[kde-linux] Re: konsole and --geometry

[Duncan]

George R Goffe posted on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 15:32:32 -0700 as excerpted:

> I'm trying to effect very special placement of konsole windows but am
> not able to do so. I have read that KWin intercepts my --geometry specs
> but have not been able to find where I can turn off this behavior. I'm
> running kde-4.4.2 on Ubuntu and Fedora Core 12 systems.
> 
> Any/all hints/tips/suggestions/clues would be greatly appreciated.
> Regards and thanks for your time.

First, some standard boilerplate...

Given how fast kde4 is changing and the number of bugs fixed with each 
release, I really hate to see people running older versions, PARTICULARLY 
older bugfix series versions (the y in 4.x.y) when there's newer 
available, tho it's arguably reasonable to hold off on the semi-yearly 
feature releases (the x in 4.x.y) until later in their bugfix cycles.

Thus, while it may indeed be reasonable to hold off on 4.5 until a bit 
later than the current 4.5.2, I don't see it as reasonable to stick with 
4.4.2, when quite a number of bugs were fixed in the last of the 4.4 
series releases, 4.4.5 (with kdepim up to 4.4.7 as the kdepim-4.5 series 
has big changes that are still considered beta).  I'd thus strongly 
encourage you to upgrade to at least 4.4.5, even if you're being cautious 
and aren't yet ready for 4.5 yet.  4.4.5 will fix a number of bugs you may 
be seeing, while being conservative about features, since they might 
introduce more bugs.  Even if you're cautious about bugfix releases as 
well, 4.4.5 has been out for several months now, and any critical bugs 
that could have conceivably worked their way into even a bugfix series 
should be well known by now.

That out of the way...

What you're probably looking for is "special window (or app) settings", 
also called "window rules" (tho I think the latter might have been a 
change for 4.5 so you might not find it in 4.4).  This can be found under 
the window menu in the titlebar, or in kcontrol (called system settings in 
kde4, altho at least as shipped by kde, it's generally user specific and 
kde specific settings, NOT system-wide settings, so the kde3 "kcontrol" 
name is far more accurate).

This feature allows you to create either app specific or window specific 
(for apps with more than one window) rules, that form exceptions to the 
general window handling policies set elsewhere in kde's config.  I happen 
to use this feature quite heavily myself, as I do have a number of apps 
(including konsole) that I want to behave somewhat differently than they 
otherwise would.  As such, I'm reasonably familiar with it.

You have two possible strategies to follow here.  You can either use the 
window rules to setup the behavior you want, dropping your previously 
attempted --geometry settings, or you can tell kwin to strictly obey the 
app's own geometry settings, instead of handling it as it normally would.

Here, since all I use is kde/kwin and I thus have no reason to force it 
with the app's own geometry settings, plus I'm already familiar with the 
general working of window rules from other usage, when I'm setting 
specific geometry, it's easier to simply use kwin's window rules and keep 
the special settings along with all the others.  But if you sometimes use 
a different window manager and wish to make the app's settings more 
generic, using the app's settings instead of kwin's might be preferable.  
Other than that, it's simply whatever you happen across first or feel most 
comfortable using.

That should get you started.  If you need more specific step-by-step 
instructions, I should be able to help there as well, but many people are 
able to handle it on their own once they know where to look and don't need 
the extra help, so I'll avoid spending the time to compose and post it 
unless you need it.

-- 
Duncan - List replies preferred.   No HTML msgs.
"Every nonfree program has a lord, a master --
and if you use the program, he is your master."  Richard Stallman