Xfce Forum

akli

Member

From: Germany

Registered: 2025-01-14

Posts: 6

[SOLVED] How to enlarge the frame of the windows for mouse actions?

System info:
OS: siduction Debian GNU/Linux trixie/sid
Xfce: 4.20 X11
GTK: 3.24.43
Kernel: 6.12.9-1-siduction-amd64

The problem:
Resizing windows with the mouse. The active area on the window frame is usually extremely narrow (1 or 2 pixels). Some program windows, e.g. Meld, have an active area of 5-10 pixels. If a secondary window is opened for file selection, this only has the extremely narrow active frame.

Where and how can a setting be made? I have not yet found anything comparable in the forum.

Last edited by akli (2025-02-25 13:14:39)

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“pax in terra” - that is my great, my only, heartfelt wish.
“Peace on earth” and everything else seems simple.

ToZ

Administrator

From: Canada

Registered: 2011-06-02

Posts: 11,815

Re: [SOLVED] How to enlarge the frame of the windows for mouse actions?

There are a few options:

1. With the mouse near the border you want to resize, hold down the Alt key, press the right mouse button and move the mouse to resize

2. Use a window manager theme with thicker borders

3. Force CSD on all windows to get an additional buffer zone for resizing.

There are no configuration options to create a larger buffer zone if using xfwm to manage window decorations (SSD).

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kwizzz

Member

Registered: 2024-11-10

Posts: 22

Re: [SOLVED] How to enlarge the frame of the windows for mouse actions?

Hm, I thought that this is also theme related. I felt greybird theme too clumsy for resizing, as it is so tricky to move the mouse to the right spot, whereas switching back to Default, everything’s working as it should.

daniewicz

Member

Registered: 2024-12-12

Posts: 25

Re: [SOLVED] How to enlarge the frame of the windows for mouse actions?

I use greybird and there is an option to change "extra mouse grabs" that works for me.

akli

Member

From: Germany

Registered: 2025-01-14

Posts: 6

Re: [SOLVED] How to enlarge the frame of the windows for mouse actions?

I use greybird and there is an option to change "extra mouse grabs" that works for me.

Where do I find this Settings?
I did not find it in
Settings->Window Manager
or
Settings->Window Manager Tweaks
or
Settings->Mouse and Touchpad

I also checked all types of Graybird in
Settings->Appearance
and
Settings->Window Manager->Style

One successful change was the selection of Greybird with extension '-accessibility'.
There, the left, bottom, and right frames have been made slightly wider for gripping with the mouse.

Last edited by akli (2025-01-16 11:59:54)

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“pax in terra” - that is my great, my only, heartfelt wish.
“Peace on earth” and everything else seems simple.

daniewicz

Member

Registered: 2024-12-12

Posts: 25

Re: [SOLVED] How to enlarge the frame of the windows for mouse actions?

I get access to greybird using emerald and compiz. It looks like you are not using these.

akli

Member

From: Germany

Registered: 2025-01-14

Posts: 6

Re: [SOLVED] How to enlarge the frame of the windows for mouse actions?

I found this post:
"Change the window size with the mouse" with date: 2023-09-15
https://forum.xfce.org/viewtopic.php?id=16959

It contains all possible solutions.

1) <ALT>key right mouse button to resize window. Where the mouse is when starting effects how the window will resize.
(posted by @eight.bit.al)
(Edit 2025/27/02 Also @ToZ wrote above. Sorry @ToZ. I guess I'm blind sometimes.)

2) Settings Manager (Inspired by the posting by @CwF)

2.1) Settings -> Appearance
Do NOT check “Set matching Xfwm4 theme if there is one”.
Then this will automatically select the “Default” theme in the Window Manager.
If a matching Xfwm4 theme is available, the default theme uses it, but overwrites the frames to 5px width.

2.2) Settings -> Window Manager
The “default-hdpi” and “default-xhdpi” themes are additionally available here.
The themes further enlarge the frame.

These themes are already existing for a long time, but I found no documentation on their excellent function.

SVG based theme for xfwm4.
Created Sept. 2006 by Olivier Fourdan <fourdan@xfce.org>
Modified Oct. 2014 by Olivier Fourdan <fourdan@xfce.org>
Theme released under GNU GPL license.

These are my experiences with the Greybird theme installed in siduction, which is based on Debin unstable.

Edit:
Title marked to [SOLVED]

Last edited by akli (2025-02-27 10:23:56)

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“pax in terra” - that is my great, my only, heartfelt wish.
“Peace on earth” and everything else seems simple.