Musca (Tiling Window Manager)

abstracity · 2009-03-22 01:50:13

This is a very rational tool. Thank you for the gift

And I just wanted to ask: How do you move windows from one group to another? I keep an email client in Group 1 and a web browser in Group 2, and sometimes I want to bring the web browser in Group 2 over to the email client in Group 1. I was thinking maybe like this (possible feature request):

1. M+g
2. Press and Hold "Shift"
3. Click a group
4. The current app is moved to selected group. (I don't know if this selected group should be switched to though, because the user may still have other apps to move.)

I still can't believe you created something this reasonable to use. Ingenious.

Inxsible · 2009-03-22 01:55:29

Thanks aerosuidae. I will switch over to musca_start completely. I guess it was the kludge that Runiq and I were used that we used to keep changing the config.h

will also get rid of the config.h from the AUR package too. That way no one has to keep updating the config.h for every release and they can simply create their start file once.

Last edited by Inxsible (2009-03-22 02:01:32)

Inxsible · 2009-03-22 01:58:06

abstracity wrote:

This is a very rational tool. Thank you for the gift
And I just wanted to ask: How do you move windows from one group to another? I keep an email client in Group 1 and a web browser in Group 2, and sometimes I want to bring the web browser in Group 2 over to the email client in Group 1. I was thinking maybe like this (possible feature request):
1. M+g
2. Press and Hold "Shift"
3. Click a group
4. The current app is moved to selected group. (I don't know if this selected group should be switched to though, because the user may still have other apps to move.)
I still can't believe you created something this reasonable to use. Ingenious.

you can use the move <name> command to switch the window to group <name>

I'd also bind a shortcut key like Mod+Shift+m or something. Pass in the name to dmenu or Xdialog, like aerosuidae suggested a few posts back for something else.

Last edited by Inxsible (2009-03-22 02:06:00)

abstracity · 2009-03-22 02:02:59

There it is! Thanks, I'll try that.

Last edited by abstracity (2009-03-22 02:05:00)

Inxsible · 2009-03-22 05:13:19

Can someone give me an example of how to set the keybindings in musca?
I tried

#Musca keybindings
bind on Mod4Mask+ShiftMask+h "hsplit 1/2"
bind on Mod4Mask+ShiftMask+v "vsplit 1/2"
bind on Mod4Mask+ShiftMask+r "remove"
bind on Mod4Mask+ShiftMask+o "only"
bind on Mod4Mask+ShiftMask+k "kill"
bind on Mod1Mask+F4 "kill"
bind on Mod4Mask+ShiftMask+c "cycle"
bind on Mod1Mask+Tab "cycle"
bind on Mod4Mask+Left "focus left"
bind on Mod4Mask+Right "focus right"
bind on Mod4Mask+Up "focus up"
bind on Mod4Mask+Down "focus down"
bind on Mod4Mask+Next "use (next)"
bind on Mod4Mask+Tab "use (next)"
bind on Mod4Mask+Prior "use (prev)"
#bind on Mod4Mask+Tab "screen (next)"
bind on Mod4Mask+ShiftMask+w "switch window"
bind on Mod4Mask+ShiftMask+g "switch group"
bind on Mod4Mask+x "shell"
bind on Mod4Mask+ShiftMask+x "command"
bind on Mod4Mask+ShiftMask+d "dedicate flip"
bind on Mod4Mask+ShiftMask+a "catchall flip"
bind on Mod4Mask+ShiftMask+u "undo"
bind on Mod4Mask+ShiftMask+s "stack flip"
bind on Mod4Mask+ShiftMask+Left "swap left"
bind on Mod4Mask+ShiftMask+Right "swap right"
bind on Mod4Mask+ShiftMask+Up "swap up"
bind on Mod4Mask+ShiftMask+Down "swap down"
bind on Mod4Mask+ControlMask+Left "resize left"
bind on Mod4Mask+ControlMask+Right "resize right"
bind on Mod4Mask+ControlMask+Up "resize up"
bind on Mod4Mask+ControlMask+Down "resize down"
bind on Mod4Mask+ShiftMask+q "musca -c quit"

