Xfce Forum

markling

Member

Registered: 2012-01-19

Posts: 37

Configure Window Buttons panel plugin from command line

How do I conveniently toggle  "show windows from all workspaces" for the Windows Button plugin on the taskbar?

Currently, I have to open the panel preferences dialogue, and open the items, find the the windows buttons plugin, open it, change the setting.

It would be rather helpful if there was a keyboard shortcut or command line config so I can toggle it in a jiffy.

I ordinarily show all windows on all workspaces. But sometimes, like when I want to close all windows associated with a particular app on a single workspace, it would be helpful to do so via Windows Buttons, if only I first toggled it to show only windows on current workspace.

I have tried to find it via xfconf-query -c xfce4-panel but am left scratching my head.

ToZ

Administrator

From: Canada

Registered: 2011-06-02

Posts: 11,485

Re: Configure Window Buttons panel plugin from command line

Try this concoction:

xfconf-query -c xfce4-panel -p /plugins/$(xfconf-query -c xfce4-panel -lv | grep tasklist | awk '{print $1}' | awk -F'/' '{print $3}')/include-all-workspaces -T

It should toggle the setting.

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markling

Member

Registered: 2012-01-19

Posts: 37

Re: Configure Window Buttons panel plugin from command line

Ye gads! From what grimoire did you formulate this spell?

I have had legend of such a book, and indeed I have looked for it, in the manpages (ha! fool!), on the website (tee hee). It seems the only hope of learning the dark arts of XFCE scripting, besides years of meticulous study of its arcane runes and incantations is to ask the one Oracle. If the knowledge and wisdom you hold is not put down, recorded, and you get bumped off or start using XMonad or something, then all is lost.

Even ChatGPT hasnt the ability to cast such spells.

I asked it the same question I asked this forum, and it wasn't much help. Perhaps that's because the XFCE4 documentation is so dreadfully inadequate. The only way ChatGPT could get the knowledge it needed to script XFCE is if it scanned your head. Could that be arranged?

I gave ChatGPT your incantation and this is what it said:

"The expert's solution is excellent and superior to the workarounds I initially considered.

"It's a direct, efficient, and XFCE-native way to toggle the setting you're interested in.

"It is far more direct than any of the workarounds I suggested. It is complex to understand at first glance but simple to execute. It requires a deep understanding of xfconf-query and the XFCE4 configuration schema. Once you know what it does, it's straightforward to use."

Can you go to openAI and get a brain scan?

Thank you for coming to my rescue.

ToZ

Administrator

From: Canada

Registered: 2011-06-02

Posts: 11,485

Re: Configure Window Buttons panel plugin from command line

Ha! I outdid ChatGPT. Gonna put this on my CV.

Glad it was useful.

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