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I remember in early(ish) Linux, the terminal programs had a setting to be at least partly transparent, so your desktop background (and other windows? I forget)

I remember in early(ish) Linux, the terminal programs had a setting to be at least partly transparent, so your desktop background (and other windows? I forget) could show through. Wound up constraining what desktops you could choose, and how you had to set up your terminal colors. And since I prefer dark text on a light background, it didn't work for me from the beginning. I imagine those programs still have those settings, but I don't see that behavior in screen-shots of programs any more.

wincy 6y ago
iTerm on Mac still has this option, if you want it. I tried it for about ten minutes and then turned it back off.
mdtusz 6y ago
This can be a surprisingly useful tool at times - I've definitely used it to advantage when doing creative coding so that the graphic or animation is displayed behind my terminal and I can see and edit the code at the same time as viewing the effect without switching windows. Of course, a second monitor can do this too and without the downsides, but sometimes you're away from your desk and it's a nice workflow.
- chris_st 6y ago
  Cool! I would not have thought of that!
njharman 6y ago
I do this while programming. Very very low transparency. To see status/output. of windows behind. Hmm, I guess I don't do this anymore. Since getting giant 4k TV/monitor. So, guess it had use in constrained screen realstate times
- chris_st 6y ago
  Clever, don't think I'd have thought of that.
speedgoose 6y ago
It still exists but now you can blur the background. I have that with Windows Terminal and WSL and it looks pretty good.