dual monitor (top/bottom) window positioning error

jbeck2 · 2018-11-23 10:26:42

I have a laptop, (usually) with an external monitor mounted above the laptop monitor. Both displays have been set to the same resolution, with no mirror or rotation. (The upper / external monitor has a maximum resolution of 1920x1080, while the laptop resolution is 1600x900).

Both Conky and Thunar have issues positioning in the top monitor. With thunar, if I position the window in the top monitor, and then access a folder with more files than the folder being displayed, then the window is/gets moved.

Similarly, there is no way (that I have found) to position a Conky window at the top right of the "extra" monitor. No amount of positioning offsets can force the conky window to the TR of the top (external) monitor.

Both programs seem to have a maximum upper placement that is roughly 1/3 of the total monitor display from the top of the external monitor.

This behavior does not happen within the lower display (the laptop's). Nor does the behavior happen if a certain percentage of the window is being displayed within the lower (laptop) monitor. I have not seen another flavor of linux have this problem (ubuntu, and xubuntu, most recently). [I got to Bunsenlabs after yet another Xubuntu update failed to function.]

I can send whatever files you want, but I do not see any way to add them here.

I do not think that this is an killer issue (now that I know what triggers it), but it is odd.

Last edited by jbeck2 (2018-11-23 10:28:23)

rbh · 2018-11-23 13:45:49

jbeck2 wrote:

Similarly, there is no way (that I have found) to position a Conky window at the top right of the "extra" monitor.

Can you position conky at top left or is that the same problem as top right?

You mention thunar. Is there the same problem with pcmanfm? The same if you show directory in mc (Midnight Commander). What about a browser window that has to be scrolled? Tint2 can it be placed at top of monitor?

jbeck2 wrote:

I can send whatever files you want, but I do not see any way to add them here.

From forum Rules under the heading Posting style guide:

Use tags when pasting code or configurations into your post. For extremely long chunks of code, consider using a pastebin service. We recommend using paste.debian.net.
Do not embed images larger than 250x250px into posts, use thumbnails linking to a hosted image instead. scrot.moe is run by a community member, ad-free and nice.

It would be good to know about your hardware. "inxi -MG" gives some useful information. (if you do not have inxi, install it with "sudo apt install inxi" in a termianl).

damo · 2018-11-23 14:13:25

BTW you can also generate system/hardware reports with the already-installed hardinfo.

The screen and monitor setup can be found with

xrandr -q

Last edited by damo (2018-11-23 14:16:22)

ohnonot · 2018-11-24 08:36:20

^ yes, please show us output of

xrandr

(same as with -q)

jbeck2 · 2018-11-24 23:40:59

Thanks for the speedy replies!

Sorry for the delay.

So:
conky is consistant, no matter how I try to get it to the top

.conkyrc is the default except:
display=0

gap_x 10 ### left | right
gap_y 20 ### up | down

alignment br

xrandr -q
Screen 0: minimum 320 x 200, current 1600 x 1800, maximum 8192 x 8192
LVDS connected 1600x900+0+900 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 0mm x 0mm
1600x900 59.98*+
1440x900 59.89
1280x854 59.89
1280x800 59.81
1280x720 59.86
1152x768 59.78
1024x768 59.92
800x600 59.86
848x480 59.66
720x480 59.71
640x480 59.38
HDMI-0 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
VGA-0 connected 1600x900+0+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 0mm x 0mm
1920x1080 60.00 +
1680x1050 60.00
1600x900 59.98*
1280x1024 75.02 70.00 60.02
1280x960 75.04 60.00
1360x768 59.66
1280x720 75.02 59.97
1024x768 75.08 72.00 70.07 60.00
800x600 72.19 75.00 70.01 60.32 56.25
640x480 75.00 72.81 60.00
720x400 70.08

inxi -MG
Machine: Mobo: Acer model: Aspire 7551 v: V1.11
Bios: Phoenix v: V1.11 date: 08/09/2010
Graphics: Card: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD/ATI] Park [Mobility Radeon HD 5430/5450/5470]
Display Server: X.Org 1.16.4 drivers: ati,radeon (unloaded: fbdev,vesa)
Resolution: 1600x900@59.98hz, 1600x900@59.98hz
GLX Renderer: Gallium 0.4 on AMD CEDAR GLX Version: 3.0 Mesa 10.3.2

rbh wrote: (how did you get your reply to quote things I wrote?)
You mention thunar. Is there the same problem with pcmanfm? The same if you show directory in mc (Midnight Commander). What about a browser window that has to be scrolled? Tint2 can it be placed at top of monitor?
end rbh

So far as I know, thunar is the default and only file browser. I suppose I could install the others, but since conky is also affected, it would not appear to be a file browser issue, so far as I can tell.

firefox does not move, nor does Geany.

tint2:
both screens have one (each). Top (external/vga) has speaker, synergy and battery indicators, and both have clock, the 4 standard launchers, and whatever programs are running in the respective displays. In order to understand Bunsenlabs better, how might that affect things?

Many thanks for the help!

