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List:       kde-devel
Subject:    Re: kbgndwm's future
From:       Bo Thorsen <gobo () imada ! sdu ! dk>
Date:       1999-05-19 10:25:06
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On Tue, 18 May 1999, Antonio Larrosa wrote:

> Hi,
> 
> I would like to implement transparent backgrounds in konsole before I start
> exams, but I'm not completely sure if kbgndwm will stay as it is for much
> long (due to kdesktop talking and all that).
> 
> So I would like to know some things:
> 
>  1. Will KDE 2.0 store the background settings as it does now ? (I don't
> really mind if it's kbgndwm or kdesktop as long as the config file remains
> similar)
>  2. Will we find a better way to make transparent backgrounds than now ?
> I've been thinking of implement it on konsole the same way as in kpager,
> that is, read kbgndwm settings and generate the background. Hmm, perhaps
> we could make kbgndwm put the background pixmap in shared memory and write
> the shmid to a file so that konsole (and kpager) don't have to regenerate
> the whole background. What do you think ?
> 
> Anyone has more info on this ?

It seems you want the window to have a faded image of the background. I
don't think this is very relevant, since most kde users I have seen, only
have a coloured background. Besides, it would actually be somewhat
useful, if you could see the windows behind your konsole, but this is
harder to do. And if you want the background to show the changes in the
windows behind you'll start burning some real cpu cycles. (Just like
Enfrightenment.)

Basically I think that transparent terminals is one of those cool features
I might use for thirty minutes or so, then start hating the slowdown of
the system, and then only be saying 'yes, kde can do this too'.

I think it's a wasted effort, and one of those features which should be
abandoned to avoid the creeping featurism effect.

BTW. If you really want transparency, do us all a favour and start a
project to implement it in Xfree. This will earn you a lifetime of
gratitude from me and a lot of others :-) 

--

Bo Thorsen
gobo@imada.sdu.dk
Lahnsgade 31, st.
DK-5000 Odense C
Tlf: +45 66 11 83 85

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