[SOLVED] Show desktop exemption for specific window in openbox

mmatt · 07-23-2009, 08:24 AM

This is starting to drive me crazy. I want to be able to selectively exclude certain windows (the ones set below ala widgets) from being minimised when I use the "show desktop" action in openbox.

For example, both conky and pypanel stay put nicely. However, urxvt, in the 'below' layer and set as type 'desktop' (or 'dock') will minimise. What property of conky/pypanel do I need to apply to urxvt and how do I do it!

Thanks in advance, Matt

lumak · 07-23-2009, 02:37 PM

have you tried sticky?

mmatt · 07-23-2009, 03:44 PM

Yes, tried sticky. Here's what I've tried so far... (i call urxvt -name urxvt-special)

~/.devilspie/urxvt-special

Code:

(if
    (is (window_name) "urxvt-special")
    (begin
        (wintype "desktop")
        (below)
        (pin) ;; all workspaces ?
        (undecorate)
        (skip_pager)
        (skip_tasklist)
        (stick)
    )
)

I've also tried setting the equivalent settings in ~/.config/openbox/rc.xml. I've tried all the window types (just to make sure!), “normal”, “dialog”, “menu”, “toolbar”, “splashscreen”, “utility”, “dock”, “desktop”.

Using xprop I can't seem to work out why pypanel and conky don't minimise. Is there an openbox config file somewhere that I don't know about (I'm fairly new to openbox).

Thanks for your help, Matt

mmatt · 07-23-2009, 03:58 PM

Hmmm, if I set the borderLess option (either in .Xdefaults or with -bl command line option) or pass the override-redirect option it doesn't minimise. It doesn't accept focus and is on top of all other windows however!

lumak · 07-23-2009, 08:35 PM

Meh... if you are using openbox because you like the minimalist approach, just use fluxbox... fluxbox is everything blackbox could be if new versions were still being released. I'm not sure if it will satisfy your issues but configuration is less of a headache.

Fluxbox has:
- task bar with customizable clock and system tray.
- easy to edit right click menu
- easy to edit hot key configuration
- a 'slit' which holds dock apps and can be positioned anywhere along the edges of your screen.

In fluxbox I did manage to configure a window to do what you want in a way...
You can open a window and right click on it's header then set it's layer to Desktop. It will never be able to show on top of any other windows but if you do the "Show Desktop" method, it will remain on screen (obviously because it's on the Desktop Layer). You can also set it to sticky and it will be on all your virtual desktops. You can save the window settings by right click window header > remember... > layer, so that every time you open up a window for that program it will have the same settings... Or just hot key those settings and make any window do that.

mmatt · 07-24-2009, 03:51 AM

Surely it should be that simple in openbox too... Oh well. I may give fluxbox a look then, thanks for the tip.

mmatt · 07-24-2009, 05:17 AM

Very easy with fluxbox, very easy indeed. Thanks

lumak · 07-24-2009, 07:49 PM

I didn't test it... but in OpenBox....

<keybind key="W-F5">
<action name="ToggleAlwaysOnBottom"/>
</keybind>

Maybe by 'always bottom' they mean the desktop layer... I also found the action
"SendToNormalLayer" and it's possible that "SendToDesktopLayer" may be an action as well.

mmatt · 07-25-2009, 08:28 AM

Yes, I can make a window stay always on bottom by setting it to the below layer in rc.xml but I can't make it stay up on "show desktop". At least not in openbox.