Ubuntu Window Management with Multiple Monitors, Window Effects and Default File Associations

Tyler Mulligan — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 02:25:38 +0000

Multiple Monitors Window Management in Ubuntu

Moving your applications from one monitor to the next with hotkeys

I’ve been using multiple monitors for a while now, Starting with a 17″ CRT with a 19″ CRT and moving up to two 19″ LCD, then 3, then temporarily one wide screen and back to 2. Something I always loved having as a utility in ultramon that I couldn’t find in Ubuntu (Gnome) or any window manager for that matter, was the ability to move applications from monitor to monitor. I had assumed the search futile until I was searching about some questions I had concerning Compiz-fusion with dual monitors and I came about this thread on Ubuntu forums which brightened up my day. A fellow named gfixler posted a bash script that utilizes command line applications to move the windows.

For you multi-monitor users seeking salvation from removing your hand from the keyboard to move your application from one monitor to another, here’s the skinny on getting it setup using compiz-fusion, aka Advanced Desktop Effects, to set my keybinds.

1. Open a terminal and setup your prerequisites with apt-get:

sudo apt-get install wmctrl xprop xwininfo

If you get errors about x11-utils, just ignore them, this package will handle your needs.

2. Next, lets put the script somewhere you can call it, say “~/scripts”

mkdir ~/scripts && cd ~/scripts && touch movewin.sh && chmod +x movewin.sh && gedit movewin.sh

2. Paste the following code, find the first function “getNumberOfMonitors” and configure it to the number of monitors you have (default 2).

#!/bin/bash
# swap_monitor.sh (original version)
# Moves the active window to the other screen of a dual-screen Xinerama setup.
#
# movewin.sh (modified version)
# allows movement of windows left and right between multiple monitors
#
# Requires: wmctrl, xprop, xwininfo
#
# Original Author: Raphael Wimmer
# raphman@gmx.de
#
# Modified by: Gary Fixler
# gfixler+bash@gmail.com

function getNumberOfMonitors
{
    # simply must be hardcoded
    # e.g. MatroxTripleHead2Go can service 3 screens,
    # but appears as only one monitor to the computer

    # change to your number of monitors
    echo 2
}

function getMonitorWidth
{
    numberOfMonitors=$(getNumberOfMonitors)
    monitorLine=$(xwininfo -root | grep "Width")
    monitorWidth=$((${monitorLine:8}/$numberOfMonitors ))
    echo $monitorWidth
}

function getActiveWindowID
{
    activeWinLine=$(xprop -root | grep "_NET_ACTIVE_WINDOW(WINDOW)")
    activeWinID="${activeWinLine:40}"
    echo $activeWinID
}

function getActiveWindowHorizontalPosition
{
    activeWinID=$(getActiveWindowID)
    xPosLine=$(xwininfo -id $activeWinID | grep "Absolute upper-left X")
    xPos=${xPosLine:25}
    echo $xPos
}

function getActiveWindowWidth
{
    activeWinID=$(getActiveWindowID)
    xWidthLine=$(xwininfo -id $activeWinID | grep "Width")
    xWidth=${xWidthLine:8}
    echo $xWidth
}

function getActiveWindowCurrentMonitor
{
    numberOfMonitors=$(getNumberOfMonitors)
    monitorWidth=$(getMonitorWidth)
    activeWinID=$(getActiveWindowID)
    xPos=$(getActiveWindowHorizontalPosition)
    i="0"
    while [ $xPos -gt $monitorWidth ]
    do
        xPos=$[$xPos-$monitorWidth]
        i=$[$i+1]
    done
    echo $i
}

function getActiveWindowPositionOneMonitorToTheLeft
{
    monitorWidth=$(getMonitorWidth)
    currentMonitor=$(getActiveWindowCurrentMonitor)
    activeWinID=$(getActiveWindowID)
    xPos=$(getActiveWindowHorizontalPosition)
    xPos=$[$xPos-$monitorWidth]
    echo $xPos
}