John

DeepDayze · 2018-11-25 02:56:49

PCmanfm is a very solid filemanager and it can be made default filemanager very easily. Open menu, then System>Edit Debian Alternatives. Enter admin password at prompt then in Alternatives column in the window that opens (says G Alternatives) at top, highlight bl-file-manager and in right column highlight radio button next to /usr/bin/pcmanfm. Done, and you can close the window and changes take effect immediately.

jbeck2 · 2018-11-25 03:43:58

DeepDayze - thanks for the pcmanfm tip! I did have to install it first, but that's on me.

With that, I can say that pcmanfm does NOT adjust its size or location when placed in my upper monitor (external / VGA).

Interesting how the two filemanagers differ.

Thanks for the help again!

John

Last edited by jbeck2 (2018-11-25 03:44:33)

johnraff · 2018-11-25 03:53:55

Side-issue:

jbeck2 wrote:

how did you get your reply to quote things I wrote?

Hit the "quote" link at the bottom of the post, and edit out the bits you don't want.
Alternatively, put in the

[ quote=somename]content[/quote]

tags by hand.

jbeck2 · 2018-11-25 04:36:28

johnraff

Thanks. I do not post much in forums, so I have little skills there. Although, now that I see the answer, it should have been pretty obvious!

I have to say that you folks have been exceedingly kind to my lack of knowledge and skills. It is appreciated!

John

ohnonot · 2018-11-25 08:10:23

the conky thing probably is easy to fix:
if you want iot at the top right, change the alignment variable to "tr".

what you describe sounds very weird to me, but i see nothing out of the ordinary, except maybe: your xrandr misses the "primary" information, i.e. one of the monitors should be your "primary" monitor.
you can formulate a suitable command with xrandr, or use arandr (there's a checkbox "Primary" when you right-click the monitor).
try that first.

rbh · 2018-11-25 10:40:00

jbeck2 wrote:

Nor does the behavior happen if a certain percentage of the window is being displayed within the lower (laptop) monitor.

You can use the tool screenruler, to measure the exact location of an an objet on the screen.

Do I catch you right: If your laptop scren is empty, some windows can only placed 1/3 from the top of the top monitor, not higher? Does placement on top monitor varies or is it a fix top?

How big window in laptop monitor for top monitor to behave as it should?

Your .conkyrc-setting

alignment br

forces the conky down. Maybe you just copied the setting from someone else and dont undestood the meaning of it. I think it's better to use more readable code as:

alignment = 'top_right',

Any change in behavior after using arandr and setting one monitor as primary?

How do you start your monitor settings now?

Last edited by rbh (2018-11-25 10:53:21)

jbeck2 · 2018-11-25 23:02:57

ohnonot: wrote:

the conky thing probably is easy to fix:
if you want it at the top right, change the alignment variable to "tr".

I understand that, as well as the

alignment = 'top_right'

option. neither changes the behavior. I use br or bottomm_right to place the conky in the same location, even if there is no external monitor. That just happens to be where I like to have working windows, but I can adjust. I'd LIKE to have total control, but so long as the other windows don't move from where I place them, I can work with it. A prior post suggested to use pcmanfm for the file manager, and it is behaving (not moving, and not re-sizing itself - while the default file manager both moved AND re-sized itself. Thunar did.).

Contents of the laptop display does not change anything, either.

I can place windows where I want, but any updates (like re-starting the conky) exhibit the revised placement, roughly 1/3 down form the top of the external monitor.

ohnonot: wrote:

use arandr (there's a checkbox "Primary" when you right-click the monitor).

From the main menu, I have: Preferences --> Display --> ARandR (etc).
That brings up a config window, which does not have any way to designate a primary display, that I can find.

In my rc.xml, I have:

 (snipped)
  <placement>
    <policy>Smart</policy>
    <!-- 'Smart' or 'UnderMouse' -->
    <center>yes</center>
    <!-- whether to place windows in the center of the free area found or
       the top left corner -->
    <monitor>Any</monitor>
    <!-- with Smart placement on a multi-monitor system, try to place new windows
         on: 'Any' - any monitor, 'Mouse' - where the mouse is, 'Active' - where
         the active window is, 'Primary' - only on the primary monitor -->
    <primaryMonitor>1</primaryMonitor>
    <!-- The monitor where Openbox should place popup dialogs such as the
         focus cycling popup, or the desktop switch popup.  It can be an index
         from 1, specifying a particular monitor.  Or it can be one of the
         following: 'Mouse' - where the mouse is, or
                    'Active' - where the active window is -->
  </placement>

Where the primary monitor is listed as being "1".

I have a file "DualScreen.sh", which I am *sure* that I run, (but I can not find its invocation), which is:

#!/bin/sh
xrandr --output VGA-0 --mode 1600x900 --pos 0x0 --rotate normal --output LVDS --mode 1600x900 --pos 0x900 --rotate normal --output HDMI-0 --off

Thanks again for all the help!

