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#1 2018-02-25 10:10:25

Afterglow
Member
Registered: 2013-09-21
Posts: 17

Open all windows on monitor with mouse cursor

Hello.

I have separate monitor on another table and can't seem to make all new windows open on this monitor when I'm using it. I tried setting Placement under mouse cursor in XFCE or Plasma, but to no avail. Windows always open on their last position which isn't really convenient. Aside from disabling main monitor I can't seem to find proper solution. Is it by design or I'm simply missing some setting in Plasma or XFCE? I won't mind switching to another DE.

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#2 2018-02-25 12:13:19

Trilby
Inspector Parrot
Registered: 2011-11-29
Posts: 29,452
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Re: Open all windows on monitor with mouse cursor

I'm not sure why the XFCE or plasma settings don't work - they should, but I don't read much into DEs not doing what they should do anymore.  But a much more general solution would be to set your extermal monitor as primary.  If you are using xrandr this just means adding '--primary' to the parameters for that monitor.

EDIT: note this will *not* make windows map to the monitor that has the mouse, rather it will just favor the external monitor when it is in use.

Last edited by Trilby (2018-02-25 12:14:18)


"UNIX is simple and coherent..." - Dennis Ritchie, "GNU's Not UNIX" -  Richard Stallman

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#3 2018-02-25 12:43:25

Afterglow
Member
Registered: 2013-09-21
Posts: 17

Re: Open all windows on monitor with mouse cursor

I believe they don't work because window/program remembers previous position.
Also, primary or not, doesn't really matter. I dragged software(musescore if it's important) to my non-primary monitor and closed it only for it to open again on the monitor it was closed on.

It also depends on the software. Firefox, Thunar, Terminal open on monitor where the cursor is, but not Chromium, Musescore or LibreOfficeCalc. There should be some logic behind this all.

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#4 2018-02-25 14:07:46

Trilby
Inspector Parrot
Registered: 2011-11-29
Posts: 29,452
Website

Re: Open all windows on monitor with mouse cursor

Afterglow wrote:

Also, primary or not, doesn't really matter.

Are you sure, have you tried?

It is unlikely that there is any memory for which monitor they were on.  Rather it is common for the coordinates on the virtual desktop to be remembered.  For such cases having the external monitor both primary and at 0,0 with the internal monitor to the right and/or below should cover your bases.


"UNIX is simple and coherent..." - Dennis Ritchie, "GNU's Not UNIX" -  Richard Stallman

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#5 2018-02-25 18:17:26

Afterglow
Member
Registered: 2013-09-21
Posts: 17

Re: Open all windows on monitor with mouse cursor

Obviously changing coordinates did the trick, but it's hardly a solution since it messes with all other open windows. And having that second monitor at 0,0 won't accomplish anything, if I continue open windows on my first monitor. I can't change virtual coordinates all the time.
I'll explain. I "browse internet" on my main 16:9 monitor. On my other table I have 5:4 monitor for other tasks. If I want notation software open on my 2nd monitor I need to drag it from my 1st monitor. Since I use it on both monitors always dragging it around is driving me insane, especially when I can't see my 2nd monitor while sitting besides 1st. Popup windows are also opening on previous coordinates, which are, you guessed, last time were on the other monitor. It's almost unusable.

Last edited by Afterglow (2018-02-25 18:18:56)

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#6 2018-02-25 19:31:26

seth
Member
Registered: 2012-09-03
Posts: 50,017

Re: Open all windows on monitor with mouse cursor

At least kwin provides an extensive rule system which, among other things, allows you to prevent windows from picking an initial position. Also it follows an "active monitor" concept which can be configured to be either the monitor w/ the active window or the mouse cursor. If your monitors overlap, things get iirc messy, though.

No idea about xfwm, sorry.

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#7 2018-02-26 20:43:59

Next7
Member
Registered: 2011-12-07
Posts: 44

Re: Open all windows on monitor with mouse cursor

xdotool (to determine monitor with mouse) + devilspie/devilspie2 (to manipulate windows)

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