On Thu, 1 Jan 2004, dave giffin wrote: > I looked at > http://xserver.freedesktop.org/Software/TranslucentWindows > and http://xserver.freedesktop.org/Software/Home, > where I saw the 'xserver' project. How does this > project relate to xfree86? The kdrive/tinyx X server which was previously hosted by xfree86.org and developed within the XFree86 framework has been moved to freedesktop.org where development continues. There is still a kdrive/tinyx X server in XFree86 but (for now) without the more "interesting" features (such as translucency and shadows). Much of the code is actually shared between kdrive/tinyx/xserver and the "traditional" XFree86 server -- much of it is actually the sample code from X.org which is also used in many other X servers. If you want to get up to date with "xserver" at freedesktop.org, have a look at their website, mailing lists, IRC channel. It is really a different project these days. The rest of your questions are probably somewhat off-topic but I'll answer them anyway (but if you want to know more, use fd.o mailing lists/IRC). > I don't see anything that says if you want translucent > windows, do this.... Really? It should be there on the fd.o website ;) > If I download and compile the 'xserver', does that > automatically come with translucent window support? Well, yeah. Hence the demo pictures and the link to the page that describes how to download and build it (on the fd.o site) > If it does come with translucent window support, how > do > I control which windows are translucent and how > translucent they are? The translucency is (for now) handled in a compositing manager (xcompmgr) which in principle can decide the translucency itself -- but in practice just composes some windows and adds shadows. Some windows are created with an alpha channel, some are not. The application has a say in the translucency decision if it creates a window with an alpha channel. There are some example programs somewhere in fd.o cvs if you really care. > Is there a command line program? > Could one be created if there isn't one already? Yes. Are you a developer? Do you like to hack? Then by all means have a go at xserver and xcompmgr. If you are "just" a user, however, I think it will be better for all involved if you remain patient for a while yet. xserver is very much experimental at this stage and there is a limit to how much hand holding people will do ;) xserver contains a couple of new X extensions, none of them really finalized yet (or used in applications). I expect that if/when they are complete and shown to be useful then XFree86 (and other X servers) will implement them as well. The driver backends in xserver are still *very* rough (or not even implemented for many video cards). If you want fast screen refresh, good driver support and a screen refresh rate that doesn't make your eyes bleed [1], stick with XFree86 :) 1) xserver is currently limited to 60Hz unless you do magical incantations, have the right hardware, and are generally lucky. That is fine for LCDs and awful for relatively modern CRTs with fast phosphors. -Peter "But moustaches are a mystery, to evolutionary biologists and to practically everyone else." -- Economist.com _______________________________________________ XFree86 mailing list XFree86@xxxxxxxxxxx http://XFree86.Org/mailman/listinfo/xfree86
