JassyGlassy

JassyGlassy allows you to make your VS Code window transparent on Linux, adding a sleek, modern, "glassy" feel to your development environment.

Features

• Dynamic Opacity: Easily increase or decrease window transparency.
• Smart Toggle: Toggle between full opacity and your preferred transparency level with a single shortcut.
• Memory: JassyGlassy remembers your last used opacity level and your transparency state (ON/OFF). If you leave transparency off, it stays off the next time you open VS Code.
• Configurable: Customize the step size (default 5%), minimum opacity (default 25%) and whether to enable debug logging (default false).

Preview

Opacity level examples:

• 100% (off)
• 85% (default)
• 55%
• 25% (minimum default)

Requirements

OS: Linux (X11 / Xorg) only.

• This extension utilizes the xprop utility to modify window properties.
• Wayland users: This extension may not work on native Wayland sessions unless XWayland is handling the window properties correctly.
• Windows/macOS: Not currently supported.

Installation of Dependencies (if missing)

Most Linux distros have xprop installed by default. If not:

• Arch/Manjaro: sudo pacman -S xorg-xprop
• Debian/Ubuntu: sudo apt install x11-utils
• Fedora: sudo dnf install xorg-x11-utils

Usage (Shortcuts)

Shortcut	Action	Description
Ctrl + Alt + 1	Decrease Opacity	Makes the window more transparent (by 5%).
Ctrl + Alt + 2	Increase Opacity	Makes the window more opaque (by 5%).
Ctrl + Alt + 0	Toggle Transparency	Switches between 100% opaque and your last used setting.

Configuration

You can adjust these settings in your settings.json or via File > Preferences > Settings:

• jassyglassy.step: Percentage to change opacity by (Default: 5).
• jassyglassy.minimum: Minimum allowed opacity to prevent invisible windows (Default: 25).
• jassyglassy.targetOpacity: Default opacity level when toggling on (Default: 85).
• jassyglassy.debug: Enable debug logging (Default: false).

Troubleshooting

Transparency not working:

1. Ensure you are running on X11 (echo $XDG_SESSION_TYPE should output x11).
2. Ensure your desktop environment (XFCE, KDE, Gnome) has a Compositor enabled. Transparency requires one.
   • Example for XFCE: Settings > Window Manager Tweaks > Compositor > Enable display compositing.

Optional: Glass / Blur Effect

If you want a blurred "glass" effect rather than just simple transparency, you can use a compatible compositor like Picom or KWin.

1. Picom: Disable your desktop’s default compositor, install picom, and run it (ideally create a startup config to make it your new default compositor).

   • Arch/Manjaro: sudo pacman -S picom && picom -b
   • Debian/Ubuntu: sudo apt install picom && picom -b
   • Fedora: sudo dnf install picom && picom -b
     Some Fedora spins may already run a compositor (Mutter/KWin).

   Picom does not create a user config by default. If ~/.config/picom/picom.conf does not exist, copy the example config from /etc/xdg/picom.conf:

   mkdir -p ~/.config/picom
   cp /etc/xdg/picom.conf ~/.config/picom/picom.conf

   Then make sure your picom.conf includes the following settings:

   backend = "glx";
   blur-background = true;
   blur-method = "dual_kawase"; 
   blur-strength = 3; // Adjust as needed
   

2. KDE Plasma: Blur is often supported natively by KWin and can be customized in the System Settings > Desktop Effects.

Once blur is enabled in your compositor, JassyGlassy's transparency will naturally reveal a beautifully blurred background.