Implement a compositor [$100]

[elementaryBot]

I'm developing an Onboard theme and colour scheme which makes use of alpha transparency, with the intent of applying it to the pantheon-greeter (based on LightDM). In the process, I've discovered that LightDM does not appear to support alpha transparency.

In order to test this issue, please open a terminal and execute the following:

sudo -i
xhost +SI:localuser:lightdm
su lightdm -s /bin/bash
onscreen-settings

and then proceed to set a high transparency setting for Onscreen's window background (or better yet, tick the 'no background' option under /window/transparency) and reboot your machine. In the ubuntu/pantheon-greeter (both use Onboard), summon the on-screen keyboard from accessibility menu (in the top right hand corner) and behold, opaqueness!

Regards,

Lee Hyde.

P.S.: I am reliably informed that the underlying XEmbed window may itself pose a blocker for implementing transparent themes in LightDM greeters (or in any other circumstance were Onboard is executed in XEmbed mode). I'm told that the XEmbed window background will likely not inherit any alpha transparency and will this show through (it's a light grey a'la you common law garden gtk+ window). I believe that this is a separate issue (as I saw no signs of this light grey background) and will file a big against Onboard (or whom soever it concerns) in due course.

Launchpad Details: #LP1234121 Lee Hyde - 2013-10-02 11:55:50 +0000

[elementaryBot]

Unfortunately LightDM can't help here - it's just run a standard X server and the greeter inside it. So to support transparent windows either X needs to be informed of this or perhaps this is the function of a window manager (which pantheon greeter will be acting as in this case). Sorry I don't know enough about transparent windows to say where exactly.

Launchpad Details: #LPC Robert Ancell - 2013-10-14 02:54:59 +0000

[elementaryBot]

Just tested onboard here with the ambient theme and i got a grey background. Therefore it's probably not a separate bug according to Lee's P.S.-appendix. I was also unable to make a workaround so far.

I'll leave this bug open and will ask around if someone has a more information about that problem until we are sure that this is no pantheon-greeter bug.

Launchpad Details: #LPC Raphael Isemann - 2013-10-26 15:25:06 +0000

[elementaryBot]

We need to implement a compositor in the greeter in any case to support shadows on popovers and that sort of thing

Launchpad Details: #LPC Daniel Fore - 2015-06-21 14:29:18 +0000

[elementaryBot]

https://www.bountysource.com/issues/3558003-implement-a-compositor

Launchpad Details: #LPC Daniel Fore - 2015-06-21 14:31:21 +0000

[danirabbit]

Bumping from wishlist to medium since this is now required to not regress on HiDPI support