Emerald (the original Compiz Window Decorator) not available in Precise, Quantal, Raring, Saucy and Trusty while it was working on all Ubuntu versions before [needs-packaging]

[MC Return]

I hope Emerald does not get forgotten and someone can fix this, because it is still by far the best window decorator available, coupled with a great theme manager and possibilities for the power user to adjust window decorations in both looks and functionality.

For example the window decoration can be individualized and upgraded by adding buttons to make windows Sticky/Unsticky Shade/Unshade Roll-Up/Down or by adding glow, changing fonts and adjusting shadows/transparency and colors.

All of those functionality and the great look with transparency and glow cannot be matched by any other available window decorator out there, so this is a big regression on Precise and Quantal for many users, who used to use it on Ubuntu before.

Also it was designed to accomplish Compiz and Compiz without Emerald is not Compiz anymore, while the combination Compiz/Emerald/Unity was really great in the past and still is.

Here a few links showing the undaunted popularity of Emerald:

http://www.webupd8.org/2012/01/install-emerald-in-ubuntu-1110-oneiric.html
http://www.linux-geek.co.nz/2011/06/04/how-to-change-ubuntus-window-borders-with-emerald/
http://www.webupd8.org/2013/05/how-to-install-emerald-in-ubuntu-1304.html

Fetching the source and compiling works, when done this way:

git clone git://anongit.compiz.org/fusion/decorators/emerald
cd emerald
git checkout -b compiz++ origin/compiz++
./autogen.sh
export "LIBS=-ldl -lm" && ./configure
make

Please package this great window decorator for Precise, Quantal and future versions of Ubuntu.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[MC Return (mc-return)]

Here someone did some magic and it actually WORKS:

https://launchpad.net/~brainpower/+archive/testing/+build/3505578

^^ This version works on Precise 12.04 with latest Compiz 0.9.7.8 !!!

[MC Return (mc-return)]

Here a direct download link: https://launchpad.net/~brainpower/+archive/testing/+build/3505578/+files/emerald_0.9.5-0~precise2_amd64.deb

[MC Return (mc-return)]

Maybe someone could upload this version to the Precise repos, so people could install Emerald via Package Manager/Software Center on Precise as well ?

[brainpower (brainpower)]

You've gotta check out the branch "0.9.5" to get the right version.
If you don't, you get 0.8.8 which doesn't compile against compiz 0.9.x

You can check if you've got the right version easily with 'git describe'.
If there is output like "0.8.8-1-ga8c21c4", you've got the wrong version
and gotta switch to 0.9.5 (git checkout 0.9.5),
then git describe should print "0.8.4-11-ga272e26" (I know it's weird, but it's alright) and emerald compiles fine ;)

[MC Return (mc-return)]

brainpower, thanx a lot for your answer, but it does not seem to work here.
I had that branch checked out and selected, still those same errors I posted above occur :(

[MC Return (mc-return)]

I finally found the solution to fix the compilation:

export "LIBS=-ldl -lm" && ./configure
make

Seems it was some linking problem.

[Brian Murray (brian-murray)]

*** This is an automated message ***

This bug is tagged needs-packaging which identifies it as a request for a new package in Ubuntu. As a part of the managing needs-packaging bug reports specification, https://wiki.ubuntu.com/QATeam/Specs/NeedsPackagingBugs, all needs-packaging bug reports have Wishlist importance. Subsequently, I'm setting this bug's status to Wishlist.

[Dimitri John Ledkov (xnox)]

As per:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/emerald/+bug/831111
It was failing to build from source

And hence was removed.
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/emerald/+bug/831111/comments/1

Is emerald now maintained again? Builds in raring against recent compiz? Did fedora or other distributions still maintain it?

[MC Return (mc-return)]

xnox, please look at comment #7.
I am running Emerald on Raring with latest Compiz/Unity and did so on Precise and Quantal as well. It just needs packaging.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for emerald (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]

[Phillip Susi (psusi)]

This package has been removed from Ubuntu. Closing all related bugs.

[Drake Jacovian (launc4pad-net)]

So the response, to the bug, that it is missing from Ubuntu is that it has been removed from Ubuntu...okay. I think this bug was trying to address the issues with it being removed.
Can we at least get a reason as to why it is "removed" since this is forcing your users to compile/rely on a ppa?

[Phillip Susi (psusi)]

Apparently it failed to build and was no longer maintained upstream.

[MC Return (mc-return)]

@Phillip:
The instructions on how to compile/build Emerald are posted in the bug description, but I will repost them again:

git clone git://anongit.compiz.org/fusion/decorators/emerald
cd emerald
git checkout -b compiz++ origin/compiz++
./autogen.sh
export "LIBS=-ldl -lm" && ./configure
make

To install:
sudo make install

[Nicolas Krzywinski (nsk7even)]

Neither autogen nor configure work for me on fresh install of UbuntuGNOME Remix 13.04.
I even installed some more stuff as proposed here: https://sourceforge.net/p/mooedit/bugs/153/ (follow the links for more, I tried it all)

Given up ...

[MC Return (mc-return)]

@nsk7even:
Emerald is the decorator for Compiz, I do not think that it will work with Gnome3+.

[Povilas Kanapickas (p12)]

I've took over maintainership of Emerald recently. The upstream repository is here: https://github.com/p12tic/emerald. The program builds successfully and works almost flawlessly, at least on the several machines I have. Is it possible to revive this bug?

Note, it won't be possible to include Emerald to Ubuntu via the usual route through Debian, because Compiz has been removed from their repositories as 'unmaintained'.

[Povilas Kanapickas (p12)]

Whoops, sorry for dup.

[MC Return (mc-return)]

On 12/05/2013 09:39 PM, Povilas Kanapickas wrote:
> Whoops, sorry for dup.
>
You won't get an answer anyway. Those guys are masters of ignorance...

How do you like that attachment ?

[Phillip Susi (psusi)]

Theoretically if you are going to maintain it you could package it and upload it again, but if compiz is indeed dead, then maybe not. I've asked on the unity-dev mailing list if they are planning on maintaining it or migrating unity off of it.

[MC Return (mc-return)]

psusi, we should maybe delete compiz from the Ubuntu repositories too and replace it with unity8 awesomeness finally.

Then we could simply close all compiz related bugs and pat ourselves on the shoulder, saying: Well done. Fixed.

[MC Return (mc-return)]

psusi, do you really have to ask on the unity-dev mailing list if compiz is dead ?
Hahahaha "migrating unity off of it" hahahaha.

Attention, attention: This bug report's comments are just a joke...

[Phillip Susi (psusi)]

If you don't have something useful to say, then don't say anything at all.