Scripted Window Actions
Tutorial – Devilspie2
Stop battling your window manager to position things as you like – make scripts do all the hard work!
How many window managers (WMs) and desktop environments can you name? If you've been around the Linux or BSD scene for a while, you can probably come up with 10 or 20 – and there are even more. For new users, this sheer variety may seem perplexing. After all, a WM just lets you shove windows around on the screen, right? Why not just make a single WM to rule them all?
Well, as you know, different WMs and desktop environments target very different types of users. Some prefer minimalistic WMs with tiny window borders, driven primarily by keyboard shortcuts – whereas others want all-singing, all-dancing showcases of beauty and functionality. In any case, they all have limitations, especially in terms of automation.
Now, why would you want to automate a WM? Don't they already do some tasks automatically, like putting new windows in certain places to reduce overlap? Well, yes, but that's about it. Wouldn't it be awesome if you could create custom scripts to move, resize, minimize, or maximize windows automatically when they pop up? Or move them to specific workspaces or virtual desktops? Or even make them sticky across all desktops?
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
US / Canada
UK / Australia
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Linux Kernel 6.17 is Available
Linus Torvalds has announced that the latest kernel has been released with plenty of core improvements and even more hardware support.
-
Kali Linux 2025.3 Released with New Hacking Tools
If you're a Kali Linux fan, you'll be glad to know that the third release of this famous pen-testing distribution is now available with updates for key components.
-
Zorin OS 18 Beta Available for Testing
The latest release from the team behind Zorin OS is ready for public testing, and it includes plenty of improvements to make it more powerful, user-friendly, and productive.
-
Fedora Linux 43 Beta Now Available for Testing
Fedora Linux 43 Beta ships with Gnome 49 and KDE Plasma 6.4 (and other goodies).
-
USB4 Maintainer Leaves Intel
Michael Jamet, one of the primary maintainers of USB4 and Thunderbolt drivers, has left Intel, leaving a gaping hole for the Linux community to deal with.
-
Budgie 10.9.3 Now Available
The latest version of this elegant and configurable Linux desktop aligns with changes in Gnome 49.
-
KDE Linux Alpha Available for Daring Users
It's official, KDE Linux has arrived, but it's not quite ready for prime time.
-
AMD Initiates Graphics Driver Updates for Linux Kernel 6.18
This new AMD update focuses on power management, display handling, and hardware support for Radeon GPUs.
-
AerynOS Alpha Release Available
With a choice of several desktop environments, AerynOS 2025.08 is almost ready to be your next operating system.
-
AUR Repository Still Under DDoS Attack
Arch User Repository continues to be under a DDoS attack that has been going on for more than two weeks.