If you've installed Ubuntu 8.10 and have scoured the settings looking for how to turn off the edge attraction and snap-to-edge effect (which some folks find pretty annoying), you have probably already guessed that the method is not there. That's right. Package "compizconfig-backend-gconf" is already installed, but how to get to it? And what is Compiz anyway? Well, there's no easy way to get to it, and Compiz is the special effects package for window handling - sort of what "Aero" is to Windows Vista.
To change settings in Compiz, you'll need "compizconfig-settings-manager" which you can obtain through Synaptics Package Manager or the command "sudo apt-get install compizconfig-settings-manager." You'll soon learn that that requires the "python-compizconfig" package, which is a dependency, and probably what the settings manager is really the front end for.
After starting the settings manager from System → Preferences → CompizConfig Settings Manager, enter into the "Filter" field at top-left "snapp" and the right pane should change to Windows Management/Snapping Windows. Clear the checkmark and close the settings manager to save it.
After doing this, well-behaved applications will start at the lower left-hand corner of the screen and hopefully, remember where you left them for next time.
Written
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Lamar Stonecypher
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Linux Platform Blog
Last Edited
on
Apr 20 2009, 08:39 PM