#Application keybindings
bind on Mod4Mask+a "exec lxappearance"
bind on Mod4Mask+b "exec recorder"
bind on Mod4Mask+c "exec conky"
bind on Mod4Mask+e "exec easytag"
bind on Mod4Mask+f "exec pcmanfm"
bind on Mod4Mask+g "exec geany"
bind on Mod4Mask+h "exec urxvt -bg black -fg white -name hTop -e htop"
bind on Mod4Mask+m "exec mpd"
bind on Mod4Mask+p "exec urxvt -bg black -fg white -name PStree -e pstree.x11"
bind on Mod4Mask+r "exec musca -c 'add rTorrent' && exec musca -c 'pad 0 0 0 24' && exec musca -c 'dedicate on' && exec urxvt -bg black -fg white -name rTorrent -e screen -S rtorrent rtorrent"
bind on Mod4Mask+s "exec sonata"
bind on Mod4Mask+t "exec urxvt -bg black -fg white"
bind on Mod4Mask+v "exec vlc"
bind on Mod4+w "exec firefox"
bind on Mod4+z "exec dmenfm"

manage off stalonetray
manage off Conky

set window_open_frame empty

pad 0 0 0 24
exec stalonetray
exec conky

add chat
pad 0 0 0 24
hsplit 50%
vsplit 50%
hsplit 50%
exec skype
exec pidgin

As you can see I have tried Mod4Mask and Mod4 both.

I got this on startup

found .musca_start
bound Mod4Mask+ShiftMask+h to hsplit 1/2
bound Mod4Mask+ShiftMask+v to vsplit 1/2
bound Mod4Mask+ShiftMask+r to remove
bound Mod4Mask+ShiftMask+o to only
bound Mod4Mask+ShiftMask+k to kill
bound Mod1Mask+F4 to kill
bound Mod4Mask+ShiftMask+c to cycle
bound Mod1Mask+Tab to cycle
bound Mod4Mask+Left to focus left
bound Mod4Mask+Right to focus right
bound Mod4Mask+Up to focus up
bound Mod4Mask+Down to focus down
bound Mod4Mask+Next to use (next)
bound Mod4Mask+Tab to use (next)
bound Mod4Mask+Prior to use (prev)
bound Mod4Mask+ShiftMask+w to switch window
bound Mod4Mask+ShiftMask+g to switch group
bound Mod4Mask+x to shell
bound Mod4Mask+ShiftMask+x to command
bound Mod4Mask+ShiftMask+d to dedicate flip
bound Mod4Mask+ShiftMask+a to catchall flip
bound Mod4Mask+ShiftMask+u to undo
bound Mod4Mask+ShiftMask+s to stack flip
bound Mod4Mask+ShiftMask+Left to swap left
bound Mod4Mask+ShiftMask+Right to swap right
bound Mod4Mask+ShiftMask+Up to swap up
bound Mod4Mask+ShiftMask+Down to swap down
bound Mod4Mask+ControlMask+Left to resize left
bound Mod4Mask+ControlMask+Right to resize right
bound Mod4Mask+ControlMask+Up to resize up
bound Mod4Mask+ControlMask+Down to resize down
bound Mod4Mask+ShiftMask+q to musca -c quit
bound Mod4Mask+a to exec lxappearance
bound Mod4Mask+b to exec recorder
bound Mod4Mask+c to exec conky
bound Mod4Mask+e to exec easytag
bound Mod4Mask+f to exec pcmanfm
bound Mod4Mask+g to exec geany
bound Mod4Mask+h to exec urxvt -bg black -fg white -name hTop -e htop
bound Mod4Mask+m to exec mpd
bound Mod4Mask+p to exec urxvt -bg black -fg white -name PStree -e pstree.x11
bound Mod4Mask+r to exec musca -c 'add rTorrent' && exec musca -c 'pad 0 0 0 24' && exec musca -c 'dedicate on' && exec urxvt -bg black -fg white -name rTorrent -e screen -S rtorrent rtorrent
bound Mod4Mask+s to exec sonata
bound Mod4Mask+t to exec urxvt -bg black -fg white
bound Mod4Mask+v to exec vlc
bound Mod4+w to exec firefox
bound Mod4+z to exec dmenfm
stalonetray is unmanaged
Conky is unmanaged
set window_open_frame to empty
could not execute: exec firefox
could not execute: exec pcmanfm
could not execute: exec firefox
could not execute: exec firefox
could not execute: exec pcmanfm
could not execute: exec pcmanfm
could not execute: exec recorder
could not execute: exec recorder
could not execute: exec recorder
could not execute: exec recorder
could not execute: cycle
could not execute: cycle

