Metacity

Bevan C. Bennett bevan at fulcrummicro.com
Fri Jan 30 18:56:53 UTC 2004


David L Norris wrote:
> On Thu, 2004-01-29 at 23:23, Bevan C. Bennett wrote:
> 
>>* click-to-raise on windows (NOT auto-raise)
> Other options: hold the Alt key and click the window.  Click the
> window's thumbnail in the pager.  Program keyboard shortcuts.

Clicking in concert with the 'Windows Move" key is acceptable.
The other options were not considered acceptable by the end users ("my 
mouse is over the window I want now - I don't want to go mouse elsewhere 
or let go to type something").

>>* maximize-vertical
> Main Menu -> Preferences -> Keyboard Shortcuts

No such option exists in that menu.
I got that user to be reasonably happy by setting his default 
gnome-terminal size to be full-height, reducing the need to perform said 
maximization.

>>* always-on-top for a particular window/app
> Metacity has a wonderful Kiosk mode (Toggle Full Screen) if you program
> the keyboard shortcut for it.  Focus a window, hit the keyboard
> shortcut, and that window is given the entire screen.  Yes, I know,
> that's probably not what you want.

That's handy to know, though. Especially for presentations.

>>* the ability to easily choose an alternate window manager
>
> Main Menu -> Preferences -> (More Preferences ->) Sessions
> 
> Select the Current Session tab.  Highlight metacity and click the remove
> button.  Click the Apply button.  Main Menu -> Run and type whatever
> command starts the window manager you prefer.  Once its running select
> it in the Session manager, change Style to Restart, and click the apply
> button.

Have you actually tried this? I tried to switch someone to sawfish in 
this manner.
First problem: you have to set metacity to not be automatically 
restarted when it dies (the default) or it just comes back.
Next problem: Windows would not-quite-randomly move around 
(occassionally of the edge of the screen) when switching between desktops.

That's not a metacity problem, I know.

All in all, things aren't looking as bad as I thought... I'll start 
writing up a local 'metacity tips' page.





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