Scripted Window Actions
Tutorial – Devilspie2
Stop battling your window manager to position things as you like – make scripts do all the hard work!
How many window managers (WMs) and desktop environments can you name? If you've been around the Linux or BSD scene for a while, you can probably come up with 10 or 20 – and there are even more. For new users, this sheer variety may seem perplexing. After all, a WM just lets you shove windows around on the screen, right? Why not just make a single WM to rule them all?
Well, as you know, different WMs and desktop environments target very different types of users. Some prefer minimalistic WMs with tiny window borders, driven primarily by keyboard shortcuts – whereas others want all-singing, all-dancing showcases of beauty and functionality. In any case, they all have limitations, especially in terms of automation.
Now, why would you want to automate a WM? Don't they already do some tasks automatically, like putting new windows in certain places to reduce overlap? Well, yes, but that's about it. Wouldn't it be awesome if you could create custom scripts to move, resize, minimize, or maximize windows automatically when they pop up? Or move them to specific workspaces or virtual desktops? Or even make them sticky across all desktops?
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
US / Canada
UK / Australia
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Linux Mint 22.2 Beta Available for Testing
Some interesting new additions and improvements are coming to Linux Mint. Check out the Linux Mint 22.2 Beta to give it a test run.
-
Debian 13.0 Officially Released
After two years of development, the latest iteration of Debian is now available with plenty of under-the-hood improvements.
-
Upcoming Changes for MXLinux
MXLinux 25 has plenty in store to please all types of users.
-
A New Linux AI Assistant in Town
Newelle, a Linux AI assistant, works with different LLMs and includes document parsing and profiles.
-
Linux Kernel 6.16 Released with Minor Fixes
The latest Linux kernel doesn't really include any big-ticket features, just a lot of lines of code.
-
EU Sovereign Tech Fund Gains Traction
OpenForum Europe recently released a report regarding a sovereign tech fund with backing from several significant entities.
-
FreeBSD Promises a Full Desktop Installer
FreeBSD has lacked an option to include a full desktop environment during installation.
-
Linux Hits an Important Milestone
If you pay attention to the news in the Linux-sphere, you've probably heard that the open source operating system recently crashed through a ceiling no one thought possible.
-
Plasma Bigscreen Returns
A developer discovered that the Plasma Bigscreen feature had been sitting untouched, so he decided to do something about it.
-
CachyOS Now Lets Users Choose Their Shell
Imagine getting the opportunity to select which shell you want during the installation of your favorite Linux distribution. That's now a thing.