compositing manager for only one application.

wchouser3 · 2015-10-23 05:27:58

Ok, so here's what I'm looking at: I run dwm 98 percent of the time, and therefore have absolutely no need for compositing, with the extreme exception of when I'm running a floating terminal, and I'd like to see what's under it. For most situations, I use terminator which either fills the screen, or gets tiled in the default dwm manner. I have a second terminal (LXterminal, which came with LXDE. I had to put that on here just in case my wife needs to use the computer. Dwm isn't exactly easy to teach. I've compiled dwm to execute LXterminal in a floating manner, which means it can be moved around the screen. None of this is completely relevent to what I'm trying to accomplish though.

What I would like to do is execute Lxterminal, and only lxterminal with a compositing, so that I can enable the transperancy, whereby being able to see things under it. As I said, I have no use for it otherwise.

So here's what the solution would have to accomplish:
1) Execute with LXterminal
2) Only provide transperancy for LXterminal
3) Exit when I close LXterminal

I've only recently began having a little fun with making simple bash scripts to make some things easier for my self, but Im not even sure this one is possible.

Any one have any ideas?

ooo · 2015-10-23 07:33:59

You'd need a stand alone compositor (e.g. compton, xcompmgr etc) to run alongside dwn. They are basically window managers, effecting every window on your session, and can't be used for single application window only.

You could create a script to start compositor when you start LXterminal, and to kill it when there's no LXterminal windows running any more, but that would not be very elegant solution. It might be better to start the compositor from .xinitrc and simply disable any compositing effects from other applications than LXterminal.

wchouser3 · 2015-10-23 07:49:00

I had a feeling that was the case. I wonder if running a compositor like compton is trivial nowadays in terms of power usage. Up until I started usng dwm over a year ago I was using compton (mostly because of XFCE's problems with video tearing. I never had any problem with it. I've just become a staunch supporter if the "kiss" thing.

jasonwryan · 2015-10-23 08:12:35

If you want to see what is under the terminal, enter floating mode and Mod-{j,k}. No need for a compositor...

wchouser3 · 2015-10-24 03:18:29

jasonwryan wrote:

If you want to see what is under the terminal, enter floating mode and Mod-{j,k}. No need for a compositor...

I think what you're talking about is to switch the focused window, whereby placing the terminal under the unfocused window, then back again. What I need to be able to do is see through the terminal emulator so that I may copy some commands from somewhere like the Archwiki.

I'm sure I could figure out how to write a wrapper script that executes something like xcompmgr, or compton with specific instructions regarding shadows and such, just before passing the command to open the terminal. What I don't know how to do is tell the script to cleanly exit the comp manager upon closing the terminal window. I suppose something like "pkill xcompmgr" would work, but that just like a sloppy, incorrect way to do it.

wchouser3 · 2015-10-24 03:30:06

well...see executing the command:
$ xcompmgr & lxterminal gives me what I want, but as you'd be aware; xcompmgr stays running after lxterminal is closed. I think the answer is a script that stops xcompmgr when lxterminal closes this is how I propose to start the script:

#!/bin/bash
xcompmgr &
lxterminal
# from here on to the end, this is where I need the help.



done

I'd like to learn to do that for some other types of scripts that may be useful to me. Does anyone know how to do it?

Last edited by wchouser3 (2015-10-24 04:05:28)

jasonwryan · 2015-10-24 03:38:29

The correct way to do it would be a trap: http://mywiki.wooledge.org/SignalTrap

wchouser3 · 2015-10-24 04:11:22

jasonwryan wrote:

The correct way to do it would be a trap: http://mywiki.wooledge.org/SignalTrap

ok....interesting....I'm reading it, but not 100% sure of myself. What would you add to the script I started?

wchouser3 · 2015-10-24 05:42:42

should I move this conversation over to the scripting category?

Arch Linux

#1 2015-10-23 05:27:58

compositing manager for only one application.

#2 2015-10-23 07:33:59

Re: compositing manager for only one application.

#3 2015-10-23 07:49:00

Re: compositing manager for only one application.

#4 2015-10-23 08:12:35

Re: compositing manager for only one application.

#5 2015-10-24 03:18:29

Re: compositing manager for only one application.

#6 2015-10-24 03:30:06

Re: compositing manager for only one application.

#7 2015-10-24 03:38:29

Re: compositing manager for only one application.

#8 2015-10-24 04:11:22

Re: compositing manager for only one application.

#9 2015-10-24 05:42:42

Re: compositing manager for only one application.

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