CLI command to send a window to all desktops in Openbox

tethys · 2026-05-13 15:12:37

Is there a command/tool to send a window to all desktops in Openbox? Some windows, but not all, allow this from the window title menu. I would however like to achieve this programatically from the CLI.

seth · 2026-05-13 15:47:47

https://man.archlinux.org/man/wmctrl.1
https://man.archlinux.org/man/xdotool.1

"sticky"

However

Some windows, but not all, allow this from the window title menu.

What are the outputs of "xwininfo" and "xprop" for such window?

tethys · 2026-05-13 18:53:40

I have tried both wmctrl and xdotool but it does not work. The following commands do not have the desired effect:

wmctrl -ir 0x02000004 -b add,STICKY
xdotool windowstate --add STICKY 4216166

The output of "obxprop" for a Firefox window is:

_NET_WM_OPAQUE_REGION(CARDINAL) = 0, 0, 1334, 2131
WM_STATE(WM_STATE) = 1, 0
_NET_WM_DESKTOP(CARDINAL) = 0
_NET_WM_ALLOWED_ACTIONS(ATOM) = _NET_WM_ACTION_CHANGE_DESKTOP, _NET_WM_ACTION_SHADE, _NET_WM_ACTION_CLOSE, _NET_WM_ACTION_MOVE, _NET_WM_ACTION_MINIMIZE, _NET_WM_ACTION_RESIZE, _NET_WM_ACTION_FULLSCREEN, _NET_WM_ACTION_MAXIMIZE_HORZ, _NET_WM_ACTION_MAXIMIZE_VERT, _NET_WM_ACTION_ABOVE, _NET_WM_ACTION_BELOW, _OB_WM_ACTION_UNDECORATE
_KDE_NET_WM_FRAME_STRUT(CARDINAL) = 2, 2, 23, 6
_NET_FRAME_EXTENTS(CARDINAL) = 2, 2, 23, 6
_NET_WM_STATE(ATOM) = 
_OB_APP_TYPE(UTF8_STRING) = "normal"
_OB_APP_TITLE(UTF8_STRING) = "Mozilla Firefox"
_OB_APP_GROUP_CLASS(UTF8_STRING) = "Firefox"
_OB_APP_GROUP_NAME(UTF8_STRING) = "firefox"
_OB_APP_CLASS(UTF8_STRING) = "firefox"
_OB_APP_NAME(UTF8_STRING) = "Navigator"
_OB_APP_ROLE(UTF8_STRING) = "browser"
_NET_WM_VISIBLE_ICON_NAME(UTF8_STRING) = "Search results / Arch Linux Forums — Mozilla Firefox"
_NET_WM_VISIBLE_NAME(UTF8_STRING) = "Search results / Arch Linux Forums — Mozilla Firefox"
WM_HINTS(WM_HINTS) = 103, 1, 1, 33554440, 0, 0, 0, 33554447, 33554433
_GTK_THEME_VARIANT(UTF8_STRING) = 
WM_WINDOW_ROLE(STRING) = "browser"
_NET_WM_BYPASS_COMPOSITOR(CARDINAL) = 2
XdndAware(ATOM) = BITMAP
_NET_WM_ICON(CARDINAL) = ...
_NET_WM_WINDOW_TYPE(ATOM) = _NET_WM_WINDOW_TYPE_NORMAL
_NET_WM_SYNC_REQUEST_COUNTER(CARDINAL) = 33554438, 33554439
_NET_WM_USER_TIME(CARDINAL) = 80878073
_NET_WM_USER_TIME_WINDOW(WINDOW) = 33554437
WM_CLIENT_LEADER(WINDOW) = 33554433
_NET_WM_PID(CARDINAL) = 13703
WM_LOCALE_NAME(STRING) = ...
WM_CLIENT_MACHINE(STRING) = ...
WM_NORMAL_HINTS(WM_SIZE_HINTS) = 816, 0, 0, 0, 0, 500, 120, 16380, 16355, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 500, 120, 1
WM_PROTOCOLS(ATOM) = WM_DELETE_WINDOW, WM_TAKE_FOCUS, _NET_WM_PING, _NET_WM_SYNC_REQUEST
WM_CLASS(STRING) = "Navigator", "firefox"
WM_ICON_NAME(COMPOUND_TEXT) = ...
_NET_WM_ICON_NAME(UTF8_STRING) = "Search results / Arch Linux Forums — Mozilla Firefox"
WM_NAME(COMPOUND_TEXT) = ...
_NET_WM_NAME(UTF8_STRING) = "Search results / Arch Linux Forums — Mozilla Firefox"

If I manually choose from the menu "All Desktops" (so that the window becomes sticky), then the third line becomes:

_NET_WM_DESKTOP(CARDINAL) = 4294967295

seth · 2026-05-13 19:47:41

seth wrote:

What are the outputs of xwininfo and xprop for such window?

I can't even tell whether you're using the proper WID, does

xdotool search Navigator windowstate --add STICKY

a) alter the property of that window
b) the desired behavior ?

tethys · 2026-05-14 04:47:56

Seth wrote:

I can't even tell whether you're using the proper WID

I got WID with "wmctrl -l" and "xdotool selectwindow", as I always do.

obxprop > before
xdotool search --name "Mozilla Firefox" windowstate --add STICKY
obxprop > after

neither changes the property of that window (as seen with obxprop: only _NET_WM_USER_TIME has changed between before and after) nor has the window the desired behavior.

If I use

xdotool search --name Firefox

I get a list of 8 WIDs, all of them different from what I get with "xdotool selectwindow". If I use

xdotool search --name "Mozilla Firefox"

I get only one WID.

seth · 2026-05-14 07:44:17

use "xprop -spy _NET_WM_DESKTOP" to track the changes, chances are this works but gets undone by something else (the client or the WM)
openbox also supports a rule system that might intervene here, https://openbox.org/help/Applications

Arch Linux

#1 2026-05-13 15:12:37

CLI command to send a window to all desktops in Openbox

#2 2026-05-13 15:47:47

Re: CLI command to send a window to all desktops in Openbox

#3 2026-05-13 18:53:40

Re: CLI command to send a window to all desktops in Openbox

#4 2026-05-13 19:47:41

Re: CLI command to send a window to all desktops in Openbox

#5 2026-05-14 04:47:56

Re: CLI command to send a window to all desktops in Openbox

#6 2026-05-14 07:44:17

Re: CLI command to send a window to all desktops in Openbox

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