What is the "compositor"?

[Jonathan Ryshpan]

What is the function of the "compositor"?  In KDE, controls for it are
available at:
   System Settings -> Display and Monitor -> Compositor
There's no useful documentation that I can find in System Settings or
on the web; it seems to have something to do with visual effects:
transparency, shadowing, and possibly others.  Any info would be
interesting.

Thanks - jon

[Doug H.]

On Sat, Mar 6, 2021, at 7:57 AM, Jonathan Ryshpan wrote:
> What is the function of the "compositor"?  In KDE, controls for it are 
> available at:
> System Settings -> Display and Monitor -> Compositor
> There's no useful documentation that I can find in System Settings or 
> on the web; it seems to have something to do with visual effects: 
> transparency, shadowing, and possibly others.  Any info would be 
> interesting.

This seems to explain it pretty well:

https://dev.to/l04db4l4nc3r/compositors-in-linux-1hhb

[George N. White III]

On Sat, 6 Mar 2021 at 11:57, Jonathan Ryshpan  wrote:
> What is the function of the "compositor"?  In KDE, controls for it are
> available at:
> System Settings -> Display and Monitor -> Compositor
> There's no useful documentation that I can find in System Settings or on
> the web; it seems to have something to do with visual effects:
> transparency, shadowing, and possibly others.  Any info would be
> interesting.

In KDE, "Compositor" refers to a
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compositing_window_manager.