Questions tagged [window-manager]

A window manager is the software component responsible for the tracking and placement of windows within a graphical interface. Examples: Metacity, Compiz, KWin. If your question is about a specific window manager, add its tag.

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9 votes
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How can I easily send a window to the back of a stack?

I like to work with a number of apps open on a secondary monitor, one with a maximized window, and several more that are manually tiled in a particular way on top of them, just exposing a particular ...
qhartman's user avatar
  • 133
151 votes
4 answers
151k views

How do I set focus follows mouse?

Is there a way to set up "focus follows mouse" behavior in Unity?
dharmatech's user avatar
  • 2,553
45 votes
7 answers
229k views

How do I restart the window manager?

How to restart window manager so that styles (or whatever) are restored? After doing /etc/init.d/networking stop they feel completely broken. I have reinstalled lightdm. I have restarted lightdm. ...
Dmitrii Volosnykh's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
752 views

Ubuntu 11.10 Window Configuration [duplicate]

Possible Duplicate: Application windows do not fit on the screen i have a netbook with 1024x568 resolution. But some windows don't fit to the screen. They are to big. How to change that
Alexander Marcev's user avatar
6 votes
2 answers
12k views

How can I use Awesome WM with GNOME?

I followed the all the instructions I could find--the ones on the Awesome wiki, and the ones on the Arch linux wiki, but so far none have really worked. I usually get an error while trying to log in ...
Jonathan's user avatar
  • 7,440
5 votes
0 answers
2k views

How can I make Chrome follow my window focus settings? [closed]

I run my desktops with pointer focus (that is, focus is based on mouse position). I've been doing that for literally decades, so I'm not stopping now. In that model, I absolutely do not want "auto-...
Pointy's user avatar
  • 1,563
1 vote
1 answer
3k views

Change the window manager unity-2d launches on login

As opposed to this question, I'd like to change the window manager that unity-2d launches when logging in. IOW, when I select a "Unity 2d" session at the greeter screen and log in, I want to change ...
Ross Patterson's user avatar
13 votes
3 answers
4k views

How do I stop the Unity launcher from hiding behind other windows?

The Unity launcher tends to put itself in the background of any windows sometimes. It does not occur on startup, just randomly after some hours of usage. How do I bring it back to front without ...
joar's user avatar
  • 567
3 votes
2 answers
972 views

How to make the window manager to show the X - [ ] not on left top corner but bottom left or bottom right corner?

Ubuntu 11.04, how can i change the Windows close/minimize/maximize buttons on top left corner to somewhere else like: bottom left corner, bottom right corner? If it's not possible, then I would like ...
user avatar
9 votes
4 answers
381 views

Is there a way that Unity can remember which terminal window had focus and was raised?

I use a lot of terminal windows (at least three, up to 5 or 6). If I am working in one of them, and switch to another app via the unity launcher (say the web browser), and then come back to the ...
jfoucher's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
640 views

Focus a window without bringing the window forward

Is there a way to focus a certain window under Gnome without bringing the window up? Background: I'm creating a script to type an arbitrary sequence characters on a certain window/application. With ...
Gödel's user avatar
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9 votes
2 answers
5k views

How to move windows to another workspace without switching workspace?

XFCE supports a hotkey to move a window to another workspace. In fact this does two things: It moves the window to the new workspace. switches to this workspace. I'm trying to disable this ...
theomega's user avatar
  • 311
8 votes
5 answers
1k views

Do I need a desktop to run a GUI?

I am setting up a light weight VM, following the guide in the Ubuntu Documentation What I want to be able to do is launch a GUI application. I don't need / want anything on the desktop. First I ...
David LeBauer's user avatar
29 votes
6 answers
9k views

Disable "middle click to lower window" behaviour on gnome

I am using the Chromium web browser, and standard gnome (i.e. not unity). Chromium (like lots of things) has many tabs, and allows you to middle click on a tab to close the tab. But if I middle click ...
Amandasaurus's user avatar
  • 1,816
4 votes
1 answer
727 views

Don't raise window on click (while hold)

It seems that Compiz support forum is used for spam, and as I noticed similar questions answered here, I thought it'd be best for me to ask here I'm on Ubuntu 11.04 and window manager uses Compiz ...
zetah's user avatar
  • 9,653
1 vote
2 answers
1k views

How do I run a graphical application in a virtual console besides <Alt+F7>?

