HOW TO: Opacify your desktop!

[keplerspeed]

Four things to make your desktop look slick and transparent:

1) Transparent Taskbar:

This one is easy and well known. Just right click on a blank section of the taskbar, properties>background, select solid colour and desired opacity.

2) Transparent Terminal:

Also a well known easy one. Just open a terminal and go to edit>profilepreferences>background and select transparent.

3) Transparent windows borders:

I didnt know this was possible, but is quite easy. Open a terminal and enter:

gconf-editor

Next go to apps>gwd and edit:

metacity_theme_active_shade_opacity

and

metacity_theme_shade_opacity

To a value of around 0.3 (or anything from 0 to 1)

4) Transparent Gnome menus:

This was even easier! Go to system>preferences>compiz config settings manager (ensure you have it installed).

Enable "Opacity, brightness and saturation" by ticking it's box, and then click on it to enter it's configuration menu. Click the add "new" icon, and add these two items:

DropdownMenu

with a value of 90 or so, to make gnome menus transparent, and add:

popupmenu

with a value of 90 to make right click menus transparent.

[Rim3nX]

Thanks bro, helped a lot

[tom957]

Very cool. Thanks!

[Jechem]

great tip. thanks. something new to be learned everyday with ubuntu