Hello all, slight newb here. I run XFCE4 and want it looking "swISH" however the crappy xfterm4 doesn't seem to have a transparency option. What I want to know is how can I either (somehow) set xfterm4 to transparent or remove it all together and replace it with something that does allow transparency.

(technical, only for terminal software replacement.)
Are there any command line options passed to xfterm4 by other XFCE components? If so I will need to use terminal software that can accept these cmdline options, suggestions anyone?. With that taken care of it shall just be a case of removing xfterm4 and replacing it with something else using symbolic links.

I use "gnome-terminal" (I'm going to guess that you've got a Gnome install on your system) After opening it, look under "Edit" -> "Current Profile" -> "Effects". You'll see a radio button called "Transparent Background" Not sure how you'd do it with xfterm, though I assume it's possible.

I have no GNOME
see:
(list of everything insalled on my compy)

a2ps 4.13b-3
acpi 0.09-1
alsa-driver 1.0.10-1
alsa-lib 1.0.10-1
alsa-oss 1.0.10-1
alsa-utils 1.0.10-1
apache 2.0.55-1
aspell 0.60.4-1
at 3.1.8_11-1
atk 1.10.3-1
audiofile 0.2.6-2
autoconf 2.59-1
automake 1.9.6-1
bash 3.0-6
bc 1.06-2
bin86 0.16.17-1
binutils 2.16.1-2
bison 2.1-1
bluez-libs 2.22-1
bluez-utils 2.22-1
bzip2 1.0.3-2
cairo 1.0.2-1
cdrdao 1.2.0-2
cdrtools 2.01-3
codecs 20050412-2
coreutils 5.2.1-5
cpio 2.6-1
cracklib 2.8.3-4
cryptsetup 1.0.1-2
cups 1.1.23-5
curl 7.15.0-1
cvs 1.11.21-1
cvsup 16.1h-3
cyrus-sasl 2.1.21-2
db 4.3.29-1
dbh 1.0.24-2
dcron 2.9-6
desktop-file-utils 0.10-1
devfsd 1.3.25-4
device-mapper 1.01.05-1
dhcpcd 1.3.22pl4-4
dialog 1.0-4
diffutils 2.8.1-2
dosbox 0.63-1
dosfstools 2.11-1
e2fsprogs 1.38-1
ed 0.2-2
esd 0.2.36-2
evms 2.5.3-1
exim 4.60-1
expat 1.95.8-2
fakeroot 1.2.13-2
fam 2.7.0-7
fbset 2.1-1
file 4.16-1
filesystem 0.7.1-3
findutils 4.2.26-1
flac 1.1.2-3
flex 2.5.31-2
fnlib 0.5-4
fontconfig 2.3.2-2
fortune-mod 1.99.1-3
freetype1 1.3.1-3
freetype2 2.1.10-3
fribidi 0.10.7-1
gaim 1.5.0-2
gcc 4.0.2-2
gd 2.0.33-2
gdbm 1.8.3-3
gdk-pixbuf 0.22.0-3
gentoo 0.11.55-1
gettext 0.14.5-2
ghostscript 7.07.1-5
gimp 2.2.9-1
gimp-print 4.2.7-3
gkrellm 2.2.7-1
glib 1.2.10-5
glib2 2.8.4-1
glibc 2.3.5-8
glut 3.7-4
gmp 4.1.4-3
gnome-icon-theme 2.12.1-1
gnupg 1.4.2-1
gnutls 1.2.9-1
gpm 1.20.1-6
grep 2.5.1a-1
groff 1.19.1-3
gtk 1.2.10-5
gtk-xfce-engine 2.2.8-1
gtk2 2.8.8-1
gtkspell 2.0.11-1
gv 3.5.8-4
gvim 6.4-2
gzip 1.2.4b-2
hashalot 0.3-1
hdparm 6.3-1
heimdal 0.7.1-1
hicolor-icon-theme 0.8-1
hotplug 2004_09_23-4
id3lib 3.8.3-5
imagemagick 6.2.5-1
imlib 1.9.15-2
imlib2 1.2.1-2
initscripts 0.7.1-15
intltool 0.34.1-1
iptables 1.3.4-1
iputils 021109-4
isapnptools 1.26-1
j2re 1.5.0_04-1
jfsutils 1.1.10-1
joe 3.3-1
kbd 1.12-1
kernel26 2.6.13.4-3
lame 3.96.1-4
lcms 1.15-1
less 382-2
lesstif 0.94.4-3
lesstifextensions 9.0.9-3
