from the Window Decoration plugin

[Doug McMahon]

Binary package hint: compiz

The only setting in the window decoration plugin that can be adjusted is the color. There appears no way to change anything else concerning shadows inc. not using them or at the very least reducing to a min.
The current default shadow effect looks quite 'messy' and unprofessional

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.04
Package: compiz 1:0.9.2.1+glibmainloop4-0ubuntu4
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.37-12.26-generic 2.6.37
Uname: Linux 2.6.37-12-generic i686
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
.proc.driver.nvidia.version:
 NVRM version: NVIDIA UNIX x86 Kernel Module 173.14.28 Wed Sep 29 09:47:25 PDT 2010
 GCC version: gcc version 4.5.2 (Ubuntu/Linaro 4.5.2-1ubuntu6)
Architecture: i386
Date: Thu Jan 27 12:40:46 2011
DistUpgraded: Fresh install
DistroCodename: natty
DistroVariant: ubuntu
DkmsStatus:
 nvidia-current, 260.19.29, 2.6.37-12-generic, i686: installed
 nvidia-173, 173.14.28, 2.6.37-12-generic, i686: installed
GraphicsCard: Subsystem: Dell Device [1028:0209]
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" - Alpha i386 (20110120)
MachineType: Dell Inc. XPS M1330
PackageArchitecture: all
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=en_US:en
 PATH=(custom, user)
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 LC_MESSAGES=en_US.utf8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.37-12-generic root=UUID=28d68c1b-9e85-45a3-9ec2-ad4f992ba387 ro
SourcePackage: compiz
dmi.bios.date: 12/26/2008
dmi.bios.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.bios.version: A15
dmi.board.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.chassis.type: 8
dmi.chassis.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnDellInc.:bvrA15:bd12/26/2008:svnDellInc.:pnXPSM1330:pvr:rvnDellInc.:rn:rvr:cvnDellInc.:ct8:cvr:
dmi.product.name: XPS M1330
dmi.sys.vendor: Dell Inc.
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.23-1ubuntu3
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 7.10-1ubuntu1
version.nvidia-graphics-drivers: nvidia-graphics-drivers N/A
version.xserver-xorg: xserver-xorg 1:7.5+6ubuntu8
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:6.13.2-1ubuntu2
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.14.0-1ubuntu2
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:0.0.16+git20110107+b795ca6e-0ubuntu1

[Doug McMahon (mc3man)]

I'm marking this as invalid for the moment - after several trips to ccsm and restarts suddenly the shadowing went back to what was expected. May have been some anomaly after the update that caused the effect to be excessive

[Sam Spilsbury (smspillaz)]

On Fri, Jan 28, 2011 at 1:48 AM, Doug McMahon <email address hidden> wrote:
> Public bug reported:
>
> Binary package hint: compiz
>
> The only setting in the window decoration plugin that can be adjusted is the color. There appears  no way to change anything else concerning shadows inc. not using them or at the very least reducing to a min.
> The current default shadow effect looks quite 'messy' and unprofessional

In U-W-D shadows are now tweaked in the theme itself. See the <shadow>
and <padding> properties in the Ambiance and Radiance metacity themes
on how to do this.

>
> ProblemType: Bug
> DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.04
> Package: compiz 1:0.9.2.1+glibmainloop4-0ubuntu4
> ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.37-12.26-generic 2.6.37
> Uname: Linux 2.6.37-12-generic i686
> NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
> .proc.driver.nvidia.version:
>  NVRM version: NVIDIA UNIX x86 Kernel Module  173.14.28  Wed Sep 29 09:47:25 PDT 2010
>  GCC version:  gcc version 4.5.2 (Ubuntu/Linaro 4.5.2-1ubuntu6)
> Architecture: i386
> Date: Thu Jan 27 12:40:46 2011
> DistUpgraded: Fresh install
> DistroCodename: natty
> DistroVariant: ubuntu
> DkmsStatus:
>  nvidia-current, 260.19.29, 2.6.37-12-generic, i686: installed
>  nvidia-173, 173.14.28, 2.6.37-12-generic, i686: installed
> GraphicsCard:   Subsystem: Dell Device [1028:0209]
> InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" - Alpha i386 (20110120)
> MachineType: Dell Inc. XPS M1330
> PackageArchitecture: all
> ProcEnviron:
>  LANGUAGE=en_US:en
>  PATH=(custom, user)
>  LANG=en_US.UTF-8
>  LC_MESSAGES=en_US.utf8
>  SHELL=/bin/bash
> ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.37-12-generic root=UUID=28d68c1b-9e85-45a3-9ec2-ad4f992ba387 ro
> SourcePackage: compiz
> dmi.bios.date: 12/26/2008
> dmi.bios.vendor: Dell Inc.
> dmi.bios.version: A15
> dmi.board.vendor: Dell Inc.
> dmi.chassis.type: 8
> dmi.chassis.vendor: Dell Inc.
> dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnDellInc.:bvrA15:bd12/26/2008:svnDellInc.:pnXPSM1330:pvr:rvnDellInc.:rn:rvr:cvnDellInc.:ct8:cvr:
> dmi.product.name: XPS M1330
> dmi.sys.vendor: Dell Inc.
> version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.23-1ubuntu3
> version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 7.10-1ubuntu1
> version.nvidia-graphics-drivers: nvidia-graphics-drivers N/A
> version.xserver-xorg: xserver-xorg 1:7.5+6ubuntu8
> version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:6.13.2-1ubuntu2
> version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.14.0-1ubuntu2
> version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:0.0.16+git20110107+b795ca6e-0ubuntu1
>
> ** Affects: compiz (Ubuntu)
>     Importance: Undecided
>         Status: New
>
>
> ** Tags: apport-bug i386 natty running-unity ubuntu
>
> --
> You received this bug notification because you are a member of compiz
> packagers, which is subscribed to compiz in ubuntu.
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/708786
>
> Title:
>  no shadow adjustments possible in window decoration plugin
>
> _______________________________________________
> Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~compiz
> Post to     : <email address hidden>
> Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~compiz
> More help   : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp
>

