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How to get RGBA support in Ubuntu

By Jack Wallen , TechRepublic on July 19, 2010 

 

Summary

Jack Wallen hands out some instructional information on how to enable RGBA support on the Ubuntu 10.04 desktop.That means full blown GTK+ transparency.

Topics

technology, software operating systems, software, science and technology, ubuntu, linux, computer technology, open source software, red green, jack wallen

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RGBA stands for Red Green Blue Alpha. When applied to the computer desktop it means a whole world more. It means full-blown transparency with the ability to control the transparency like never before.

This feature was supposed to make it into Ubuntu 10.04, but because of some show-stopping issues, it was pulled. It is now slated to make it into 10.10 and, judging from how well it is working now, it will do just that.

If you're curious as to what an RGBA-enabled desktop will look like, take a gander at Figure A. This is Ubuntu 10.04 with GNOME and RGBA support installed and enabled.


Figure A

I'm sure there are many out there who are saying, "Who cares? It's just eye candy!" But there are plenty of others saying, "Me too! I want!" (or some variation of that theme). Well, in this installment of the open source blog I will show you how you can have this delicious eye candy on your Ubuntu 10.04 desktop as well.

What you will need
Outside of the necessary software, you will need a graphics card that will support full Compiz features. So if your desktop will not allow you to enable Extra features for compiz, either don't bother with this or go get a new card that will. You will also need to enable Compiz with at least Normal effects. With that set, you are ready to install.

Installation
Open up a terminal window and issue the following commands:

  • sudo add-apt-repository ppa:erik-b-andersen/rgba-gtk
  • sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade
  • sudo apt-get install gnome-color-chooser gtk2-module-rgba
  • sudo apt-get install murrine-themes

That's it from the command line and the installation.

Enabling RGBA
Figure 2
Figure B

There are a few steps to undertake in order to enable this feature.

  1. Click System | Preferences | GNOME Color Chooser. In this window, scroll until you see the Engines tab.
  2. Click the Global check box and then select Murrine from the dropdown.
  3. Now click on the Preferences button; scroll down until you see "Configuration of Enable/Disable RGBA support" (see Figure B), and make sure both check boxes are checked.
  4. Click OK and then click Apply in the main GNOME Color Chooser window. You can now dismiss this window.

The next step is to select an RGBA compatible theme. You installed these themes with the commands above. To do this, follow these steps:

  1. Right-click on your desktop and select Change Desktop Background.
  2. Click on the Themes tab.
  3. Click the Customize button.
  4. From the Controls tab scroll down until you find a Murrine them.
  5. Select a Murrine them and click Close.
  6. Close the Appearance Preferences window.

Now all you have to do is log out and log back in to enjoy full-blown RGBA support on your Ubuntu desktop!

Final thoughts
Will RGBA support on the Linux desktop make you a better user? No, it won't. Will it make your machine run better? No, it won't. It's like having a pretty girl or handsome man at your side. Would a less attractive person serve the same purpose? Sure, but everyone always wants to be by the side of the pretty people. And so it goes with the desktop. Give this a try and see if you think RGBA is the future of the Linux desktop.

Jack Wallen was a key player in the introduction of Linux to the original Techrepublic. Beginning with Red Hat 4.2 and a mighty soap box, Jack had found his escape from Windows. It was around Red Hat 6.0 that Jack landed in the hallowed halls of Techrepublic.

Talkback

HELP! So, how do I remove this?? It doesn't work on my machine. All I get is a grey background and can't change the background at all and MANY "Starting File Manager" items in the taskbar. This is awful. Please help me undo this! I followed 100% of the directions and it is still messing up. Thanks!

CuoioBar July 26, 2010

Found how to remove instructions in the Ubuntu Wiki:
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/DesktopTeam/RgbaGtkWithPPA

CuoioBar July 26, 2010

It could be done without all these. Just use the opacity addon of Compiz.

hariks0 July 26, 2010
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