I want to run R in a virtual console and RCommander in a separate virtual console. Or maybe I want to run a game in a virtual console and shut off the desktop. Or maybe I want to pipe an ssh -x ...
isomorphismes's user avatar
5 votes
3 answers
4k views

Building Awesome WM, missing dependencies

Trying to compile Awesome Window Manager on 11.04, I've done apt-get build-dep awesome but still get errors about missing dependencies: $ make Running cmake… -- cat -> /bin/cat -- ln -> /bin/ln -- ...
Rena's user avatar
  • 151
11 votes
5 answers
33k views

How can I define startup applications with the Awesome Window Manager?

I've been reading as much as I can online, but none of it seems to work (i.e. changing ~/.config/awesome/rc.lua). I've installed awesome window manager from the repos, and I log into it via GDM, and ...
Jonathan's user avatar
  • 7,440
8 votes
4 answers
45k views

How do I start the GUI (Window Manager?) over VNC?

I have a netbook and a server, to both of which I installed the identical Ubuntu 10.04 LTS distribution. On the server, I had the foresight to install and enable the SSH server before disconnecting ...
Maarx's user avatar
  • 235
3 votes
1 answer
4k views

Maximize and undecorate all apps in Xubuntu

On my netbook I'm running Xubuntu as it works much faster than Unity 2D. I'd like to have all the apps maximized and undecorated, is there any way to do that without Compiz?
Borsook's user avatar
  • 2,043
32 votes
5 answers
14k views

Open Nautilus as a new tab in an existing window

Currently, if I click a launcher, shortcut icon, etc., I will get a new Nautilus window. If there is already a Nautilus window open, I would rather it open up in a new tab in the existing window (as ...
wim's user avatar
  • 12.7k
3 votes
1 answer
866 views

How to open evince in the top-right corner of my screen? [duplicate]

Possible Duplicate: Create a keyboard shortcut to move windows to a specific screen edge I want to open a new evince window on the top-right corner of my screen, how can I do that in Ubuntu 11.04 ...
yahoo260537's user avatar
6 votes
5 answers
2k views

Is there any Window Manager like the Windows 7's for Ubuntu?

In Windows 7, if you drag a window to the top of the screen, it will maximize, and if you drag to the side, it will restore to half size of the screen on that side. Is there any window manager or ...
The Student's user avatar
  • 11.9k
8 votes
4 answers
13k views

Is it possible to use nmcli completely without nm-applet?

Since I don't use GNOME now and try wmii, the nm-applet is no longer available for me.I know there is nmcli for the control. What I'm really interested in is that can it really be a substitute for nm-...
Hongxu Chen's user avatar
8 votes
1 answer
2k views

How to make alt-tab diplay names of the program/window title?

When switching between programs using alt-tab I prefer the program/window title to be displayed as well as the picture of the program. This is especially useful when I have multiple editor windows ...
deja's user avatar
  • 83
3 votes
0 answers
1k views

How can I make programs open on a specific monitor? [duplicate]

I've read a bit about window managers, but I'm not sure if that's what I need or not. I'm using my Maverick laptop at work with an external monitor added and set so they don't mirror. I've used a Mac ...
EmmyS's user avatar
  • 15.9k
0 votes
1 answer
472 views

program run with GNOME Alt-F2 dialog doesn't have focus [closed]

I'm using GNOME 3 Shell on Ubuntu Natty (11.04). When I start a new program with Alt-F2, I'd like focus to be on that window. Instead, focus is given not to the previous window which had focus nor to ...
Adam Monsen's user avatar
  • 2,215
8 votes
1 answer
2k views

What does a composite-manager do?

I know it's used for true transparancy, but what else is it good for?
Detnuomnu's user avatar
  • 2,007
3 votes
2 answers
4k views

How to get window decorations back?

In 11.04, using traditional GNOME (not Unity), windows suddenly lose their decorations way too often: For the next time this happens, can anyone suggest a fix that would be quicker than logging out &...
Jonik's user avatar
  • 7,178
4 votes
2 answers
7k views

Unable get my wireless network connection under awesome window manager?

Unable get my wireless network connection when I switched to awesome window manager. However, automatically I get wireless connection under Ubuntu 11.04 classic. Could someone tell me how to get ...
samarasa's user avatar
  • 4,691
13 votes
3 answers
4k views

Window focus confusion in unity

I like having focus prevention set to high, so that I don't have some stupid auto-launched app steal my typing in the middle of something else. Unfortunately, Unity keeps focus on the right window ...
Bryan Agee's user avatar
  • 3,356
4 votes
2 answers
2k views

Is there a way to get the Unity title bar behavior and NOTHING ELSE? [duplicate]

Possible Duplicate: Is there a way to remove maximized window controls/title from top panel in Unity I know how to get app menus in the panel. I like the fact that in Unity, the top panel ...
Avdi's user avatar
  • 165
5 votes
1 answer
5k views

Prevent Unity from auto-maximizing [duplicate]