--
Sam Spilsbury

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

I think we can still improve on this.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

When I said we can improve on this, I meant we should:

(a) Enhance unity-window-decorator to use the Shadow Opacity setting from compizconfig. It seems to ignore it presently.

and

(b) Enhance unity-window-decorator to scale its shadow radii (from light-themes) relative to the default shadow radius (15.0) from compiz config. That way, the shadow radius is still determined by the theme setting, but also will resize if the radius in CCSM is adjusted.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

and

(c) Enhance unity-window-decorator to honour Shadow Offset X/Y from compiz config. I know the offset presently comes from metacity-theme-1.xml, but like (b) we could make it relative to the setting from compiz config.

Thus, one can change the shadow settings in CCSM or the theme definition.

[Sam Spilsbury (smspillaz)]

On Mon, 21 Nov 2011, Daniel van Vugt wrote:

> When I said we can improve on this, I meant we should:
>
> (a) Enhance unity-window-decorator to use the Shadow Opacity setting
> from compizconfig. It seems to ignore it presently.
>
> and
>
> (b) Enhance unity-window-decorator to scale its shadow radii (from
> light-themes) relative to the default shadow radius (15.0) from compiz
> config. That way, the shadow radius is still determined by the theme
> setting, but also will resize if the radius in CCSM is adjusted.
>

Both are now fixed in precise, well, "fixed".

Previously we used to use the shadow radius and information specified by
the theme so that we could have active and inactive shadows on windows
specified by the theme, so that it wouldn't look bad on other themes.

However, to do that, we had to carry a patch on libmetacity, and it means
that light themes won't work outside of ubuntu. I decided earlier this
cycle to just drop the patch and read the settings from mutter for the
invisible grab borders (since it now suppoorts those) and use the compiz
settings for the shadows (though, really, the compiz settings for the
shadows need to die, since it doesn't make sense to apply them across all
decorators and the way that we read and write the settings there are
really awkward (some protocol going over X properties))

> --
> You received this bug notification because you are a member of compiz
> packagers, which is subscribed to compiz in Ubuntu.
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/708786
>
> Title:
> unity-window-decorator ignores shadow settings from the Window
> Decoration plugin
>
> To manage notifications about this bug go to:
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/compiz/+bug/708786/+subscriptions
>
> _______________________________________________
> Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~compiz
> Post to : <email address hidden>
> Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~compiz
> More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp
>

[X (s-u)]

while it works in precise now, ccsm can only have shadow radius up to 18 (just 13 for inactive, why?)

[X (s-u)]

re:Sam Spilsbury

I don't think I understand this fully, I thought metacity can do window shadow itself, and previously shadow settings specified in compiz only applies to menus. in precise right now, shadow value in metacity theme file doesn't work, compiz shadow works and menu follows inactive value(which I think it's nice, if only panel shadow follows this too). does this mean if some other themes have their own shadow values, they will be overridden by compiz? not say this is bad, I'd probably change them manually anyway, but this doesn't sound quite right.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Confirmed this is fixed in Ubuntu 12.04 (which uses gtk-window-decorator, not unity-window-decorator).

It does sound like there might be other bugs, but please log them as separate bugs. Thanks...