Xfce Forum

javatechnical

Member

Registered: 2016-08-07

Posts: 18

Menus in titlebar in Xfce

How to put menus in title bar Xfce as in Windows? (it saves space).

P.S: Using Linux Mint 18 Xfce, panel (including windows list) at bottom. So, it is not Xubuntu to add a panel to the topbar like here

http://www.webupd8.org/2014/07/xubuntu- … ndows.html

because the taskbar 'should' be bottom always.

Last edited by javatechnical (2016-08-12 06:41:30)

MountainDewManiac

Member

From: Where Mr. Bankruptcy is Prez

Registered: 2013-03-24

Posts: 1,115

Re: Menus in titlebar in Xfce

How to put menus in title bar Xfce as in Windows? (it saves space).

P.S: Using Linux Mint 18 Xfce, panel (including windows list) at bottom. So, it is not Xubuntu to add a panel to the topbar like here

http://www.webupd8.org/2014/07/xubuntu- … ndows.html

because the taskbar 'should' be bottom always.

I use Mint (Xfce), too - but I have a panel on the bottom of the screen, one on the top of the screen, and a small (~40% height) on the upper left side. The default of having one panel - and that at the bottom of the screen - is, like so many other things in linux, merely a suggestion.

Are the instructions at the web page that you posted the link to not working for you? If so, and it is because the version is too old to work in Mint 18, here is a PPA that contains a version that should work:

https://launchpad.net/~geckoblu/+ppa-packages

as "xenial" (as appears in the file name) is just - apparently - Ubuntu-speak for "16.04," which is the version of Ubuntu that Mint 18 is based on.

Or do you mean that those instructions work fine for you, but that the Windowck application has limitations or otherwise fails to meet your needs somehow? I've never looked for something that places application menus in the window's title bar, because simply setting (all three of) my panels to auto-hide gives me enough screen real estate. Plus, after thinking about it, I would worry that it might cover information in applications such as Firefox that already use that area to display important information. And I wonder how well such a thing would handle applications which have menus/etc. that take up more space than a window's title bar has (or even a reasonable-sized menu, if one prefers to use a certain application in a non-maximized state), or for complex multiple-window applications such as Gimp. But there might be more applications out there that do this sort of thing than just Windowck for all I know.

Can you clarify what about Windowck (or at least the web page you linked) is not suitable for you?

Regards,
MDM

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Mountain Dew Maniac

How to Ask for Help <=== Click on this link

javatechnical

Member

Registered: 2016-08-07

Posts: 18

Re: Menus in titlebar in Xfce

I don't want a panel on the top, but only 'one' at the bottom (no other panels, to give Windows XP feel). What all that is needed is the that title bar should hide, but the (minimize,maximize,close) buttons should be visible.

It is not about adding items to panel as is in the url, since the only panel is at the bottom and none at the top. So, it is not possible to have the buttons (min,max,close) on the panel, since it is bottom and would look ugly if added.

See here, the answer that they have said that tabs in titlebar is not possible in Linux. Since, the problem can be solved by the Desktop environment developers, so it was posted here. Why is it not possible to draw on titlebar..

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/quest … wer-374234

P.S: Not talking specifically about Firefox, just an example.

Last edited by javatechnical (2016-08-12 16:41:01)

MountainDewManiac

Member

From: Where Mr. Bankruptcy is Prez

Registered: 2013-03-24

Posts: 1,115

Re: Menus in titlebar in Xfce

I don't want a panel on the top, but only 'one' at the bottom (no other panels, to give Windows XP feel). What all that is needed is the that title bar should hide, but the (minimize,maximize,close) buttons should be visible.

You wish the window title bars to hide, but those buttons to be possible. Hmm... That might be a tough one. The first part appears to be pretty simple, especially if you are using Xfce 4.12, as it is then merely a change in settings:

http://thenumberzero.blogspot.com/2014/07/a-no-install-solution-to.html

But I don't know how you would then make the minimize/maximize/close buttons appear (somewhere). You could, I suppose, rely on the Window Buttons panel application, right-clicking on the applications' representations there and choosing which of the three (and more) you'd like to do. Or you could use the good old-fashioned "alt-spacebar" to bring up those three (again, plus several more) options in a menu. There might be keyboard commands for each specific action; I know there is one for closing the window - but it varies somewhat as some applications use Ctrl-W to close one window and Ctrl-Q to close the entire application, while other applications' developers seem stuck in the reduced-functionality Microsoft OS world, lol, and use Alt-F4 to close the application (and generally nothing to close an individual window within the application).

BtW, there is a comment on that web page that mentions a plug-in for Firefox that will remove that application's title bar.

So, it is not possible to have the buttons (min,max,close) on the panel, since it is bottom and would look ugly if added.

Ah. By "not possible," you mean "It's possible, but I do not like the way that person has done it." . In that case, you might try contacting the developer of Windowck to see if he would be willing to work with you on implementing the same functionality in a different way, one that is more to your liking. If that consists of a simple change, he thinks that lots of people might appreciate it, and he has an abundance of free time then simply complimenting him on the work he has already done (and thanking him for it) and expressing your willingness to help test/troubleshoot it might be sufficient. Otherwise, a suitable donation might help.

See here, the answer that they have said that tabs in titlebar is not possible in Linux.

Interesting. I have used Google's Chrome browser once or twice and it looked like that application's developer had removed the normal (for a web browser) information and, instead, used that area for the tabs.

the problem can be solved by the Desktop environment developers, so it was posted here.

Some of the Xfce developers visit this forum from time to time, but it is by no means on a scheduled basis, and it would surprise me if all of them visit it. In another thread (from four+ years ago, but I assume the suggestion is still valid) in which someone made a feature request, a developer stated:

Submit a feature request to https://bugzilla.xfce.org/ under xfdesktop and I'll take a look at writing a patch for it when I get some time. This way your request won't be forgotten.

And there are also various Xfce email lists, some of which are used/frequented by the Xfce developers. You might find it beneficial to subscribe to one - or more - of them so that you can make your suggestion in a medium that allows you to carry on a dialog with the developers. You can find a list of all Xfce email lists here:

https://mail.xfce.org/mailman/listinfo/

Why is it not possible to draw on titlebar.

My guess is that it is possible - since some applications obviously have that capability (either alone or with the help of a plug-in) and use it. But as you seem to be wanting this thing for all applications, it does appear that your solution (assuming there is one) will be found on the "desktop side of things." Speaking of which, have you tried different themes to see if someone has already created one - and your distro's developer has included it - that is more to your liking? Or ran "Window Manager" (under the Settings category in your main Xfce menu) - or, possibly, "Window Manager Tweaks?" There might be one or more options/settings that you can adjust.

If/when you do find a solution to your liking, please post about it here. Others might be looking for the same thing.

Good luck,
MDM

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Mountain Dew Maniac

How to Ask for Help <=== Click on this link