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Re: [wmx] Shape

Chris Cannam - Sat Oct 23 13:50:24 1999

Arnaud Dutartre wrote:
> 
> does the use of X extension Shape reduce the speed or not
> of the WM ????

Yes, it does reduce the speed.

The X server has a much more difficult task to do to render
each window (which is broken down into a set of rectangles,
internally, so things like the diagonal lines on the title
bars are particularly inefficient); also useful features
like save-unders are far less likely to be used when an
obscuring window is shaped.  The rendering speed difference
is unlikely to be noticeable with a recent system with a
reasonable video card, but the save-unders can make a
difference on any system (as processes need to be swapped in
to repaint more frequently).

If you want the fastest possible window manager, wmx is not
for you.  However it is reasonably light on memory and it's
undemanding as regards things like drawing decor onto the
title windows (once the windows themselves have been created).
And of course it looks cool.


Chris


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