Compton is a lightweight compositor for X11 and a refactored fork of xcompmgr-dana. It was created to improve standalone compositing on Linux desktops where the user wants window effects without a full desktop environment compositor. The project adds an OpenGL backend alongside the older X Render backend. It includes features for inactive window transparency, dimming, titlebar transparency, menu transparency, client-side shadows, colored shadows, and fade effects. It also supports configuration files, VSync options, transparent-window background blur, and window color inversion. Compton is best understood as an influential legacy X11 compositor and learning-oriented Xlib project that helped shape later lightweight compositor work.

Features

  • Standalone X11 compositing
  • OpenGL and X Render backends
  • Inactive window transparency and dimming
  • Fade and VSync support
  • Client-side and colored shadows
  • Transparent-window background blur

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License

MIT License

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Additional Project Details

Programming Language

C

Related Categories

C Libraries

Registered

5 days ago