Possible Duplicates: Is there a way to turn off “auto-maximize”? How to keep programs from launching maximized? 11.04 On a small netbook screen, it's useful to have windows maximized by default....
Scott Severance's user avatar
3 votes
3 answers
1k views

Installed Ubuntu 11.04 and now have no frames and/or panels

The day was going fine until I got a notification suggesting that I upgrade to Ubuntu 11.04 and I thought, "sure why not?" The first problem was that I didn't like the new desktop, I wanted my old ...
Jarl Haggerty's user avatar
6 votes
3 answers
5k views

Window borders disappear

I have a new install of Ubuntu 11.04 and sometimes the window borders will disappear. How do I prevent this or at least get them back without logging out and logging back in (which means close all my ...
700 Software's user avatar
  • 2,267
6 votes
1 answer
359 views

Disable joining multiple windows to one icon in unity panel

I don't want multiple open windows of the same program to be joined in one icon. How can I disable that to get one icon per window?
user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
265 views

Using ubuntu classic window manager from USB drive

I am using ubuntu 11.04 from a live USB disk. I created some space on the USB for saving modifications during installation to the USB. I want the default window manager to be ubuntu classic. How can I ...
sawa's user avatar
  • 1,363
2 votes
1 answer
2k views

Unity (and its window decorator) keeps crashing, especially when using maximised windows [closed]

I'm not sure why, but Unity crashes fairly often (roughly every 15-20 minutes). I get various bugs, for example when I try to click on the top panel, it simply becomes transparent. The same thing ...
Redandwhite's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
707 views

Is there any "always below" option for the windows, like the "always on top" one?

Well, just like the title says : is there any "always below" option for the windows, like the "always on top" one? If there is a shortcut that can do that, or a command that can make the window i ...
Chriskin's user avatar
  • 3,242
1 vote
2 answers
571 views

How to destroy a window?

Sometimes there's a leftover window in the bottom right area of the screen. It's transparent (invisible), but it will not let me click windows underneath it. I know it's there, after I verified with ...
user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
3k views

Dual Monitor Window Management

I have two displays: 4 desktop spaces (the Wall) having 2 displays each. If I unplug the second monitor, then all windows move quite strange. I place 8 windows: 1 and 2 on the first desktop space on ...
Vadim's user avatar
  • 1,378
6 votes
1 answer
969 views

How can I make a window unclickable?

I would like to be able to "click through" a certain window as if it was not there. How can I set this up?
ændrük's user avatar
  • 76.7k
5 votes
3 answers
197 views

Some windows aren't recognised by Unity

Some apps, including Transmission in particular, are not recognized by the Unity window manager. I am not able to focus or select certain windows. Curiously, I also can't drag it to the launcher. ...
Redandwhite's user avatar
19 votes
4 answers
7k views

How do I get Aero Snap in Unity 2D?

I really miss the "Aero Snap" window snapping feature present in Unity 3D. Is there any way I can get it, or an alternative to it, in Unity 2D?
Shibumi's user avatar
  • 495
3 votes
1 answer
2k views

Why does Classic Gnome desktop use unity-window-decorator?

I've only been booting into classic gnome desktop since 11.04 and since upgrading to 11.04 I'm having horrible window flickering and what seems to almost be gdm restarting. Maybe it's not gdm ...
winchendonsprings's user avatar
2 votes
3 answers
525 views

The chrome around my windows appears to have disappeared. Any ideas why?

When my windows are not maximised the title bar disappears and the only way to get hold of the application pane is to Alt + Click and Drag. I am running Natty with Unity and I have not restarted the ...
Treffynnon's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
173 views

Strange "gap" at the top of windows when first opened?

The first time a window appears there is a "gap" near the top of the screen, a space where you can see through to the background (or whatever window is underneath). It's really hard to explain, so ...
Keithius's user avatar
  • 123
2 votes
1 answer
895 views

Strange window manager behaviour

I just upgraded to 11.04 and I'm having some trouble with the window manager. When I log in there are no window borders around anything. Also when I log in it is running some theme that looks like it ...
Grant's user avatar
  • 382
3 votes
2 answers
468 views

Windows in Unity are Jumpy [closed]

Just running the new Ubuntu, I've noticed that my Windows don't move smoothly around the screen. Instead, they're jumpy and jerky. I have a GeForce 560ti. This is a higher end video card. I'm ...
Alexander Trauzzi's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
1k views

What's the best way to implement a script for tiling windows?

I just upgraded to ubuntu 11.04, and I am looking for a good way to tile windows. What I need is just to move window to the left or right half side of the screen, and bind the actions to some keyboard ...
SoftTimur's user avatar
  • 3,069