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Mango provides stunning window effects powered by SceneFX, bringing modern desktop aesthetics to a lightweight Wayland compositor. Customize blur, shadows, corner rounding, and opacity to create your perfect desktop environment.

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Overview

Window effects available in Mango:
  • Blur: Background blur for windows and layer surfaces
  • Shadows: Customizable drop shadows with blur and positioning
  • Corner Radius: Rounded corners for modern aesthetics
  • Opacity: Adjust focused and unfocused window transparency
All window effects are optional and can be disabled individually for maximum performance.

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Blur Effects

Background blur creates translucent windows with blurred content behind them.

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Blur Configuration

# Enable blur for windows
blur=0

# Enable blur for layer surfaces (bars, launchers)
blur_layer=0

# Use optimized blur algorithm (better performance)
blur_optimized=1

# Blur algorithm parameters
blur_params_num_passes=2
blur_params_radius=5
blur_params_noise=0.02
blur_params_brightness=0.9
blur_params_contrast=0.9
blur_params_saturation=1.2

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Blur Parameters

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blur
boolean
default:"0"
Enable blur effect for windows (0=disabled, 1=enabled)
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blur_layer
boolean
default:"0"
Enable blur effect for layer surfaces like bars and menus
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blur_optimized
boolean
default:"1"
Use optimized blur algorithm for better performance
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blur_params_num_passes
integer
default:"2"
Number of blur passes. More passes = smoother blur but slower performance
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blur_params_radius
integer
default:"5"
Blur radius in pixels. Higher values = more blur
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blur_params_noise
float
default:"0.02"
Amount of noise to add (reduces banding artifacts)
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blur_params_brightness
float
default:"0.9"
Brightness adjustment for blurred content (0.0-2.0)
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blur_params_contrast
float
default:"0.9"
Contrast adjustment for blurred content (0.0-2.0)
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blur_params_saturation
float
default:"1.2"
Saturation adjustment for blurred content (0.0-2.0)

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Blur Presets

blur=1
blur_params_num_passes=1
blur_params_radius=3
blur_params_noise=0.01
blur_params_brightness=0.95
blur_params_contrast=1.0
blur_params_saturation=1.0

blur=1
blur_params_num_passes=3
blur_params_radius=8
blur_params_noise=0.03
blur_params_brightness=0.85
blur_params_contrast=0.85
blur_params_saturation=1.3

blur=1
blur_optimized=1
blur_params_num_passes=1
blur_params_radius=4
blur_params_noise=0.015
blur_params_brightness=0.9
blur_params_contrast=0.9
blur_params_saturation=1.1

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Shadow Effects

Add depth to your desktop with customizable drop shadows.

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Shadow Configuration

# Enable shadows for windows
shadows=0

# Enable shadows for layer surfaces
layer_shadows=0

# Only show shadows on floating windows
shadow_only_floating=1

# Shadow size (spread)
shadows_size=10

# Shadow blur amount
shadows_blur=15

# Shadow offset X (pixels)
shadows_position_x=0

# Shadow offset Y (pixels)
shadows_position_y=0

# Shadow color (RGBA hex)
shadowscolor=0x000000ff

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Shadow Parameters

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shadows
boolean
default:"0"
Enable drop shadows for windows
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layer_shadows
boolean
default:"0"
Enable shadows for layer surfaces
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shadow_only_floating
boolean
default:"1"
Restrict shadows to floating windows only (0=all windows, 1=floating only)
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shadows_size
integer
default:"10"
Shadow spread distance in pixels
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shadows_blur
integer
default:"15"
Shadow blur radius in pixels
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shadows_position_x
integer
default:"0"
Shadow horizontal offset (negative = left, positive = right)
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shadows_position_y
integer
default:"0"
Shadow vertical offset (negative = up, positive = down)
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shadowscolor
hex
default:"0x000000ff"
Shadow color in RGBA hex format (0xRRGGBBAA)

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Shadow Examples

shadows=1
shadow_only_floating=1
shadows_size=8
shadows_blur=20
shadows_position_x=0
shadows_position_y=3
shadowscolor=0x00000088

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Corner Radius

Round window corners for a modern, polished look.

