CompizFusion allows users to seriously customise every aspect of their desktop experience on Linux. To customise your CompizFusion installation, you will need to install Compiz Config Settings Manager (or ccsm). This gives you far greater control than the standard “None”, “Normal” and “Extra” selections available from the Appearance menu. To install ccsm, type the following in a console;

sudo apt-get install compizconfig-settings-manager

Now you can access ccsm from the System>Preferences>Advanced Desktop Effects Settings menu.

Now that you have installed ccsm, you can tweak every setting tou your heart’s content. If you don’t like how something turns out and you forget what the original setting was, no problem, just click the little “broom” icon next to each setting to reset that setting to default.

Another part of this customisation is the ability to change window manager themes and mouse icons. The default CompizFusion on ubuntu just uses your metacity themes, which are pretty boring. However, a window decorator called Emerald provides far more exciting themes and decorations. To install emerald, type the following in a console;

sudo apt-get install emerald

You can now access Emerald from the System>Preferences>Emerald Theme Manager menu.

Before you can start using Emerald themes though, you will need to tell Compiz to use Emerald to decorate the windows instead of metacity. To do this, go into the Window Decoration plugin in ccsm (found under the Effects category) and enter the following in the Command text box;

emerald --replace

You will also need some Emerald themes which you can find here;

www.beryl-themes.org

To install the new theme, just follow the directions that you usually get with the theme. You will usually just click “Import” within Emerald and then find the theme (ending in .emerald) you just downloaded. You might have to extract it from an archive first. You will also need to restart Emerald to see your new theme, you can do this by rebooting, or by pressing Alt+F2 and entering

emerald --replace

Finally, to use custom mouse pointers with Compiz, you need to change one last item in ccsm. Firstly, download your mouse themes from somewhere like here;

gnome-look.org

Install them by opening up System>Preferences>Appearance. Drag your downloaded mouse pointer theme onto this window and your pointers will get install. Click Customize, then select the Pointers tab. Find your desired mouse pointer, then write down the name of it exactly as it appears!

Finally, go back into ccsm, click the General Options, then type the name of your mouse pointer theme into the Cursor Theme text box.

That’s it! You have installed ccsm, tweaked your settings, installed Emerald and themes, plus customised your mouse pointers!