But my keybindings do not work inspite of it telling me that it successfully bound the keys that I requested. It simply tells me "could not execute: exec appname" as mentioned at the bottom of the second code block. I probably have a syntax error in the musca_start file

Last edited by Inxsible (2009-03-22 05:17:43)

aerosuidae · 2009-03-22 05:24:37

Inxsible wrote:

Can someone give me an example of how to set the keybindings in musca?

1. Remove the double quotes around the commands. No quoting needed in .musca_start or M+m (quotes only in config.h because that is a C source file).

2. Get rid of Mask:

Mod4Mask -> Mod4
ShiftMask -> Shift
ControlMask -> Control

Musca knows what you mean with the shorter names and will automatically select the right mask to use.

Inxsible · 2009-03-22 05:33:46

Thanks aerosuidae. That worked. I will also update the AUR package so that it doesn't use a config.h file to modify keybindings and such.

Last edited by Inxsible (2009-03-22 05:35:03)

abstracity · 2009-03-23 00:54:39

For some reason, multi-screen support isn't working for me. The default virtual desktop stretches across both monitors instead of one virtual desktop being assigned to each monitor; and only one group is created--"default".

In the picture above, my web browser is spanning across both monitors in the sole "default" group. Is this the intended behavior? I downloaded GNOME and xmonad and tested my multi-screen setup in those, and they work--in each, a personal virtual desktop is assigned to each monitor. Thanks.

Procyon · 2009-03-23 00:59:13

@abstracity: It works here. You should disable Twinview or Xinerama, I think.

abstracity · 2009-03-23 01:12:23

I'm using the free radeon driver in xf86-video-ati without Twinview or Xinerama. Are you using 0.9.9?

Last edited by abstracity (2009-03-23 01:15:48)

Procyon · 2009-03-23 02:09:50

Yes, I'm using 0.9.9. And nvidia.

aerosuidae · 2009-03-23 02:21:57

Procyon wrote:

@abstracity: It works here. You should disable Twinview or Xinerama, I think.

ATI has MergedFB too, right? Does it do a similar thing? (unsure - never owned one).

In any case, Musca only pays attention to X screens and assumes that you have them setup the way you want them. If you use Xinerama/TwinView/MergedFB to make a single "screen" span multiple monitors, Musca will do exactly that and make each window group span multiple monitors. In that case, in tiling mode, you probably want to use hsplit to put a frame on each monitor.

Long term I'm not convinced I care that much about Xinerama/whatever. I will be caring about xrandr as much as possible though.

abstracity · 2009-03-23 03:02:04

Procyon wrote:

Yes, I'm using 0.9.9. And nvidia.

I'm using xf86-video-ati, so there may be a difference.

aerosuidae wrote:

ATI has MergedFB too, right? Does it do a similar thing? (unsure - never owned one).
In any case, Musca only pays attention to X screens and assumes that you have them setup the way you want them. If you use Xinerama/TwinView/MergedFB to make a single "screen" span multiple monitors, Musca will do exactly that and make each window group span multiple monitors. In that case, in tiling mode, you probably want to use hsplit to put a frame on each monitor.
Long term I'm not convinced I care that much about Xinerama/whatever. I will be caring about xrandr as much as possible though.

