Custom size for application window

Jerry3904 · 2014-10-21 16:03:06

I have searched this forum and looked through Settings > Window tweaks without success on this topic.

There are a couple of applications that I would like to come up larger than the default. For example, galculator is much easier to use on my setup when it is about twice as large as it is. I tried just using the menu resize entry or Alt-F8, but appears to work only for the current window.

Is there a way to do this?

TIA.

ToZ · 2014-10-21 17:47:42

If galculator is the main window, does not resize and Alt-F8 work? Is your system setup in some way that galculator wouldn't be the current window when you are using it?

You can also force window geometries by using a package like devilspie.

Jerry3904 · 2014-10-21 18:08:13

They work, but only for that one time. The next time I open the application, it returns to the original small size, meaning that each time I want to use it I must resize--which gets old in a hurry.

WIll look at devilspie, thanks, though I doubt that I am not the only Xfce user who would like to fix a certain geometry.

ToZ · 2014-10-21 20:03:15

As an example, a devilspie configuration file like this one (~/.devilspie/galculator.ds):

(if
    (is (application_name) "galculator")
    (begin
       (geometry "867x550+162+41")
    )
)

...will force galculator to open at 867x550 positioned at +162+41. You'll need the devilspie program running for it to take effect.

Jerry3904 · 2014-10-21 20:54:55

Thanks, I'll have to give that a test.

It would certainly be preferable--and IMHO more appropriate to the Xfce concept--to have a geometry option in the window bar menu or to make a user resize sticky. Maybe I should pass that second one in front of the devs to see if anything is possible.

I'm pretty sure the vast majority of average users would not touch this method with a 10 foot pole!

MountainDewManiac · 2014-10-22 08:08:53

Because they shall not eat of the devil's pie, lol?

Regards,
MDM

Jerry3904 · 2014-10-22 12:56:07

Probably, yup!

The point I was trying to make to ToZ was that a solution to a relatively common wish/need that relied on 1) finding and reading minimal and arcane documentation, and 2) figuring out how to write a configuration file to be placed in a hidden folder--that is fine for individuals comfortable with advanced use of Linux but not for the general user who just wants a reasonable degree of convenience.

ToZ · 2014-10-22 14:14:01

Jerry3904 wrote:

The point I was trying to make to ToZ was that a solution to a relatively common wish/need that relied on 1) finding and reading minimal and arcane documentation, and 2) figuring out how to write a configuration file to be placed in a hidden folder--that is fine for individuals comfortable with advanced use of Linux but not for the general user who just wants a reasonable degree of convenience.

This raises an interesting question. Is it the responsibility of the window manager or the application itself to remember geometry? For example, on my system, Firefox remembers geometry and restores in the same position with the same size. So does mousepad. However, gcalculator does not. I'm not sure if gcalculator remembers geometry in the Gnome environment. This would "seem" to indicate that it is the responsibility of the application, but I'm not sure what the standard or common practice is here.

Whenever I've had to force or control the position of windows I've used devilspie, which is why I suggested it, but Jerry3904 is correct, it is by no means a user-friendly method. There is, however, a front-end to devilspie called gdevilspie, but I've never used it to be able to comment on whether it makes it more user-friendly.

Jerry3904 · 2014-10-22 16:07:15

Interesting distinction. I think I was assuming it belonged to the window, probably because of a lengthy experience with KDE 4.

MountainDewManiac · 2014-10-22 21:13:44

I'd think the opposite, that the responsibility for the placement of the application lies with the application. Sort of "group all settings for any given application together."

But that's just my opinion. The developers of XFCE are welcome (as far as I'm concerned) to write code to do something that applications should be doing but which some (possibly many) are currently failing to do... But I'd hope that said developers go ahead and finish all the "XFCE" stuff first before working on the "non-behaving apps" stuff, lol.

Really, I do think this one is and should be the responsibility of the applications, themselves. What if a user runs multiple desktop environments? Shouldn't he/she have apps that behave regardless of which DE es is using? ToZ listed, among others, Firefox. I would assume that it is an example of an application that appears in the same location and at the same size regardless of which DE the user chooses. That is, IMHO, the way that applications should be - DE-independent.

For dealing with applications that don't do this part of their job, he also mentioned an app that would deal with the issue. That makes sense to me, if the (mis)behavior of certain apps bothers you, use the tool to "fix" them. If it doesn't, don't. That way the code of the DE does not get increased in size/complexity for something that not everyone is concerned about (certainly not everyone is concerned enough to feel that the size of XFCE's code and the workload of its few developers should both be increased as a consequence).

The above is, of course, just my opinion. YMMV.

Regards,
MDM

Last edited by MountainDewManiac (2014-10-22 21:14:41)

Jerry3904 · 2014-10-23 09:50:40

This is an awfully long and strong post for such a minor topic...

MountainDewManiac · 2014-10-23 11:06:37

Strong, I'll give you, lol. But long? It's just a few short paragraphs. I get kidded about long posts on another forum once in a while - when I complain about having to edit them down to fit the administrator's 30K posting limit roll . I'm not a member of the text-message generation; if it takes less than a minute or two to read something, I consider it very short. But be that as it may...

If you feel that this is something that the developers should work on, join their mailing list and suggest it to them; if they do not feel the same way that I do, perhaps they will include the feature in the next version of XFCE. You can find the email address and instructions for subscribing here:

https://mail.xfce.org/mailman/listinfo/xfce4-dev

I promise I won't submit an opposing view.

Regards,
MDM

Jerry3904 · 2014-10-23 11:26:41

Thanks, I already am subscribed to that list--and once made a suggestion that (click on clock > calendar) has been taken up into the new Panel.

My investment is simply one of curiosity: whether an existing process (resize) could be rendered sticky; and for all I know that would take a single line of code.

Jerry3904 · 2014-11-02 13:31:10

There is a hidden setting for this for Thunar at least on this page called "/misc-remember-geometry"

Jerry3904 · 2016-02-10 15:26:38

Somewhat later: gdevilspie is not available for Debian Stable (Jessie), but it is for Sid, and that package installs and runs for us without complaint on Stable (though it does not bring the dependencies devilspie and xdg-python with it).

We have backported it with the dependency requirements for installation on Stable, and it is now in our package repos. We have also created a short user's guide that might be useful for the occasional Forum member.

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#1 2014-10-21 16:03:06

Custom size for application window

#2 2014-10-21 17:47:42

Re: Custom size for application window

#3 2014-10-21 18:08:13

Re: Custom size for application window

#4 2014-10-21 20:03:15

Re: Custom size for application window

#5 2014-10-21 20:54:55

Re: Custom size for application window

#6 2014-10-22 08:08:53

Re: Custom size for application window

#7 2014-10-22 12:56:07

Re: Custom size for application window

#8 2014-10-22 14:14:01

Re: Custom size for application window

#9 2014-10-22 16:07:15

Re: Custom size for application window

#10 2014-10-22 21:13:44

Re: Custom size for application window

#11 2014-10-23 09:50:40

Re: Custom size for application window

#12 2014-10-23 11:06:37

Re: Custom size for application window

#13 2014-10-23 11:26:41

Re: Custom size for application window

#14 2014-11-02 13:31:10

Re: Custom size for application window

#15 2016-02-10 15:26:38

Re: Custom size for application window

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