#1 2025-02-13 23:34:52

Colonel Panic

Member

Registered: 2018-11-13

Posts: 1,403

New functionality for Openbox (and Fluxbox?)

I've been thinking about window manager functionality and, in particular, whether or not there's anything I'd want a window manager like Openbox to do that it currently can't.

One thing that does appeal is the ablity to lock a window in place on the desktop, so that once a window is "locked" it stays set in place and can't be moved or resized until the opposite function is activated (window unlock).

If this seems pointless, it's one of the main things I like about tiling window managers;  once a window is opened in a tiling manager it's locked into place on my desktop; it's stuck there as if with glue and can't be moved or resized except with the requisite keystrokes (which aren't easy to press accidentally).

Any thoughts about this, or any other functions you'd like to see implemented in Openbox or similar window managers that aren't currently available?

Thanks in advance,

CP .

brontosaurusrex

Middle Office

Registered: 2015-09-29

Posts: 2,737

Re: New functionality for Openbox (and Fluxbox?)

Not a fan of tiling WMs, I'd like to have the ability to stack multiple apps in one window (tabbed interface), like the one in popos (actually i forgot, can a fluxbox do that?).

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PackRat

jgmenu user Numero Uno

Registered: 2015-10-02

Posts: 2,611

Re: New functionality for Openbox (and Fluxbox?)

Not a fan of tiling WMs, I'd like to have the ability to stack multiple apps in one window (tabbed interface), like the one in popos (actually i forgot, can a fluxbox do that?).

Yes, fluxbox can tab winoddws - if this is what you mean:

pekwm can also tab windows.

One layout I always liked was the active window getting centered. In awesome wm, I think it is the magnifier layout; in xmonad it's the rose (rosetta?) layout. The ALT-Tab binding or click-to-focus raises and centers the window. Probably possible to do a Move-Resize combination with keybindings, bit built into the wm would be nice.

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Colonel Panic

Member

Registered: 2018-11-13

Posts: 1,403

Re: New functionality for Openbox (and Fluxbox?)

Thanks for replying brontosaurus and PackRat. Tabbing application windows in Fluxbox and PekWM looks like a very good idea, especially when the window's maximised - I think I'll look into it.

Last edited by Colonel Panic (2025-02-16 09:03:43)

PackRat

jgmenu user Numero Uno

Registered: 2015-10-02

Posts: 2,611

Re: New functionality for Openbox (and Fluxbox?)

Tiling application windows in Fluxbox and PekWM looks like a very good idea, especially when the window's maximised - I think I;ll look into it.

If you want the windows maximized, just go with i3 and set the default layout to tabbed. You can create containers or have a window float as needed.

Fluxbox does have layouts for arrangewindowsstackleft(right, top, bottom) built in. Not real tiling, bit a move-resize function to fill the screen space. Looks like dwm. Problem is, 3rd party panels like tint2 and polybar are treated as windows and move as well. Might be able to prevent that with per app settings.

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You must unlearn what you have learned.
    -- yoda

Colonel Panic

Member

Registered: 2018-11-13

Posts: 1,403

Re: New functionality for Openbox (and Fluxbox?)

Thanks for replying.

If you want the windows maximized, just go with i3 and set the default layout to tabbed. You can create containers or have a window float as needed.

Goes to show I've still got a lot to learn about window managers - I didn't know you could do that There used to be something very similar as default with an old tiling manager called wmii, which set a tabbed layout as standard.

Fluxbox does have layouts for arrangewindowsstackleft(right, top, bottom) built in. Not real tiling, bit a move-resize function to fill the screen space. Looks like dwm. Problem is, 3rd party panels like tint2 and polybar are treated as windows and move as well. Might be able to prevent that with per app settings.

Sure, and you can do something similar in OpenBox as well. I think someone posted a set of key bindings for it a while back here.

It's not as stable in practice as a real tiling manager would be though, which is why I wanted to lock the windows into place on the desktop in the first place.

Last edited by Colonel Panic (2025-02-14 23:43:04)

PackRat

jgmenu user Numero Uno

Registered: 2015-10-02

Posts: 2,611

Re: New functionality for Openbox (and Fluxbox?)

There used to be something very similar as default with an old tiling manager called wmii, which set a tabbed layout as standard.

That's the stacked layout. i3 has that as well, and it can be made the default.

---

You must unlearn what you have learned.
    -- yoda

Colonel Panic

Member

Registered: 2018-11-13

Posts: 1,403

Re: New functionality for Openbox (and Fluxbox?)

There used to be something very similar as default with an old tiling manager called wmii, which set a tabbed layout as standard.

That's the stacked layout. i3 has that as well, and it can be made the default.

Thanks again. I've just installed wmii in Bento, which is based on Debian oldoldstable (Buster); I don't think it's available for the most recent Debian releases though (I failed to install it in Mint).