[Gutsy] The Custom option in "Visual Effects" tab of Appearance Preferences don't persist

[Ricardo Pérez López]

Binary package hint: gnome-control-center

Steps to reproduce:

1. Go to System->Preferences->Appearance.
2. Click on "Visual Effects" tab.
3. Change the option from X to Custom (where X could be None, Normal or Extra).
4. Click on Close.
5. Go again to System->Preferences->Appearance.
6. Click again on "Visual Effects" tab.

Expected result:

The selected option is Custom.

Actual result:

The selected option is X (i.e., the previous option before you changed it to Custom).

Reproducible every time.

[Pedro Villavicencio (pedro)]

Confirmed, thanks for your report.

[Mike Hix (mike-musl)]

What causes this? How can I help?

[Ricardo Pérez López (ricardo)]

Are there news about this bug?

[Mirco Müller (macslow)]

I have not seen this behaviour in the last week... and I start and use gnome-appearance-manager (especially the "Visual Effects"-tab) about two dozen times each day. I mark it as fixed.

[Ricardo Pérez López (ricardo)]

It is not fixed for me, using an updated Gutsy. Try the steps of the bug description with a freshly new user. The bug is totally reproducible.

What about you, Pedro?

[Mike Hix (mike-musl)]

This is reproducible for me when I use the CCSM to create a profile, using the process described below:

Note: The "Custom" settings apply and everything works as expected until step 5 is performed.

1. Create a new user
2. Log in as that user
3. On the "Visual Effects" tab of the "Appearance" control panel app, select "Custom" and click "Preferences"
4. Open the "Preferences ->" section (opens CCSM)
5. Create a profile with an arbitrary name by clicking the "+" button
6. Close the windows opened in previous steps
7. Open the "Visual Effects" tab of the "Appearance" control panel app

Observed Results:

    The "Normal" option is selected

Expected Results:

    The "Custom" option is selected

[Mike Hix (mike-musl)]

So, it seems that a workaround would be to never setup a profile in the "preferences" section of CCSM. (Compiz Config Settings Manager)

Not exactly sure yet where that particular configuration data is stored, but it is within the user's home directory.

[Ricardo Pérez López (ricardo)]

Mike, can you reproduce the bug without creating that profile? I don't need to do that in order to reproduce the bug...

[Mike Hix (mike-musl)]

I'm not certain that I can, yet - however I'm certain that that particular action triggered the behavior.

[Mike Hix (mike-musl)]

I'm unable to cause the bad behavior by the bug's directions alone.

[Ricardo Pérez López (ricardo)]

This is strange:

1. Open gnome-appearance-properties in a terminal.
2. Select Custom in Visual Effects tab.
3. You can see in the terminal the following message: "nvidia_new restricted driver is already enabled".
4. However, I'm using nvidia-glx package, NOT nvidia-glx-new.

Maybe this is the problem?

[Mike Hix (mike-musl)]

It seems that CCSM is breaking some part of the config, causing the appearance app to "reset". I doubt it's a driver/module issue...

[Mike Hix (mike-musl)]

Just for reference, I'm using an Intel X3100. (xserver-xorg-video-intel)

[Ricardo Pérez López (ricardo)]

I'm now using the nvidia-glx-new package, and the problem still persist.

[Ricardo Pérez López (ricardo)]

I tried removing & reinstalling the ccsm package, and creating a new user from scratch... all without luck.

[Ricardo Pérez López (ricardo)]

Pedro, can you please re-confirm the issue in your system? Is it needed to create a profile, as Mike says?

[Mike Hix (mike-musl)]

I have also purged the appropriate packages (ccsm, compiz, & etc...) via dpkg -P and reinstalled them via apt-get. The same behavior persists until I remove the configuration files in the home directory of the particular user that is experiencing the problem.

After removing the broken configuration in this way, things work properly again.

I'm trying to narrow down exactly what's broken, but I don't have much spare time these days.

[Andrew Dorr (drewdorr)]

I'm experiencing this bug as well. I don't have much to add other than that I'm using the Default profile.

