Arch Linux

ArchAddict

Member

Registered: 2014-06-29

Posts: 19

i3 window transparency

Hello!

This is my first post here! I am really loving Arch from the few days I've used it.

Anyway, I've basically solarized all of my i3 windows and programs and I am now looking to make them transparent slighty so I can see my beautiful wallpaper while coding away!

I'm wondering, is this possible? If so, can someone point me in the right direction?

ids1024

Member

From: California

Registered: 2013-08-16

Posts: 243

Website

Re: i3 window transparency

You need a compositor, such as xcompmgr. You can then configure your terminal (e.g. urxvt) to use a transparent background.
Transparency in all programs may be harder, and is probably not a good idea.

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GSF1200S

Member

Registered: 2008-12-24

Posts: 474

Re: i3 window transparency

The above poster has good advice. I would recommend compton instead of xcompmgr since compton is currently maintained and doesnt have as many problems.

Also, you dont specify what type of "programs" you use. If they are all CLI apps, you could use a terminal application that supports pseudo-transparency like xfce4-terminal. This would do nothing for GUI applications though- you need a compositor for that.

jv2112

Member

Registered: 2011-07-23

Posts: 160

Re: i3 window transparency

I have been using I3 for a couple of years with compton and works like a charm.   

~.i3/config --> Add this line.

exec /usr/bin/compton --config /home/joe/.compton.conf~.i3/config

Compton Configuration Example:

# Shadow
shadow = true;			# Enabled client-side shadows on windows.
no-dock-shadow = true;		# Avoid drawing shadows on dock/panel windows.
no-dnd-shadow = true;		# Don't draw shadows on DND windows.
clear-shadow = true;		# Zero the part of the shadow's mask behind the
				# window. Fix some weirdness with ARGB windows.
shadow-radius = 7;		# The blur radius for shadows. (default 12)
shadow-offset-x = -7;		# The left offset for shadows. (default -15)
shadow-offset-y = -7;		# The top offset for shadows. (default -15)
shadow-opacity = 0.7;		# The translucency for shadows. (default .75)
# shadow-red = 0.0;		# Red color value of shadow. (0.0 - 1.0, defaults to 0)
# shadow-green = 0.0;		# Green color value of shadow. (0.0 - 1.0, defaults to 0)
# shadow-blue = 0.0;		# Blue color value of shadow. (0.0 - 1.0, defaults to 0)
shadow-exclude = [ "n:e:Notification" ];	# Exclude conditions for shadows.
# shadow-exclude = "n:e:Notification";
shadow-ignore-shaped = true;	# Avoid drawing shadow on all shaped windows
				# (see also: --detect-rounded-corners)

# Opacity
menu-opacity = 0.9;			# The opacity for menus. (default 1.0)
inactive-opacity = 0.0;			# Default opacity of inactive windows. (0.0 - 1.0)
# active-opacity = 0.8;			# Default opacity for active windows. (0.0 - 1.0)
# frame-opacity = 0.8;			# Opacity of window titlebars and borders. (0.1 - 1.0)
# inactive-opacity-override = true;	# Let inactive opacity set by 'inactive-opacity' overrides
					# value of _NET_WM_OPACITY. Bad choice.
alpha-step = 0.06;			# XRender backend: Step size for alpha pictures. Increasing
					# it may result in less X resource usage,
					# Yet fading may look bad.
# inactive-dim = 0.2;			# Dim inactive windows. (0.0 - 1.0)
# inactive-dim-fixed = true;		# Do not let dimness adjust based on window opacity.
# blur-background = true;		# Blur background of transparent windows.
					# Bad performance with X Render backend.
					# GLX backend is preferred.
# blur-background-frame = true;		# Blur background of opaque windows with transparent
					# frames as well.
blur-background-fixed = false;		# Do not let blur radius adjust based on window opacity.
blur-background-exclude = [ "window_type = 'dock'", "window_type = 'desktop'" ];
					# Exclude conditions for background blur.

# Fading
fading = true;			# Fade windows during opacity changes.
# fade-delta = 30;		# The time between steps in a fade in milliseconds. (default 10).
fade-in-step = 0.03;		# Opacity change between steps while fading in. (default 0.028).
fade-out-step = 0.03;		# Opacity change between steps while fading out. (default 0.03).
# no-fading-openclose = true;	# Avoid fade windows in/out when opening/closing.
fade-exclude = [ ];		# Exclude conditions for fading.

# Other
backend = "xrender"		# Backend to use: "xrender" or "glx". GLX backend is typically
				# much faster but depends on a sane driver.
mark-wmwin-focused = true;	# Try to detect WM windows and mark them as active.
mark-ovredir-focused = true;	# Mark all non-WM but override-redirect windows active (e.g. menus).
use-ewmh-active-win = false;	# Use EWMH _NET_WM_ACTIVE_WINDOW to determine which window is focused
				# instead of using FocusIn/Out events. Usually more reliable but
				# depends on a EWMH-compliant WM.
detect-rounded-corners = true;	# Detect rounded corners and treat them as rectangular when --shadow-ignore-shaped is on.
detect-client-opacity = true;	# Detect _NET_WM_OPACITY on client windows, useful for window
				# managers not passing _NET_WM_OPACITY of client windows to frame
				# windows.
refresh-rate = 0;		# For --sw-opti: Specify refresh rate of the screen. 0 for auto.
vsync = "none";			# "none", "drm", "opengl", "opengl-oml", "opengl-swc", "opengl-mswc"
				# See man page for more details.
dbe = false;			# Enable DBE painting mode. Rarely needed.
paint-on-overlay = true;	# Painting on X Composite overlay window. Recommended.
sw-opti = false;		# Limit compton to repaint at most once every 1 / refresh_rate.
				# Incompatible with certain VSync methods.
unredir-if-possible = false;	# Unredirect all windows if a full-screen opaque window is
				# detected, to maximize performance for full-screen windows.
focus-exclude = [ ];		# A list of conditions of windows that should always be considered
				# focused.
detect-transient = true;	# Use WM_TRANSIENT_FOR to group windows, and consider windows in
				# the same group focused at the same time.
detect-client-leader = true;	# Use WM_CLIENT_LEADER to group windows.
invert-color-include = [ ];	# Conditions for windows to be painted with inverted color.

# GLX backend			# GLX backend fine-tune options. See man page for more info.
# glx-no-stencil = true;	# Recommended.
glx-copy-from-front = false;	# Useful with --glx-swap-method,
# glx-use-copysubbuffermesa = true; # Recommended if it works. Breaks VSync.
# glx-no-rebind-pixmap = true;	# Recommended if it works.	
glx-swap-method = "undefined";	# See man page.

# Window type settings
wintypes:
{
  tooltip = { fade = true; shadow = false; opacity = 0.75; focus = true; };
  # fade: Fade the particular type of windows.
  # shadow: Give those windows shadow
  # opacity: Default opacity for the type of windows.
  # focus: Whether to always consider windows of this type focused.
};

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Life is pleasant. Death is peaceful. It's the transition that's troublesome. Isaac Asimov - / -

qinohe

Member

From: Netherlands

Registered: 2012-06-20

Posts: 1,494

Re: i3 window transparency

@OP, I don't bother using all that fancy your screen sh*t , but I use i3, and I remember reading something in the faq about it.
https://faq.i3wm.org/question/826/true- … g-windows/
Do with it what you like of course, but the author states i3 'doesn't support transparency'.