Terminals have a translucent background

[Johan Kiviniemi]

Binary package hint: light-themes

After a recent update to the Ambiance theme, terminals now have a translucent background.

This greatly hinders the readability of text, especially if there are sharp features behind the terminal and the Compiz blur plugin is not usable or enabled.

The readability problem of text on a background with high-frequency features should be obvious. Are arguments needed?

The background is translucent enough for even tiny text behind the window to be completely readable. That should be an indicator of how much trouble it causes. Readable text composited over readable text simply becomes less readable.

On the other hand, if the translucency is made low enough for things behind to window to be virtually invisible, might as well turn it off altogether.

ProblemType: Bug
Architecture: i386
Date: Sat Mar 27 08:32:41 2010
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.04
EcryptfsInUse: Yes
NonfreeKernelModules: fglrx
Package: light-themes 0.1.6.0
PackageArchitecture: all
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.32-17.26-generic-pae 2.6.32.10+drm33.1
SourcePackage: light-themes
Uname: Linux 2.6.32-17-generic-pae i686

[Vish (vish)]

Setting to wishlist, as the current design is intended

[David Stansby (dstansby-deactivatedaccount)]

If the current design is intended, shouldn't this be invalid?

[Robert Kielty (r-kielty)]

As other commenter have remarked this is working as designed.

It is possible to completely turn off transparency which should satisfy the original report and we can close this bug off.

Here's how to turn off transparency:

Ensure that the terminal toolbar is visible.

If you cannot see File Edit Terminal View Help at the top of your terminal right click anywhere on the terminal and select Show Menubar.

Go to Edit menu and select Profile Preferences
Click on Transparent and set the slider to Maximum.

This turns off transparency.

[Jean-Baptiste Lallement (jibel)]

I'm removing the regression-potential since it's there by design and not a regression introduced by a bug.

[Johan Kiviniemi (ion)]

It is a regression introduced by design. ;-)

[Mahyuddin Susanto (udienz)]

I take this bug now, and ready to review. see above

[Paul Sladen (sladen)]

The patch is quite large, could somebody detail where it has come from?

This is one of those issues that is /technically/ very easy to apply, but is actually a policy issue (_should_ X be Y).

From a personal view point I am not keen on transparent windows, but have got used to them, and not noticed things like when the browser underneath has finished loading. If we're going to go against a purposeful intend of having transparency then I think we need to go back and change the policy/design that caused the decision for transparency in the first place.

[Paul Sladen (sladen)]

s/not noticed things like/now notice things like/

[Vish (vish)]

The fix still hasnt been committed in any Ubuntu branch. Setting bug back to triaged.

@Mahyuddin Susanto , for reference about bug status: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bugs/Status

[Vish (vish)]

Paul Sladen, This was an intended design change done in Lucid. You can ping Cimi regarding this bug, he is now looking after the themes.

[Adolfo Jayme Barrientos (fitojb)]

closing, i think since Natty? we had a opaque terminal