Cannot create transparent window.

[Doug Laidlaw]

I used to be able to run xpenguins-3.0 from source. The code requires a
transparent window to be created. This used to be a problem, but is
supposedly fixed by gcc3 (or gtk3).

After one of my (many) reinstalls, the old message "Cannot create a
transparent window" is back. xpenguins runs, but no toons are visible.
The developer runs xsnow also, with a note that a fix for xpenguins may
be found in xsnow. xsnow gives the same error message, and the display
shows an effect similar to the old xpenguins, where a toon is not
deleted when a new toon is created. Some years ago, I was testing a
Webcam program for somebody else. That too requires a transparent
window, and showed recently that no such window could be created. MATE
seems to have no problem.

I am totally out of my depth here. Is it a case of going back to the
developer?

TIA,

Doug.

[David W. Hodgins]

Post by Doug Laidlaw
I used to be able to run xpenguins-3.0 from source. The code requires a
transparent window to be created. This used to be a problem, but is
supposedly fixed by gcc3 (or gtk3).
After one of my (many) reinstalls, the old message "Cannot create a
transparent window" is back. xpenguins runs, but no toons are visible.
The developer runs xsnow also, with a note that a fix for xpenguins may
be found in xsnow. xsnow gives the same error message, and the display
shows an effect similar to the old xpenguins, where a toon is not
deleted when a new toon is created. Some years ago, I was testing a
Webcam program for somebody else. That too requires a transparent
window, and showed recently that no such window could be created. MATE
seems to have no problem.
I am totally out of my depth here. Is it a case of going back to the
developer?

Are you running plasma? If so, check systemsettings5/Workspace/
Workspace Behaviour/Desktop Effects, and ensure the Translucency option is
selected.

Regards, Dave Hodgins

[Doug Laidlaw]

Post by David W. Hodgins
Are you running plasma? If so, check systemsettings5/Workspace/
Workspace Behaviour/Desktop Effects, and ensure the Translucency option is
selected.
Regards, Dave Hodgins

Thanks, Dave. No, I am running Xfce, but the fix will be something like
that. I am registered to use the Xfce mailing list. There has been an
upgrade of Xfce to Xfce4. That was a while ago, but I wouldn't have
noticed until now, except that everything worked a week or two ago.

[Doug Laidlaw]

Post by Doug Laidlaw
Thanks, Dave. No, I am running Xfce, but the fix will be something like
that.  I am registered to use the Xfce mailing list.   There has been an
upgrade of Xfce to Xfce4.  That was a while ago, but I wouldn't have
noticed until now, except that everything worked a week or two ago.

And there is plenty for Xfce4 when I looked. The simplest answer was at:

https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/how-do-i-disable-built-in-transparency-on-xfce/18480

It says to open "Window Manager Tweaks" which is a separate item on the
main Mageia menu. All the sliders are set at fully opaque. There
doesn't seem to be a slider for the window itself, only 4 covering
everything else, but it seems to have worked for this user. I am
playing around with the settings.

[Doug Laidlaw]

Post by Doug Laidlaw
https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/how-do-i-disable-built-in-transparency-on-xfce/18480
It says to open "Window Manager Tweaks" which is a separate item on the
main Mageia menu.  All the sliders are set at fully opaque.  There
doesn't seem to be a slider for the window itself, only 4 covering
everything else, but it seems to have worked for this user.  I am
playing around with the settings.

Moving the first slider brought my toons back. It seems to have
introduced other Compositor functions that I would prefer not to have,
but I can live with those. [It isn't New Year, but I have made a
resolution not to rush into print until the end of the story!]

[Doug Laidlaw]

Post by Doug Laidlaw
https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/how-do-i-disable-built-in-transparency-on-xfce/18480
It says to open "Window Manager Tweaks" which is a separate item on
the main Mageia menu.  All the sliders are set at fully opaque.  There
doesn't seem to be a slider for the window itself, only 4 covering
everything else, but it seems to have worked for this user.  I am
playing around with the settings.

Moving the first slider brought my toons back.  It seems to have
introduced other Compositor functions that I would prefer not to have,
but I can live with those.  [It isn't New Year, but I have made a
resolution not to rush into print until the end of the story!]

One last problem: xpenguins would start too soon, before there was a
window to use. There was nothing helpful in the journal. I reasoned
that it was starting as soon as X started, so I created an .xinitrc file
and put the command in there, so that it would not be available until
the WM had started. That seems to have worked. [All kinds of things
can go in .xinitrc.]

[Doug Laidlaw]

Post by Doug Laidlaw

Post by Doug Laidlaw
https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/how-do-i-disable-built-in-transparency-on-xfce/18480
It says to open "Window Manager Tweaks" which is a separate item on
the main Mageia menu.  All the sliders are set at fully opaque.
There doesn't seem to be a slider for the window itself, only 4
covering everything else, but it seems to have worked for this user.
I am playing around with the settings.

 >
Moving the first slider brought my toons back.  It seems to have
introduced other Compositor functions that I would prefer not to have,
but I can live with those.  [It isn't New Year, but I have made a
resolution not to rush into print until the end of the story!]

One last problem: xpenguins would start too soon, before there was a
window to use. There was nothing helpful in the journal.  I reasoned
that it was starting as soon as X started, so I created an .xinitrc file
and put the command in there, so that it would not be available until
the WM had started.  That seems to have worked.  [All kinds of things
can go in .xinitrc.]

Sorry, I should have marked my last post with [SOLVED]

Doug.