Linux Desktop Hacks

Add Depth to Your Desktop #33

Chapter 4, Related to X

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HACK

HACK

#33

Add Depth to Your Desktop Hack #33

Drop shadows add a dimension of depth to every window and pop up on your

desktop. The 3D effect is truly mesmerizing.

A composite manager program called xcompmgr is available that taps into

some of the new features of the Xorg X Window System to create attractive

drop shadows for windows, pop ups, menus, and the like. It also gives you

the option to make your windows and menus fade in and out instead of the

normal behavior of appearing and disappearing instantly.

You can use xcompmgr only if you use the Xorg fork of the XFree86 project.

You cannot use this with any version of XFree86. And you can use it only if

you have a recent version of Xorg. Check which X server and version you’re

using with the following command:

# X -version

X Window System Version 6.8.0

If you don’t see 6.8.0 or higher as the version, this hack is not for you.

Get the Composite Manager

A composite manager taps into the new Xorg features that allow X11 to

blend various on-screen elements in ways XFree86 cannot. For example, it

allows you to make a window partially transparent by blending the back-

ground into the application foreground. You can find some programs that

appear to give you this feature, such as X terminals that look partially trans-

parent. But they aren’t tapping into the features of Xorg; they are essentially ...