I've been using xrandr and the free "radeon" driver found in extra, not the ATI binary blob, MergedFB, or any of that stuff. Here is what happens:

1. startx
2. M+t
3. [xrandr --output VGA-0 --off] (have tried it with and without this step)
4. xrandr --output VGA-0 --auto --right-of DVI-0

5 in xmonad.
two groups assigned, one for each monitor--expected behavior with xrandr

5 in musca.
one group assigned, spans across both monitors--unexpected behavior with xrandr.

It's the same case when starting GNOME. Here is xrandr -q:

Screen 0: minimum 320 x 200, current 2880 x 900, maximum 2880 x 900
VGA-0 connected 1440x900+1440+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 410mm x 256mm
   1440x900       59.9*    60.0  
   1360x768       59.8  
   1152x864       60.0  
   1024x768       60.0     60.0  
   800x600        60.3     60.0  
   640x480        60.0     59.9  
   720x400        70.1  
DVI-0 connected 1440x900+0+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 408mm x 255mm
   1440x900       59.9*+   60.0  
   1360x768       59.8  
   1152x864       75.0     75.0     75.0     70.0     60.0  
   1024x768       75.1     75.0     70.1     60.0  
   832x624        74.6  
   800x600        72.2     75.0     60.3     56.2  
   640x480        75.0     72.8     75.0     60.0     59.9  
   720x400        70.1  
S-video disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)

My whole system is up-to-date with pacman -Syu. This is a brand-new install of Arch.

Last edited by abstracity (2009-03-23 03:06:26)

abstracity · 2009-03-23 03:05:50

Sorry, repost.

Last edited by abstracity (2009-03-23 03:06:40)

aerosuidae · 2009-03-23 03:18:17

abstracity wrote:

I've been using xrandr and the free "radeon" driver found in extra, not the ATI binary blob, MergedFB, or any of that stuff. Here is what happens:
1. startx
2. M+t
3. [xrandr --output VGA-0 --off] (have tried it with and without this step)
4. xrandr --output VGA-0 --auto --right-of DVI-0
5 in xmonad.
two groups assigned, one for each monitor--expected behavior with xrandr
5 in musca.
one group assigned, spans across both monitors--unexpected behavior with xrandr.

Ah, gotcha. Musca will respond to xrandr resolution changes for existing screens, but it cannot yet add/remove screens on the fly. Would you mind filing a bug? https://bugs.launchpad.net/musca

abstracity · 2009-03-23 03:30:14

Sure. But how did you get it to work? Did you define the screens statically in xorg.conf? If so, do you mind if I see your xorg.conf?

aerosuidae · 2009-03-23 07:53:22

abstracity wrote:

Sure. But how did you get it to work? Did you define the screens statically in xorg.conf? If so, do you mind if I see your xorg.conf?

My screens are defined statically in xorg.conf, yes. Sure, you can have a look at it, but bear in mind that:

1. I have an nvidia card, not ATI.

2. I have no idea if ATI cards do stuff differently.

3. I do it in xorg.conf because thats what I've done for years Modern auto-config might make it simpler.

http://aerosuidae.net/xorg.txt

You could also try starting X and doing the xrandr changes before starting Musca. If it behaves differently, that would be useful to know for the bug report.

stryder · 2009-03-23 13:29:06

Hi guys, how do you get conky to behave like any other window?

I have "manage on conky" in .musca_start

and

background no
own_window yes
own_window_type normal

in .conkyrc. What I get is a black "window" top, center, with conky text inside that behaves like unmanaged - cannot be raised, across frames, cannot be moved, etc.

What else do I need? Conky newbie here...

aerosuidae · 2009-03-23 13:55:15

stryder wrote:

Hi guys, how do you get conky to behave like any other window?
I have "manage on conky" in .musca_start

WM_CLASS checking is case sensitive and conky supplies its class as "Conky". Try: "manage on Conky"

Last edited by aerosuidae (2009-03-23 13:57:59)

stryder · 2009-03-23 15:10:39

aerosuidae wrote:

WM_CLASS checking is case sensitive and conky supplies its class as "Conky". Try: "manage on Conky"

Yes, that did the job. Thanks.

Procyon · 2009-03-23 17:07:53

Could you add all the command line arguments to the main page? and add a -v and -h switch?

About the new notice method, isn't echo `cat`, the same as just cat?

