I just set up Compiz on my machine at work, hoping to be able to take better advantage of virtual desktops given my limited screen real estate. (“Limited” meaning “only two monitors.”)

One of the most oft-discussed effects is the “Cube,” in which you have four desktops and can spin around them like a cube. It was enabled, but didn’t work. I vaguely recalled having this problem when I set it up at least a year ago here at home, but couldn’t remember what it was.

I’ll need to wait until Monday morning to confirm, but I think it’s something silly: enabling the Compiz Cube effect doesn’t give you 4 virtual desktops, or even check if they exist.

gconftool-2 --type int --set /apps/compiz/general/screen0/options/hsize 4
gconftool-2 --type int --set /apps/compiz/general/screen0/options/number_of_desktops 1

That’s being recommend, and seems to work. Both of mine are currently set at 1, so there’s nothing to spin. (BTW: if you set it two, it’s a flat 2D object that spins instead of a cube.)

Yet to be tested is what happens when you do this with dual monitors. Do you get an awesomely-huge cube?

Also: if you’re looking for the Mac Expose equivalent, and are confused when the “Expose” plug-in for Compiz just shows you a zoomed-out view of all your desktops… You really want the Scale plugin, it seems. Shift Switcher gives something somewhere in between Cover Flow what Vista can do; something else to check out.

Really, though, I “lose” windows a lot, when they become buried under others, so I think this is going to be a boost to my productivity.