FvwmBacker

I’m using FvwmBacker to switch backgrounds on different screens.

Although this isn’t a problem, I get a warning:

[fvwm][parse_colorset]: <<ERROR>> error reading root background [fvwm][parse_colorset]: <<ERROR>> error reading root background [fvwm][parse_colorset]: <<ERROR>> error reading root background [fvwm][parse_colorset]: <<ERROR>> error reading root background

I don’t set a background before I load fvwm. I don’t need to as fvwmbacker does this for me. Any idea on what to do to fix this?

What does your FvwmBacker config lines look like?

– Thomas Adam

I am also getting the same warning message after upgrading fvwm from 2.5.18-r1 to 2.5.26 ( :wink: ). I set the background in the xdm login screen by issuing:

fvwm-root -r ~/.fvwm/wallpapers/Neuron.png

One difference I have noticed after the upgrade is:

  • Before: I had a colorset with RootTransparency. When applied to some font, the font color contrasted with the background.
  • Now: The font does not contrast with the background.
    I have started to modify the colorset without keeping track :blush: , but what i had before it was like:
Colorset 10 RootTransparent

I have now tried this:

Colorset 10 fg Contrast, RootTransparent

without getting the contrast. Because my background is mainly dark, I am now using:

Colorset 10 fg Cyan, RootTransparent

The warning seems to suggest that fvwm cannot read the color of the root background. Is this the reason the font color is not contrasted with the background?

Suggestions appreciated. Thanks for the attention.

Cheers!

EDIT:
I had been playing with my config, and the lines that are triggering the warning are the lines with the RootTransparent option, like:

Colorset 8 fg Cyan, RootTransparent

Nevertheless, I get root-transparency.

I have got rid of the error by defining the colorset this way: :smiley:

Colorset 8 fg Contrast, bg yellow, RootTransparent

I get the error when I do not define the bg color, like:

Colorset 8 RootTransparent

No error when the background color is defined:

Colorset 8 bg Black, RootTransparent
Colorset 8 bg, RootTransparent

Cheers!

That’s simply because for transparency to work, you must have something on the root window for the pixmap to be inherited.

– Thomas Adam

I am trying to apply RootTransparency to window borders. Root-transparency works in the pager with the following colorset:

Colorset 8 fg Contrast, bg Black, RootTransparent

When applied to window borders, I get a black border (or the colour I set to as the background) instead of root-transparency. Is there any syntax to get window borders transparent?

The rationale for this is the following (in case there is another alternative):
I do not have window titles (to maximaize window area) and I have assigned window commands to window borders (instead of Window Buttons). I have started using rxvt-unicode with transparency, and it would be nicer if borders had transparency. I could make urxvt borderless with a title and window buttons if root-transparent borders are not possible.

Cheers!