Question

Just getting started with linux programming and X Windows in specific. I am trying to make an application where I launch 4 different programs (such as VLC, web browser etc) in a quadrant view. For now I don’t need (or want) an window manager sitting on top, just the bare bones applications running.

I can do this with the x utils (like a clock etc) using the -geometry commands.

My question is, how do I control the placement of these other applications?

Answer 1

Solution 1

devilspie is the perfect tool for this. As an example:

+--------+------------------------+
| Pidgin |                        |
| Buddy  |        Pidgin          |
| List   |     Conversation       |
|        |                        |
|        +------------------------+
|        |                        |
|        |        Xchat           |
|        |                        |
|        |                        |
+--------+------------------------+

could be done with the following configuration.

(if (is (application_name) "Pidgin")
        (begin
                (if (is (window_role) "buddy_list")
                        (begin
                                (undecorate)
                                (skip_tasklist)
                                (geometry "199x767+0+0")
                        )
                )
                (if (is (window_role) "conversation")
                        (begin
                                (undecorate)
                                (geometry "822x400+201+0")
                        )
                )
        )
)

Solution 2

start the desired applications and then use wmctrl to move and resize the windows to their desired positions. You may use the -r argument to acheive this.

  -r <WIN> -e <MVARG>  Resize and move the window around the desktop.

Devilspie experience (update)

As requested in the comment. I use devilspie all the time, it’s really great and works with every window manager I’ve used gnome, xfce, kde, fvwm. I’ve put together a working devilspie config that will do part of what you want. You can place this file in ~/.devilspie/devilspie.ds. There is a screenshot attached as well showing the result of this config file. The best documentation I have found for devilspie is on foosel.org. I highly recommend you use that. when testing devilspie run it in the foreground in a terminal. Make sure there are no other devilspie process running kill them if so. Every time you change your config and want to see the result do a CTRL+C on the devilspie and run it again. Some other things to keep note of if vlc was maximized when it was closed, then it will open again maximized and will ignore devilspie requests for resizing and moving. So make sure vlc is not maximized when you close it. You could alternatively call unmaximize and then do the geometry call.

(debug)
(if
    (is (application_name) "VLC media player")
    (geometry "500x300+0+0")
)
(if
    (is (application_name) "xterm")
    (geometry "300x300+510+0")
)
(focus)

screetshot