Best WM for seemless projectors

TheKing42 · 2014-10-15 00:05:17

At my school for plays, sometimes we just show a movie for part of the events when the actors are too lazy to act certain parts of the play. The problem is that when we start the projector it shows a blue screen of embarrassment. I was thinking that using a Tiling Window Manager with a black background could solve this problem (simply start the projector before people get there.)

What window manager comes closet to this:
* Monocle mode: Make one app full screen with literally NOTHING else (no border, no status bar, hidden mouse, nothin')
* Dual Monitor: Prepare an app on one screen (say a laptop) and then send it to another (the projector) seemlessly
* Completely Empty screen: Allow a monitor to be completely empty when it has no app

I was thinking that xmonad with some config stuff comes close (turning borders off) but I wanted to know what my other options were. xmonad handles multi-monitor very well but vanilla version has borders. ratposion is good at having no frills, but I am not sure if it can send apps to other windows. awesome has a ton of window decorations.

Any recommendations?

bstaletic · 2014-10-15 00:21:08

I'm using i3 and it certanly can do the first and the third thing. And I've read i3 is good with multiple screens.
For the first thing just use full screen, and move the mouse to the side of the screen or to another screen (you have two).
For the third i3 can define what it will draw (if it will draw) in status bar and if there are no windows open it has no title bar to draw resulting in a completely empty screen (with a bit of configuring).

For the second (I don't have two screens to try this) you could open a second workplace (virtual desktop), setup an application and send it to another workplace. As your setup would be what Windows calls extended displays I don't know exactly how i3 would behave.

EDIT: If you want it can be configure to have 0px window border, but it won't reflect on the fullscreen mode.

Last edited by bstaletic (2014-10-15 00:24:45)

Trilby · 2014-10-15 02:04:23

I've tried many tiling WMs (and written a couple) - I don't know of any that *don't* meet all these critieria.

In fact, there is no need for a WM even. Just use xrandr to set up the displays, then pass a geometry flag to the media player (mplayer and mpv will accept such flags).

Arch Linux

#1 2014-10-15 00:05:17

Best WM for seemless projectors

#2 2014-10-15 00:21:08

Re: Best WM for seemless projectors

#3 2014-10-15 02:04:23

Re: Best WM for seemless projectors

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