Ubuntu Compton与Mutter：如何协同工作

Understanding Compton and Mutter’s Roles
Compton is a lightweight, GPU-accelerated window compositor designed to enhance desktop visuals (e.g., shadows, transparency) and improve rendering performance. Mutter, on the other hand, is the default window manager and compositor for GNOME, handling core window operations (creation, movement, resizing) and integrating with the GNOME desktop environment. While both deal with window effects, Compton focuses on visual enhancements, and Mutter manages window behavior—making them complementary but distinct components.

Why Conflict Happens
Since both Compton and Mutter are compositors, running them simultaneously can cause conflicts (e.g., window glitches, performance degradation, or visual artifacts). This occurs because they compete to manage the same desktop rendering tasks. To resolve this, you need to ensure only one compositor runs at a time.

Installing Both Components
Before configuration, install Compton and Mutter (if not already present) using your package manager. For Debian/Ubuntu-based systems, run:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install compton mutter

This ensures you have the latest versions compatible with your system.

Configuring for Coexistence (or Replacement)
You have two options to make Compton and Mutter work together: replace Mutter with Compton (recommended for most users) or disable Mutter’s compositor and let Compton handle everything.

Option 1: Replace Mutter with Compton

Compton includes a --replace flag to take over as the primary compositor, automatically stopping Mutter. Run this command in your terminal:

compton --replace

To make this change permanent, add Compton to your startup applications:

1. Open Settings > Startup Applications.
2. Click + Add, enter “Compton” as the name, and compton --replace as the command.
3. Save the changes. Now, Compton will launch at login and replace Mutter.

Option 2: Disable Mutter’s Compositor

If you prefer to keep Mutter for window management but use Compton for effects, disable Mutter’s built-in compositor:

1. Install gnome-tweaks (if not installed):

   sudo apt install gnome-tweaks
   

2. Open GNOME Tweaks > Compositor, and toggle off Enable compositor. This stops Mutter from handling window effects, allowing Compton to take over.
3. Start Compton manually or add it to startup (as in Option 1).

Troubleshooting Common Issues
If you encounter problems (e.g., black screens, window flickering), try these steps:

• Check Compton’s Configuration: Edit ~/.config/compton.conf (create it if missing) and use a minimal setup. For example:

  backend = "glx";
  shadow-exclude = [".*", "[class='.*Firefox']", "[title='.*Firefox']"];
  shadow-opacity = 0.5;
  

  Avoid advanced settings unless necessary.
• Switch to X11: Compton works best with the X11 display server. If you’re on Wayland, select “Ubuntu on Xorg” at the login screen. Wayland support for Compton is limited.
• Update Software: Ensure your system, Compton, and Mutter are up to date. Run:

  sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade
  

• Check Logs: Review system logs (/var/log/syslog) or Compton’s logs (~/.cache/compton/log) for error messages. These can help identify compatibility issues.

By following these steps, you can effectively integrate Compton and Mutter in Ubuntu—either by replacing Mutter with Compton or disabling Mutter’s compositor to let Compton handle all visual effects. This ensures a smooth, visually enhanced desktop experience without conflicts.