In CCSM, General Options -> Desktop Size -> Horizontal Virtual Size always sets itself to two instead of the four that I set it to. That might give a hint as to what's breaking it. All of the other settings seem to stay the same.

[Ruphius (ruphius)]

I had the same problem and i notice that when i change any of the settings using CCSM(compizconfig-settings-manager) the option "Custom" in Visual Effects tab is selected automatically

[Clement Lefebvre (clementlefebvre)]

I don't think this is an actual bug. It looks like a mis-interpretation of the feature... but there is probably room for some improvements.

The tool defines three profiles: "None", "Normal" and "Extra". "None" turns Compiz off, and the two other options represent default "sets of preferences".. so when the user selects one these two options, all Compiz preferences are overwritten with the values corresponding to the selected option.

When you install CCSM you get an extra option called "custom" which lets you run CCSM...

The tool doesn't store which state it is in.. it simply looks at the compiz preferences and checks their value.. if their value match the "Normal" or "Extra" profile it marks that profile as being selected.. if the values are different than the ones defined in these two profiles, it marks "Custom" as being selected.

So here's what happens:

- You select "Normal" ---> all values are overwritten to reflect the "normal profile" (for instance desktop-size becomes 2)
- You then select "Custom" --> nothing happens... since you haven't actually made any changes in CCSM yet...
- You close and re-open the tool... it looks at all the prefs.. and see that they're identical to the "Normal" profile so it shows "Normal" as being selected.

You could leave "Normal" selected, close the tool and run CCSM.. then change anything and see that the tool now shows "Custom".

It's not really a bug but it is a bit confusing. Ideally, the last "custom" selection should be saved... so that even when you select "Normal", although the prefs are overwritten you'd be able to simply reselect "Custom" and get back to your previous preferences. Also, a little flag could be used to remember the selection made in the tool... in case "Normal" and "Custom" are actually the same... just in order not to confuse the user.

Hope it helps.
Clem.

[Ricardo Pérez López (ricardo)]

Clement, it IS a bug:

1. You select "Normal".
2. You then select "Custom": nothing happens, ok.
3. Close and re-open the tool: it's in the "Normal" profile, ok.
4. Close the tool and run CCSM... I change anything (say, for example, I activate the color filter).
5. Open the tool... and it is in "Normal", yet.

[Clement Lefebvre (clementlefebvre)]

Fair enough, this is a bug then.

Clem

[Alessandro Moraes (sanfatec)]

I having the same problem.

[BloodBlader (lalejandromf26)]

Any news? I have the same problem!

[Josep (biknet)]

Somebody has solved this problem?
I have the same problem too

[Sebastien Bacher (seb128)]

Mirco, could you look at this bug?

[Mirco Müller (macslow)]

I am atm.

[shibo (shibokilla)]

umm.... excuse me but i don't have custom when i go to the apearance tab i just have none,normal and extra!! what should i do to get custom???

[conjur3r (conjur3r)]

I don't have the Custom option either. I thought in the past all you needed with compizconfig-settings-manager to get custom but not for Hardy's case.

[shibo (shibokilla)]

i got it a week after i posted my last massage

 u have to go to synaptic package manager and search compiz... and install it then Go to System->Preferences->Appearance.

and u will find custom there !!!:D

[Sebastien Bacher (seb128)]

does anybody still get this issue in hardy?

[Ricardo Pérez López (ricardo)]

My hardy doesn't include the Custom option anymore. I don't know if this is intentional.

[Sebastien Bacher (seb128)]

you need to install ccsm-simple to get this option

[Ricardo Pérez López (ricardo)]

Oh, great. I just installed simple-ccsm package, and all seems to be OK now. The "Custom" option appears now, and it do persists now. Sounds great.

Curiously, I haven't heard about simple-ccsm package until now. However, I've got compizconfig-settings-manager installed since April. Maybe Ubuntu could do some more publicity of simple-ccsm (for example, suggesting it in gnome-app-install instead of compizconfig-settings-manager).

Thanks.

[Sebastien Bacher (seb128)]

thank you for the update, closing this bug since that works correctly now, ccsm-simple should probably installed by default but that's a different issue

[Devin Samarin (eboyjr14)]

See https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-control-center/+bug/470008