John

Last edited by jbeck2 (2018-11-25 23:07:49)

jbeck2 · 2018-11-25 23:06:24

fixed typo in quote tags

Last edited by jbeck2 (2018-11-25 23:09:12)

damo · 2018-11-25 23:20:16

jbeck2 wrote:

I have a file "DualScreen.sh", which I am *sure* that I run, (but I can not find its invocation), which is:
#!/bin/sh
xrandr --output VGA-0 --mode 1600x900 --pos 0x0 --rotate normal --output LVDS --mode 1600x900 --pos 0x900 --rotate normal --output HDMI-0 --off
Thanks again for all the help!
John

Find out where a script is with

which DualScreen.sh

Add it to your ~/.config/openbox/autostart to run when you login (before wallpaper/conky/tint2 etc)

Have you tried adding "--primary" to the "--output" you want to be the primary monitor? Right-clicking on the monitor in arandr should give the option to set it as well.

DeepDayze · 2018-11-26 00:51:05

Nice suggestions here and sorry to hijack this thread now how can I toggle easily the desktop arrangement in case I want to use laptop UNDOCKED? I have a similar monitor-laptop arrangement as I have the laptop's dock right under the monitor.

Thanks!

jbeck2 · 2018-11-26 04:31:45

damo wrote:

Find out where a script is with
which DualScreen.sh
Add it to your ~/.config/openbox/autostart to run when you login (before wallpaper/conky/tint2 etc)
Have you tried adding "--primary" to the "--output" you want to be the primary monitor? Right-clicking on the monitor in arandr should give the option to set it as well.

Ah, I know where DualScreen.sh is, that is how I posted it above.

My setup is working without it being in the autostart. So either I am invoking the script somewhere else, or it is being done from the setup ARandR has. Or???

What advantage does setting a display as being primary yield?

Thanks for the response!

John

ohnonot · 2018-11-26 06:38:14

jbeck2, you need to start accepting our advice & reading some documentation to understand it.
try 'man xrandr', then enter the string '/primary' (without the quotes), and do some reading.

another thing i thought of:
does openbox have some margins defined? check with 'obconf'. it should be 0 on all four sides.

also try playing with arandr more, i like it because it is so intuitive, you can drag around the monitors etc.
when you save the layout in the end, compare it to your existing Dualscreen.sh.

have you tried setting both monitors to their native, max resolution?

if all that doesn't solve it, i think i would request a screenshot or maybe rather an actual photograph that describes the situation well.

jbeck2 · 2018-11-26 07:12:46

ohnonot wrote:

jbeck2, you need to start accepting our advice
[snip]
have you tried setting both monitors to their native, max resolution?

Hmmm. Exactly what advice have I NOT accepted?
I accepted the suggestion to use a different File Manager, and it works. I am using it.
I posted several files or portions thereof, as requested.
I have tried several different options for Conky, as suggested, prior to posting the first time. I got those suggestions from various google searches I did trying to solve the problem before posting.

I have tried both monitors at their native, max resolution, with no change in behavior, though I do not seem to have posted that result.

I am satisfied with how the system is working now, as I have accepted the oddity of Conky placement, and have left Conky where it works.

I used ARandr to generate the DualScreen.sh file. XRandr and Arandr are wonderful tools, I have used them to advantage for quite a while, on several distributions.

I do appreciate the help, and have followed whatever advice I have gotten, to the degree that I understand it. Again, the part that was making me not want to use this distro has been cured - by following the suggestions I have gotten here, and unless something else starts doing wierd stuff, I am happy to continue using it at this point.

Again, thanks much. Everything I care about is working.

John

jbeck2 · 2018-11-26 08:09:08

Ok, I said that nothing ELSE moves, but that is incorrect. Firefox also moves and re-sizes all by itself, when changing tabs.

No other distro I have used has this issue, though I have used multiple monitors for many years.

Last edited by jbeck2 (2018-11-27 04:49:51)

o9000 · 2018-12-07 18:35:20

jbeck2 wrote:

I have a laptop, (usually) with an external monitor mounted above the laptop monitor.

Make sure you do not have a horizontal panel between the two monitors. That will confuse openbox and cause all kinds of strange problems.

#1 2018-11-23 10:26:42

dual monitor (top/bottom) window positioning error

#2 2018-11-23 13:45:49

Re: dual monitor (top/bottom) window positioning error

#3 2018-11-23 14:13:25

Re: dual monitor (top/bottom) window positioning error

#4 2018-11-24 08:36:20

Re: dual monitor (top/bottom) window positioning error

#5 2018-11-24 23:40:59

Re: dual monitor (top/bottom) window positioning error

#6 2018-11-25 02:56:49

Re: dual monitor (top/bottom) window positioning error

#7 2018-11-25 03:43:58

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#8 2018-11-25 03:53:55

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#9 2018-11-25 04:36:28

Re: dual monitor (top/bottom) window positioning error

#10 2018-11-25 08:10:23

Re: dual monitor (top/bottom) window positioning error

#11 2018-11-25 10:40:00

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#12 2018-11-25 23:02:57

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#13 2018-11-25 23:06:24

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#14 2018-11-25 23:20:16

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#16 2018-11-26 04:31:45

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#17 2018-11-26 06:38:14

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#18 2018-11-26 07:12:46

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#20 2018-12-07 18:35:20

Re: dual monitor (top/bottom) window positioning error

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