Getting compiz errors on Ubuntu. Can't load plugins. Unity doesn't start

Question

I have Windows 10 64-Bit and I have installed the Ubuntu subsystem on Windows. I have installed ubuntu-desktop, unity, compiz and compiz configuration settings.But when I type compiz on Ubuntu bash, I get the following errors :

compiz (core) - Info: Loading plugin: core
compiz (core) - Info: Starting plugin: core
compiz (core) - Info: Loading plugin: ccp
compiz (core) - Info: Starting plugin: ccp
compizconfig - Info: Backend     : ini
compizconfig - Info: Integration : true
compizconfig - Info: Profile     : default
compiz (core) - Info: Loading plugin: composite
compiz (core) - Info: Starting plugin: composite
compiz (core) - Info: Loading plugin: opengl
compiz (core) - Info: Starting plugin: opengl
libGL error: No matching fbConfigs or visuals found
libGL error: failed to load driver: swrast
Compiz (opengl) - Fatal: Root visual is not a double buffered GL visual
compiz (core) - Error: Plugin initScreen failed: opengl
compiz (core) - Error: Failed to start plugin: opengl
compiz (core) - Info: Unloading plugin: opengl
compiz (core) - Info: Loading plugin: place
compiz (core) - Info: Starting plugin: place
compiz (core) - Info: Loading plugin: resize
compiz (core) - Info: Starting plugin: resize
Compiz (opengl) - Fatal: Root visual is not a double buffered GL visual
Compiz (opengl) - Fatal: Root visual is not a double buffered GL visual
Compiz (opengl) - Fatal: Root visual is not a double buffered GL visual
Compiz (opengl) - Fatal: Root visual is not a double buffered GL visual
Compiz (opengl) - Fatal: Root visual is not a double buffered GL visual
Compiz (opengl) - Fatal: Root visual is not a double buffered GL visual
Compiz (opengl) - Fatal: Root visual is not a double buffered GL visual
Compiz (opengl) - Fatal: Root visual is not a double buffered GL visual
Compiz (opengl) - Fatal: Root visual is not a double buffered GL visual
Compiz (opengl) - Fatal: Root visual is not a double buffered GL visual
Compiz (opengl) - Fatal: Root visual is not a double buffered GL visual
compiz (core) - Info: Loading plugin: snap
compiz (core) - Info: Starting plugin: snap
compiz (core) - Info: Loading plugin: commands
compiz (core) - Info: Starting plugin: commands
compiz (core) - Info: Loading plugin: compiztoolbox
compiz (core) - Info: Starting plugin: compiztoolbox
compiz (core) - Error: Plugin 'opengl' not loaded.
compiz (core) - Info: Loading plugin: copytex
compiz (core) - Info: Starting plugin: copytex
compiz (core) - Error: Plugin 'opengl' not loaded.
compiz (core) - Error: Plugin init failed: copytex
compiz (core) - Error: Failed to start plugin: copytex
compiz (core) - Info: Unloading plugin: copytex
compiz (core) - Info: Loading plugin: imgpng
compiz (core) - Info: Starting plugin: imgpng
compiz (core) - Info: Loading plugin: move
compiz (core) - Info: Starting plugin: move
compiz (core) - Info: Loading plugin: scale
compiz (core) - Info: Starting plugin: scale
compiz (core) - Error: Plugin 'opengl' not loaded.
compiz (core) - Error: Plugin init failed: scale
compiz (core) - Error: Failed to start plugin: scale
compiz (core) - Info: Unloading plugin: scale
compiz (core) - Info: Loading plugin: expo
compiz (core) - Info: Starting plugin: expo
compiz (core) - Error: Plugin 'opengl' not loaded.
compiz (core) - Error: Plugin init failed: expo
compiz (core) - Error: Failed to start plugin: expo
compiz (core) - Info: Unloading plugin: expo
compiz (core) - Info: Loading plugin: unityshell
compiz (core) - Info: Starting plugin: unityshell
compiz (core) - Error: Plugin 'opengl' not loaded.
compiz (core) - Error: Plugin init failed: unityshell
compiz (core) - Error: Failed to start plugin: unityshell
compiz (core) - Info: Unloading plugin: unityshell
Compiz (opengl) - Fatal: Root visual is not a double buffered GL visual

and a black screen with nothing on it. Unity doesn't load. What can I do to solve this problem?

Solution

X-Server for Windows

You need to install an X-Server for Windows before running any graphical apps like gedit or nautilus. I have had good luck using VcXsrv but there are others you can try.

A very good tutorial for setting up Ubuntu Unity under Windows 10 WSL is in ZDNET:

• ​How to run the native Ubuntu desktop on Windows 10.

If you simply google VcXsrv WSL you will get many hits:

• github QMonkey wsl-tutorial
• solarianprogrammer windows susbsystem for linux xfce-4
• reddit bashonubuntuonwindows how to run gnome terminal on wsl

Note: I changed your tag 14.04 to wsl because this is about Windows Subsystem for Linux which defaults to using 16.04 from the Windows Store. You can probably install any supported Ubuntu-desktop version though, even Xubuntu-desktop 16.04 as I did.

Running compiz within WSL

On my setup after setting up Unity in WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) I can test it with:

$ compiz
compiz (core) - Info: Loading plugin: core
compiz (core) - Info: Starting plugin: core
compiz (core) - Info: Loading plugin: ccp
compiz (core) - Info: Starting plugin: ccp
compizconfig - Info: Backend     : ini
compizconfig - Info: Integration : true
compizconfig - Info: Profile     : default

Comments

[Stephen Quan]

github.com/Microsoft/WSL/issues/637

[Stephen Quan]

As to why, this is so that you can run the Ubuntu compiz desktop. You can use ccsm (to select specific options) before running compiz. See zdnet.com/article/… and github.com/Microsoft/WSL/issues/637

[WinEunuuchs2Unix]

@StephenQuan The ZDNET article is the best I've seen so far. I'll include it in future reference links. Thank you.