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Durhammer

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Registered: 2025-01-28

Posts: 143

How to get new application windows to open in the primary monitor

I have a multi-monitor setup with my laptop (primary) monitor on the bottom, and a tall (22" Dell, rotated 90 degrees/portrait mode) monitor above it. I've used xrandr somewhere to have the displays set up seemingly properly (thankfully, the login screen does indeed show up on the laptop monitor) and it works well, BUT -- pretty much any time I start a new application, the window opens up in the TOP monitor. Is there a way to force new windows to open in the primary monitor instead?

In case you're wondering, I use the top, portrait mode, monitor for reading news articles, my email, and so forth (I do think I've trained Evolution to open up in the top monitor, which is desired in this case).

q4osteam

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Registered: 2015-12-06

Posts: 5,007

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Re: How to get new application windows to open in the primary monitor

Trinity desktop ? We are going to investigate.

Durhammer

Member

Registered: 2025-01-28

Posts: 143

Re: How to get new application windows to open in the primary monitor

Yes, TDE. Forgot to add that tidbit. Thanks for looking into this!

Note that I posted this issue some time ago, but it never got looked at, so thanks for doing so NOW.

Last edited by Durhammer (2025-06-06 19:21)

BrJPedro

Member

From: BR

Registered: 2018-03-20

Posts: 94

Re: How to get new application windows to open in the primary monitor

I am using two monitors on TDE, and my windows always open wherever my mouse pointer is (which is the expected behavior, I guess)

Unless your problem has something to do with the positioning of the monitors, one being on top of the other.

In my case I use side to side.

BrJPedro

Member

From: BR

Registered: 2018-03-20

Posts: 94

Re: How to get new application windows to open in the primary monitor

Note that I posted this issue some time ago

@Durhammer what you described in your previous issue, if you have an active app on the top monitor, new apps will surely open there, this is correct. New windows are placed on the active screen that you're using (focused screen). If your focus is on top screen, new windows should open there.

So, in your case, you want to force them to open on a specific screen, not follow the current focused screen. Correct?

Last edited by BrJPedro (2025-06-06 20:40)

Durhammer

Member

Registered: 2025-01-28

Posts: 143

Re: How to get new application windows to open in the primary monitor

Hi BrJPedro -- thanks for chiming in!

I wish it were that simple, but it's not. Just as an example, I'm editing this post in a browser in my main laptop monitor. While here, I have clicked on the Software Center icon in my taskbar at the bottom. Software Center indeed pops up on my main monitor -- yay!, However, if I (say) click on something to install, the new windows (seems to be a fleeting download window first) fire up in the top monitor. I don't want it there and have to drag it down to the main monitor.

That's what I'm dealing with.

q4osteam

Q4OS Team

Registered: 2015-12-06

Posts: 5,007

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Re: How to get new application windows to open in the primary monitor

Well, what desktop environment did you use instead, that bears how you need ? We need to know for comparison purpose.

Durhammer

Member

Registered: 2025-01-28

Posts: 143

Re: How to get new application windows to open in the primary monitor

I have no problems running MX Linux with either Xfce or Fluxbox. I *think* when I had IceWM and/or jwm set up in MX Linux (Fluxbox edition, but not running F-box), it worked fine as well. Everything opens where I want it to, mostly in the main laptop monitor window. Evolution opens where I want it to, in the top, portrait mode, monitor. Brave browser windows are iffy when restoring windows -- sometimes it opens both windows in the same monitor. Sometimes it gets it right, but I can forgive it since I have the two distinct windows configured and it's the same application.

I tried firing up IceWM under Q4OS and had lots of fun (NOT) fiddling with arandr (big mistake, shoulda just used xrandr!) to get the monitor configuration right. IceWM, TDE, and Fluxbox all seem to sort of treat the monitor configuration as one big screen, at least based on what I see with a wallpaper image configured. Xfce doesn't seem to do this, the same wallpaper image is applied individually to each monitor window (that, I don't like). I was thinking I might have similar problems with the application windows popping up in the top monitor on Fluxbox, but I don't.

Hope this helps.

I'm going to have to fiddle around with IceWM on Q4OS to see what I can come up with. I had a pretty good setup on MX Fluxbox edition and maybe can adapt some of that configuration. But I don't think that's going to solve THIS problem, based on the crude test I just did today.

Durhammer

Member

Registered: 2025-01-28

Posts: 143

Re: How to get new application windows to open in the primary monitor

This is one of the more maddening issues for me. I click on a launch menu item and sorta wait for the window to show up, then realize that it opened in the top monitor. To add insult to injury, most of the time, when dragging the window down to the lower monitor, the #$%^ window automatically gets resized (shrunk, usually). Grrrr......

q4osteam

Q4OS Team

Registered: 2015-12-06

Posts: 5,007

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Re: How to get new application windows to open in the primary monitor

I have no problems running MX Linux with either Xfce or Fluxbox.

You could also install Xfce and Fluxbox on Q4OS and check if it works as in MX.

Durhammer

Member

Registered: 2025-01-28

Posts: 143

Re: How to get new application windows to open in the primary monitor

Good idea, I'll give F-box a try.

EDIT: Well, @q4osteam, that was interesting. There must be something else that needs to be done besides simply installing fluxbox and its autostart app. When I tried switching to Fluxbox and logging in, all I got was two blank monitors and a cursor that I could move around. Couldn't run any commands or see anything else.

F-box is integrated into my MX environment. Not sure how to do that in Q4OS to get it to start. Ideas? (Note that I'm not really a fan of it. )

Last edited by Durhammer (2025-06-07 15:31)

q4osteam

Q4OS Team

Registered: 2015-12-06

Posts: 5,007

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Re: How to get new application windows to open in the primary monitor

Well, MX has Fluxbox preconfigured some way. So this is one point Q4OS can improve. We will check it, thanks.