libao 0.8.6-2
libart-lgpl 2.3.17-2
libcroco 0.6.0-4
libdvdcss 1.2.9-2
libdvdnav 0.1.10-2
libevent 1.1a-2
libexif 0.6.12-4
libgcrypt 1.2.2-1
libglade 2.5.1-2
libgnomecanvas 2.12.0-2
libgnomecups 0.2.2-2
libgnomeprint 2.12.1-2
libgnomeprint-cups 2.12.1-2
libgnomeprintui 2.12.1-2
libgpg-error 1.1-2
libgsf 1.13.3-1
libid3tag 0.15.1b-2
libidl2 0.8.6-2
libjpeg 6b-4
libmad 0.15.1b-2
libmikmod 3.1.11-2
libmng 1.0.9-1
libogg 1.1.3-1
libol 0.3.16-2
libpcap 0.9.4-1
libpng 1.2.8-1
librsvg 2.12.7-2
libsndfile 1.0.12-2
libtar 1.2.11-2
libtasn1 0.2.17-1
libtheora 1.0alpha5-1
libtiff 3.7.4-1
libtool 1.5.20-2
libungif 4.1.4-1
libusb 0.1.10a-2
libvorbis 1.1.2-1
libwmf 0.2.8.4-1
libxfce4mcs 4.2.3-1
libxfce4util 4.2.3.2-1
libxfcegui4 4.2.3-1
libxml2 2.6.22-1
libxslt 1.1.15-1
licenses 1.0-1
lilo 22.7.1-1
links 2.1pre18-1
logrotate 3.7.1-1
lshwd 1.1.3-3
lsof 4.76-1
lvm2 2.01.15-1
lzo 1.08-4
lzo2 2.02-1
m4 1.4.4-1
mailman 2.1.6-1
mailx 8.1.1-3
make 3.80-2
makedev 3.3.10-1
man 1.6b-1
man-pages 2.14-1
mawk 1.3.3-6
mc 4.6.1-2
mdadm 2.1-1
mesa 6.4.1-1
mktemp 1.5-1
mm 1.4.0-1
module-init-tools 3.2.1-1
mozilla-common 1.0-2
mozilla-firefox 1.0.7-1
mt-st 0.8-1
mtx 1.2.18-1
nano 1.2.5-1
ncurses 5.5-1
net-tools 1.60-10
nfsidmap 0.11-1
nspr 4.6-3
nss 3.10-2
nvidia 1.0.7676-4
ooodi2 0.68-1
opencdk 0.5.8-1
openldap 2.2.29-1
openoffice-base 2.0.0-1
openoffice-spell-en 20040623-2
openssh 4.2p1-2
openssl 0.9.7h-1
pacman 2.9.7-4
pam 0.80-3
pango 1.10.2-1
parted 1.6.25.1-1
patch 2.5.4-2
pciutils 2.1.11-3
pcmciautils 010-1
pcre 6.4-1
perl 5.8.7-1
perlxml 2.34-3
pkgconfig 0.19-1
popt 1.7-3
portmap 5beta-9
ppp 2.4.3-1
procinfo 18-3
procps 3.2.6-1
psmisc 21.8-1
psutils p17-3
python 2.4.1-1
quota-tools 3.12-1
raidtools 1.00.3-3
rar 3.5.1-1
rcs 5.7-3
rdate 990821-2
readline 5.0-3
recode 3.6-2
reiserfsprogs 3.6.19-1
rp-pppoe 3.7-1
rssh 2.2.3-1
screen 4.0.2-1
sdl 1.2.9-1
sdl_image 1.2.4-2
sdl_mixer 1.2.6-3
sdl_net 1.2.5-2
sed 4.1.4-1
shadow 4.0.13-2
slocate 2.7-2
smbclient 3.0.20-1
sqlite2 2.8.16-2
sqlite3 3.2.7-1
startup-notification 0.8-3
sudo 1.6.8-9
supertux 0.1.3-1
sysfsutils 1.3.0-2
syslog-ng 1.6.8-2
sysvinit 2.86-1
tar 1.15.1-1
tcl 8.4.11-1
tcp_wrappers 7.6-6
tcsh 6.14.00-2
tk 8.4.11-1
traceroute 1.4a12-2
tuxracer 0.61-5
udev 068-5
unzip 5.52-2
usbutils 0.71-1
util-linux 2.12-9
vim 6.4-2
wget 1.10.2-1
which 2.16-1
whois 4.7.10-1
wireless_tools 28pre9-1
wvstreams 4.2.1-1
xaw3d 1.5-2
xfcalendar 4.2.3-1
xfce-mcs-manager 4.2.3-1
xfce-mcs-plugins 4.2.3-1
xfce-utils 4.2.3-1
xfce4-appfinder 4.2.3-1
xfce4-icon-theme 4.2.3-1
xfce4-iconbox 4.2.3-1
xfce4-mixer 4.2.3-1
xfce4-panel 4.2.3-1
xfce4-session 4.2.3-1
xfce4-systray 4.2.3-1
xfce4-toys 4.2.3-1
xfce4-trigger-launcher 4.2.3-1
xfdesktop 4.2.3-1
xffm 4.2.3-1
xfprint 4.2.3-1
xfsprogs 2.7.3-2
xfwm4 4.2.3.2-1
xfwm4-themes 4.2.3-1
xine-lib 1.1.1-2
xine-ui 0.99.4-1
xmms 1.2.10-4
xorg 11R6.8.2-6
yp-tools 2.9-2
ypbind-mt 1.19.1-1
zip 2.3-3
zlib 1.2.3-1