function getActiveWindowPositionOneMonitorToTheRight
{
    monitorWidth=$(getMonitorWidth)
    numberOfMonitors=$(getNumberOfMonitors)
    currentMonitor=$(getActiveWindowCurrentMonitor)
    activeWinID=$(getActiveWindowID)
    xPos=$(getActiveWindowHorizontalPosition)
    xPos=$[$xPos+$monitorWidth]
    echo $xPos
}

function changeActiveWindowMonitor
{
    activeWinID=$(getActiveWindowID)
    if [ $1 -eq "0" ]
    then
        newXPos=$(getActiveWindowPositionOneMonitorToTheLeft)
        newXPos=$[$newXPos-5]
    else
        newXPos=$(getActiveWindowPositionOneMonitorToTheRight)
        newXPos=$[$newXPos-5]
    fi

    winState=$(xprop -id ${activeWinID} | grep "_NET_WM_STATE(ATOM)" )

    if [[ `echo ${winState} | grep "_NET_WM_STATE_MAXIMIZED_HORZ"` != "" ]]
        then
        maxH=1
        wmctrl -i -r ${activeWinID} -b remove,maximized_horz
    fi

    if [[ `echo ${winState} | grep "_NET_WM_STATE_MAXIMIZED_VERT"` != "" ]]
        then
        maxV=1
        wmctrl -i -r ${activeWinID} -b remove,maximized_vert
    fi

    if [[ `echo ${winState} | grep "_NET_WM_STATE_FULLSCREEN"` != "" ]]
        then
        fulls=1
        wmctrl -i -r ${activeWinID} -b remove,fullscreen
    fi

    # move window (finally)
    wmctrl -i -r ${activeWinID} -e 0,${newXPos},-1,-1,-1

    # restore maximization
    ((${maxV})) && wmctrl -i -r ${activeWinID} -b add,maximized_vert
    ((${maxH})) && wmctrl -i -r ${activeWinID} -b add,maximized_horz
    ((${fulls})) && wmctrl -i -r ${activeWinID} -b add,fullscreen

    # raise window (seems to be necessary sometimes)
    wmctrl -i -a ${activeWinID}

}

function moveActiveWindowOneMonitorToTheLeft
{
    changeActiveWindowMonitor 0
}

function moveActiveWindowOneMonitorToTheRight
{
    changeActiveWindowMonitor 1
}

"$1"

exit 0

3. Setup your hot keys with compiz-fusion. Go to System >> Preferences >> Advanced Desktop Effects. Inside “General Options“, click on the command tab (I apologize for my heinous blue links).

Use

scripts/./movewin.sh moveActiveWindowOneMonitorToTheRight

and

scripts/./movewin.sh moveActiveWindowOneMonitorToTheLeft

respectively

Per Application Window Effects in Ubuntu

Bring character and tickle your soul with per application window effects

Another cool feature Compiz-fusion has is window animations. My friend James Lindsay recently reminded me about Window Effects… which when I first install Ubuntu on my laptop, I experimented my butt off… but being a laptop… I just used simple ones I’d turn off half the time anyway. He asked me why I don’t use them on my desktop and I didn’t have a good reason. Well, now I have 2 good reasons to keep using compiz.

I made my Thunderbird use the airplane effect so when I send emails, it flys away and for Geany, I used the magic lamp for open, close, maximize and minimize (different speeds). It’s a fun little effect that breaks up the stiffness of the desktop.

Default File Associations in Ubuntu

geany > gedit

I was tired of gedit popping up when geany’s just as lightweight but more affective. So found a command and altered it a bit to make my default editor geany.

1. Open the terminal and create\open the following file:

gedit ~/.local/share/applications/defaults.list

If it’s blank, add “[Default Applications]“. If it’s not, find “[Default Applications]“.

2. Then, back to the terminal, grep the default files associations and replace gedit with your editor of choice

grep gedit /usr/share/applications/defaults.list | sed s/gedit/geany/g

Copy (ctrl+shift+c) and paste the output into gedit, below the “[Default Applications]” header.

3. Restart nautilus to load the changes (will close all your file managers that are open and blink/freeze your desktop for a second)

pkill nautilus

Good luck, have fun and happy coding :)