[openbox] Another new-user question...

[Anthony Thyssen]

On Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:45:17 -0300
"Delcides F. Sousa Jr" <delcides at gmail.com> wrote:

| On Tue, Jun 23, 2009 at 10:35 AM, David Feldman<wb0gaz at hotmail.com> wrote:
| > Thank you everyone for help on my "drifting window" question for xv.
| >
| > I have one other new-user question, and this is probably not openbox
| > specific, but maybe has a general solution:
| >
| > Is it possible to have an application (or set of applications, under a
| > common name) open their windows directly to the root window, rather than be
| > subject to window manager decorations and controls? For example, if I use
| > *no* window manager and open several xterms, they fix themselves wherever
| > the application opened, but there is no decorations to move, resize, close,
| > etc.. Now, I would like to open some applications this way, while others are
| > opened with openbox window manager controls incorporated. Hope this makes
| > sense.
| >
| > Thank you again,
| >
| > Dave
| >
| 
|     You can make Openbox not draw decorations ( titlebar and borders)
| for specific apps. Look for the <applications> section on rc.xml and
| <decor> tag.
| 
Almost.  You can have Openbox to turn off 'decor' and with that it will
remove the titlebar and bottom handles.  But the thickness of the
"border.Width"  theme setting will still remain, and is controlable.

If the window is resizeable you can use that to resize the window.
BUT you can't seem to use it as a 'move' handle.  (ALT mouse) will
allow you to do that.

Openbox provides no option to have 'no control' over a window.
But then I know of no other window manager that actually allows such an
option either!!!!

Window managers control windows, that is its job.


Of course you can remove the border (set to 0), but the global
"Frame context" (usually ALT mouse buttons) will still remain.

Of course if there were no "frame" controls either, then you may be
able to have a window the user has no control over, at least in theory.

Even if a window manager does not control a window you can still use
other X window commands to control the window.  "xkill", "xwit"
"wmctrl", just to name a few I use quite often (especially from scripts
that control other applications for user interactions).

Window Managers control windows, and generally have some global
controls such as menus, borders, desktops, layering.  Turning off
everything is basically next to impossible, unless you don't provide
a window manager, or use a minimal one that can be totally controlled.

I have set up systems without window managers, or command line access.
Typically for special user interfaces.  If total control over the user
display is need then this is usually the best way.


I would love to hear about the experiences others have had in this
regard.


  Anthony Thyssen ( System Programmer )    <A.Thyssen at griffith.edu.au>
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