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Corner Radius Configuration

# Corner radius in pixels
border_radius=6

# Disable radius when only one window
no_radius_when_single=0
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border_radius
integer
default:"6"
Corner radius in pixels (0=sharp corners)
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no_radius_when_single
boolean
default:"0"
Disable corner radius when only one window is visible (0=always round, 1=sharp when single)

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Radius Suggestions

  • Subtle: border_radius=4 - Slightly softened corners
  • Modern: border_radius=8 - Noticeable but tasteful
  • Bold: border_radius=12 - Prominent rounded corners
  • Extreme: border_radius=20 - Very rounded, macOS-like
Corner radius applies to window content and borders, creating a cohesive appearance.

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Opacity

Adjust window transparency for focused and unfocused windows.

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Opacity Configuration

# Focused window opacity (0.0-1.0)
focused_opacity=1.0

# Unfocused window opacity (0.0-1.0)
unfocused_opacity=1.0
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focused_opacity
float
default:"1.0"
Opacity of the focused window (1.0=fully opaque, 0.0=fully transparent)
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unfocused_opacity
float
default:"1.0"
Opacity of unfocused windows (1.0=fully opaque, 0.0=fully transparent)

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Opacity Patterns

Focus Dimming

focused_opacity=1.0
unfocused_opacity=0.85
Dim unfocused windows to highlight active window

Subtle Distinction

focused_opacity=1.0
unfocused_opacity=0.95
Very subtle opacity difference

Strong Contrast

focused_opacity=1.0
unfocused_opacity=0.7
Clearly distinguish focused window

Transparency Theme

focused_opacity=0.95
unfocused_opacity=0.85
All windows slightly transparent

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Performance Considerations

Window effects impact GPU performance. Optimize for your hardware:

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High-End GPU

# Enable all effects
blur=1
blur_layer=1
blur_params_num_passes=3
blur_params_radius=8
shadows=1
layer_shadows=1
shadows_blur=25
border_radius=8

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Mid-Range GPU

# Balanced effects
blur=1
blur_layer=0
blur_optimized=1
blur_params_num_passes=2
blur_params_radius=5
shadows=1
shadow_only_floating=1
shadows_blur=15
border_radius=6

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Low-End GPU / Battery Saving

# Minimal effects
blur=0
blur_layer=0
shadows=0
layer_shadows=0
border_radius=4
focused_opacity=1.0
unfocused_opacity=0.95
Blur is the most expensive effect. If experiencing performance issues, disable blur first.

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Complete Visual Setup

Example configuration for a polished visual experience: 
# Window Effects - Complete Setup

# Blur (disabled by default for performance)
blur=0
blur_layer=0
blur_optimized=1
blur_params_num_passes=2
blur_params_radius=5
blur_params_noise=0.02
blur_params_brightness=0.9
blur_params_contrast=0.9
blur_params_saturation=1.2

# Shadows (disabled by default)
shadows=0
layer_shadows=0
shadow_only_floating=1
shadows_size=10
shadows_blur=15
shadows_position_x=0
shadows_position_y=0
shadowscolor=0x000000ff

# Rounded Corners
border_radius=6
no_radius_when_single=0

# Opacity
focused_opacity=1.0
unfocused_opacity=1.0

# Borders
borderpx=4
bordercolor=0x444444ff
focuscolor=0xc9b890ff

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Combining Effects

Effects work together for cohesive visuals:

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Frosted Glass Theme

blur=1
blur_params_radius=8
focused_opacity=0.95
unfocused_opacity=0.85
border_radius=8
shadows=1
shadow_only_floating=1

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Minimal Clean Theme

blur=0
shadows=0
border_radius=4
focused_opacity=1.0
unfocused_opacity=1.0
borderpx=2

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Dramatic Depth Theme

blur=0
shadows=1
shadows_size=15
shadows_blur=30
shadows_position_y=5
shadowscolor=0x00000099
border_radius=8
unfocused_opacity=0.9

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Layer Surface Effects

Apply effects to layer surfaces (status bars, menus, launchers): 
# Blur status bar and menus
blur_layer=1

# Add shadows to layer surfaces
layer_shadows=1
Layer effects create depth and polish for your complete desktop environment.

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Troubleshooting

Ensure SceneFX is installed correctly. Mango requires SceneFX for window effects. Check installation:
ldconfig -p | grep scenefx
Reduce blur quality:
  • Set blur_optimized=1
  • Reduce blur_params_num_passes to 1
  • Reduce blur_params_radius to 3
  • Disable blur_layer for layer surfaces
Increase shadows_size and reduce shadows_blur for more contained shadows.
Some applications don’t respect corner radius hints. This is an application limitation, not a compositor issue.

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