compiz questions

[Matt Graham]

After a long battle with technology, Cary Mabe wrote:
> I've downloaded and successfully installed compiz with no errors, but no
> change in my desktop appearance.

So, is compiz running?  "ps auxw | grep compiz" should return lines like so:
kwrapper ksmserver --windowmanager /usr/bin/compiz-manager
/usr/bin/compiz --ignore-desktop-hints --replace --indirect-rendering ccp

...no compiz running, no cool 3D desktop effects.  If "glxinfo | grep direct" 
doesn't give you "direct rendering: Yes", you have no accelerated 3D, and 
compiz will not work at all.

> I'm running Ubuntu 7.10

OK.

> I'm suspecting that it is the onboard graphics that's causing the problem, 
> but I've been wrong many times. 

What is the make and model of the video chipset?  Are you using XGL?  (IME, 
XGL = EPIC FAIL, but it might work on Intel video cards.)  Are the kernel 
modules needed for DRI loaded?  Those are agpgart, intel_agp, and radeon here 
on my laptop, but YVideoCardMV.

-- 
   I have to carry this axe.
   It's part of my anger management therapy.
   --Patrik_Aka_RedX
There is no Darkness in Eternity/But only Light too dim for us to see