Procyon · 2009-03-23 17:52:54

And could you make musca -i take multiple commands? So you can do echo -e "ufocus\nonly" | musca -i

aerosuidae · 2009-03-23 23:16:58

Procyon wrote:

Could you add all the command line arguments to the main page? and add a -v and -h switch?
About the new notice method, isn't echo `cat`, the same as just cat?
And could you make musca -i take multiple commands? So you can do echo -e "ufocus\nonly" | musca -i

Yeah, you're right: the web page needs a list of command line switches. Actually we already have -v, but no -h yet.

echo `cat` adds a trailing line break. The notify messages are designed to be directed anywhere, so they don't add a trailing line break by default.

Allowing -i to parse multiple commands should be fine. I'll give it a shot.

aerosuidae · 2009-03-25 06:55:01

@Procyon: Your feature requests are implemented in 0.9.11, except -h.

Inxsible · 2009-03-25 18:28:53

I have a binding

bind on Mod4+r exec musca -c 'add rTorrent' && exec urxvt -bg black -fg white -name rTorrent -e screen -S rtorrent rtorrent

It works perfectly by creating a group called rTorrent and starting rtorrent under screen.

But this hides my conky for which I need to add a padding. When I change the command to either of the following two, it does not work. I still haven't start musca from CLI to see the errors that I get. I will do that tonight after work. But what happens is that a new group is not created and neither does rtorrent start.

bind on Mod4+r exec musca -c 'add rTorrent' && exec musca -c 'pad 0 0 0 24' && exec urxvt -bg black -fg white -name rTorrent -e screen -S rtorrent rtorrent

bind on Mod4+r add rTorrent && pad 0 0 0 24 && exec urxvt -bg black -fg white -name rTorrent -e screen -S rtorrent rtorrent

Do you see something that is obviously incorrect in the commands?

Last edited by Inxsible (2009-03-25 18:33:54)

Arch Linux

#101 2009-03-22 01:50:13

Re: Musca (Tiling Window Manager)

#102 2009-03-22 01:55:29

Re: Musca (Tiling Window Manager)

#103 2009-03-22 01:58:06

Re: Musca (Tiling Window Manager)

#104 2009-03-22 02:02:59

Re: Musca (Tiling Window Manager)

#105 2009-03-22 05:13:19

Re: Musca (Tiling Window Manager)

#106 2009-03-22 05:24:37

Re: Musca (Tiling Window Manager)

#107 2009-03-22 05:33:46

Re: Musca (Tiling Window Manager)

#108 2009-03-23 00:54:39

Re: Musca (Tiling Window Manager)

#109 2009-03-23 00:59:13

Re: Musca (Tiling Window Manager)

#110 2009-03-23 01:12:23

Re: Musca (Tiling Window Manager)

#111 2009-03-23 02:09:50

Re: Musca (Tiling Window Manager)

#112 2009-03-23 02:21:57

Re: Musca (Tiling Window Manager)

#113 2009-03-23 03:02:04

Re: Musca (Tiling Window Manager)

#114 2009-03-23 03:05:50

Re: Musca (Tiling Window Manager)

#115 2009-03-23 03:18:17

Re: Musca (Tiling Window Manager)

#116 2009-03-23 03:30:14

Re: Musca (Tiling Window Manager)

#117 2009-03-23 07:53:22

Re: Musca (Tiling Window Manager)

#118 2009-03-23 13:29:06

Re: Musca (Tiling Window Manager)

#119 2009-03-23 13:55:15

Re: Musca (Tiling Window Manager)

#120 2009-03-23 15:10:39

Re: Musca (Tiling Window Manager)

#121 2009-03-23 17:07:53

Re: Musca (Tiling Window Manager)

#122 2009-03-23 17:52:54

Re: Musca (Tiling Window Manager)

#123 2009-03-23 23:16:58

Re: Musca (Tiling Window Manager)

#124 2009-03-25 06:55:01

Re: Musca (Tiling Window Manager)

#125 2009-03-25 18:28:53

Re: Musca (Tiling Window Manager)

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