Durhammer

Member

Registered: 2025-01-28

Posts: 143

Re: How to get new application windows to open in the primary monitor

One of my favorite apps, the Xfe "file manager" (text editor, PDF viewer, archive manager, whatnot!) had the annoying "feature" of opening a child window in the top monitor when I told it to open a root instance of Xfe. I had noticed previously that Xfe has a checkbox in its Preferences to "Save window position", something that I had checked long ago to fix the app opening in the bottom monitor. Today, I did the actions to fire up a root Xfe instance several times, and after checking that "Save window position" twice, it finally now opens in the lower monitor as desired. Maybe there could be a global setting for app launches in TDE similar to this?

q4osteam

Q4OS Team

Registered: 2015-12-06

Posts: 5,007

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Re: How to get new application windows to open in the primary monitor

Maybe there could be a global setting for app launches in TDE similar to this?

You can define positioning for a specific window in TDE > control panel > desktop > windows specific settings > new > geometry > position .. and other settings. But it's not general setting and likely something you are looking for. We will take a look on the code too.

q4osteam

Q4OS Team

Registered: 2015-12-06

Posts: 5,007

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Re: How to get new application windows to open in the primary monitor

Maybe we have found a solution:
- Open your application window you want to remember its placement.
- Click top left window bar icon > advanced > special application settings > geometry > position > remember
This specific application will remember its last window position and opens there. You can even configure plenty of other options.

Durhammer

Member

Registered: 2025-01-28

Posts: 143

Re: How to get new application windows to open in the primary monitor

Maybe we have found a solution:
- Open your application window you want to remember its placement.
- Click top left window bar icon > advanced > special application settings > geometry > position > remember
This specific application will remember its last window position and opens there. You can even configure plenty of other options.

Fantastic! I did that for the dialog box that opens when you install something in the Software Centre. Cancelled the install, closed the window, tried again, and voila! -- it opened up where the position was saved. Might have to move the window around some and save it again to get a bit better positioning, but that is super!!!!

Thanks!!!! (And glad I mentioned the similar fix with Xfe. I suspect that might have helped?)

q4osteam

Q4OS Team

Registered: 2015-12-06

Posts: 5,007

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Re: How to get new application windows to open in the primary monitor

Yes, helped
You can even modify windows rules globally ... control panel > desktop > windows specific settings > add/modify/sort rule > geometry > ...

Durhammer

Member

Registered: 2025-01-28

Posts: 143

Re: How to get new application windows to open in the primary monitor

Yes, helped
You can even modify windows rules globally ... control panel > desktop > windows specific settings > add/modify/sort rule > geometry > ...

Soooo...could there be an advanced > special application setting to help with the weird resizing issue with lxterminal? If so, that would be the icing on the cake!

Durhammer

Member

Registered: 2025-01-28

Posts: 143

Re: How to get new application windows to open in the primary monitor

I tried the global windows rules, and it's not worth it unless there's another setting in it that can fix its issue. When it's in effect, most every new window indeed opens on the main, lower, monitor. HOWEVER, the geometry setting has an immutable x/horizontal setting of -66. I might be okay with everything opening up in the top left corner of the monitor, but not with 66 pixels hidden!

The individual window setting does not work for everything -- my "Warble" (Wordle-like) Flatpak game does not have the top left icon to click on. But for most stuff, it's great!

q4osteam

Q4OS Team

Registered: 2015-12-06

Posts: 5,007

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Re: How to get new application windows to open in the primary monitor

Could this issue be considered solved ?

Durhammer

Member

Registered: 2025-01-28

Posts: 143

Re: How to get new application windows to open in the primary monitor

Sorry, @q4osteam, not quite yet. I still have some applications that do not have that special icon at the top left (could that be gtk theme related?) so the workaround does not yet work for those, and the global workaround screws things up globally as noted above. But I certainly WILL mark the issue solved when I am somewhat satisfied!

q4osteam

Q4OS Team

Registered: 2015-12-06

Posts: 5,007

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Re: How to get new application windows to open in the primary monitor

Yes, we understand. It may be better to close this topic now and start another clean and more specific one as the subject matter has changed a bit.

Durhammer

Member

Registered: 2025-01-28

Posts: 143

Re: How to get new application windows to open in the primary monitor

Sure -- is one last question (two, I guess!) OK? Is there possibly a GTK x.x theme that would expose the special application icon at the top left that give me the positioning magic?

q4osteam

Q4OS Team

Registered: 2015-12-06

Posts: 5,007

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Re: How to get new application windows to open in the primary monitor

Is there possibly a GTK x.x theme that would expose the special application icon at the top left that give me the positioning magic?

Yes, install "gtk3-nocsd" package and reboot. Twin windows manager will take control of all GTK3 windows in addition to GTK3 decorations. It works for the simple-scan preferences issue as well.

Durhammer

Member

Registered: 2025-01-28

Posts: 143

Re: How to get new application windows to open in the primary monitor

Ah, two for one. Okay, I'll give it a try.

EDIT: It is a bit weird but it works for the most part. Can I now restore the gtk-theme-name in gtk3.0 settings.ini? Don't need to answer -- gonna try it anyway.)

The twin windows thing still doesn't work for the "Warble" flatpak game. Are there maybe flatpak-specific geometry settings?

EDIT 2: Yes, restoring gtk-theme-name=Q4OSWIN10 actually makes both the simple-scan window and its preferences window look a lot nicer (no red X in the first, and for the preferences window, the second window decoration with the maximize and X look and work well (well, at least the X). Thanks again!

Last edited by Durhammer (2025-06-09 22:52)