HOWTO: Install DevilsPie 0.10 (the latest version)

**ghostintheshell** · July 16th, 2005

Hi,

For people who don't like to wait the latest package, here's my how-to for installing DevilsPie 0.10.

- First of all, remove your actual version of DevilsPie (If you already have one

) from synaptic or dpkg ...

- As usual, download the tar.gz file: here (from the official web site)
- Untar it
- I use to copy all my sources files to /usr/local/src/ (to keep the sources and easily uninstall with the make uninstall command when a new version is available)
- Then go to /usr/local/src/devilspie-0.10 (or the directory where you put the sources)

- Try to configure: ./configure --prefix=/usr

You should meet a strange error: checking for XML:arser... configure: error: XML:arser perl module is required for intltool

Ok, here's the solution:
(need to be root -> sudo)
- sudo perl -MCPAN -e shell (would run CPAN module of Perl)
- install XML:

arser (would install XML:

arser and all of its dependencies)
- bye (would exit CPAN)

Ah ah, try again ...
- ./configure --prefix=/usr

Ok right now!

- make
- sudo make install

- Optional: make clean (would delete useless compiled files -> disk storage)
- Optional (later

): sudo make uninstall (would reverse the process -> delete all installed files)

If you don't have already a .devilspie.xml file in your home directory (~/.devilspie.xml), no problemo:
- Copy the sample-config.xml file which is in the source directory (mine is /usr/local/src/devilspie-0.10/sample-config.xml) in your home directory
- Rename it as .devilspie.xml
- A chown + a chmod on the file (~/.devilspie.xml) to become the owner and give you the rights on the file

Now, you can edit it with your rules.

To launch devilspie at the startup:
- Go to the Gnome menu: System / Preferences / Sessions / Startup Programs
- Then add an entry: devilspie with priority: 45

For people asking me why use DevilsPie? He he ... For a lot of things

I personally use it for:
- XMMS (to complete the 'status docklet' plugin action => not visible in the task bar and the pager)
- Thunderbird (to automagically put it on 2nd desktop at the top left border of the screen)
- Eterm (to merge a terminal with the desktop => not visible in the task bar and the pager, under all windows and visible on all desktops = pinned).

Here's my .devilspie.xml file (take it as a sample):

Code:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<!DOCTYPE devilspie SYSTEM "devilspie.dtd">

<devilspie>

	<flurb name="Print Window Names">
		<matchers>
		<!-- this is a matcher which always returns true. The full class name must be used -->
		<matcher name="DevilsPieMatcherAlways"/>
		</matchers>
		<actions>
		<!-- this action prints out the window and application name -->
		<action name="DevilsPieActionDebug"/>
		</actions>
	</flurb>

	<flurb name="XMMS">
		<matchers>
		<matcher name="DevilsPieMatcherWindowName">
			<property name="application_name" value="XMMS"/>
		</matcher>
		</matchers>
		<actions>
		<action name="DevilsPieActionHide">
			<property name="skip_tasklist" value="TRUE"/>
			<property name="skip_pager" value="TRUE"/>
		</action>
		</actions>
	</flurb>

	<flurb name="Eterm">
		<matchers>
		<matcher name="DevilsPieMatcherWindowName">
			<property name="application_name" value="Eterm"/>
		</matcher>
		</matchers>
		<actions>
			<action name="DevilsPieActionSetWorkspace">
				<property name="pinned" value="TRUE"/>
			</action>
			<action name="DevilsPieActionHide">
				<property name="skip_tasklist" value="TRUE"/>
				<property name="skip_pager" value="TRUE"/>
			</action>
			<action name="DevilsPieActionLayer">
				<property name="above" value="FALSE"/>
			</action>
		</actions>
	</flurb>

	<flurb name="Thunderbird">
		<matchers>
			<matcher name="DevilsPieMatcherWindowName">
				<property name="application_name" value="mozilla-thunderbird-bin"/>
			</matcher>
		</matchers>
		<actions>
			<action name="DevilsPieActionSetWorkspace">
				<property name="workspace_index" value="2"/>
			</action>
			<action name="DevilsPieActionSetGeometry">
				<property name="xoffset" value="0"/>
				<property name="yoffset" value="0"/>
			</action>
		</actions>
	</flurb>

</devilspie>

And now enjoy editing your own rules

**aran384** · August 6th, 2005

ok what does this do then???

what do u mean

For people who don't like to wait the latest package, here's my how-to for installing DevilsPie 0.10.

**krusbjorn** · August 6th, 2005

The devilspie package in the apt repositories is version 0.7. If you want the latest version (0.10) you need to install it manually.

**qalimas** · August 21st, 2005

Is there a page listing all the possible options?

arnieboy · August 21st, 2005

Originally Posted by qalimas

Is there a page listing all the possible options?

does this latest version of devilspie override "show desktop"? in other words, will eterm stay on even if i click on show desktop?

**ghostintheshell** · August 21st, 2005

Originally Posted by arnieboy

does this latest version of devilspie override "show desktop"? in other words, will eterm stay on even if i click on show desktop?

not in my case.

arnieboy · August 21st, 2005

Originally Posted by ghostintheshell

not in my case.

well then I guess the upgrade isnt worth it. Thanks anyway for the HowTo

**ghostintheshell** · August 21st, 2005

Originally Posted by qalimas

Is there a page listing all the possible options?

I don't think, no.

I used the sources to discover the available options.

But you can ask more infos directly to Ross Burton, the programer of this great app.
-> http://www.burtonini.com/blog/computers/devilspie

Enjoy.

**ghostintheshell** · November 1st, 2005

since the 0.13+ version of devilspie, the xml syntax was replaced by the "s-expressions" syntax.

here's the conversion of my sample (first post):

- create a .devilspie directory in your home folder

Code:

mkdir ~/.devilspie

eterm:
- create a eterm.ds file in the ~/.devilspie folder and put this in:

Code:

(if (is (application_name) "Eterm") (begin skip_tasklist skip_pager pin below))

thunderbird:
- create a thunderbird.ds file in the ~/.devilspie folder and put this in:

Code:

(if (is (application_name) "mozilla-thunderbird-bin") (begin geometry "+0+0" set_workspace 2))

restart devilspie with the -a option:

Code:

killall devilspie
devilspie -a &

all available actions are listed in the /src/parser.c file available in the in the devilspie-0.1x.tar.gz archive.

enjoy.

**maxdevis** · January 31st, 2006

i want that BMP starts at workspace 4.
what do i wrong?

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<!DOCTYPE devilspie SYSTEM "devilspie.dtd">

<devilspie>

<flurb name="Thunderbird">
<matchers>
<matcher name="DevilsPieMatcherWindowName">
<property name="application_name" value="mozilla-thunderbird-bin"/>
</matcher>
</matchers>
<actions>
<action name="DevilsPieActionSetWorkspace">
<property name="workspace_index" value="2"/>
</action>
<action name="DevilsPieActionSetGeometry">
<property name="xoffset" value="0"/>
<property name="yoffset" value="0"/>
</action>
</actions>
</flurb>

<flurb name="BMP">
<matchers>
<matcher name="DevilsPieMatcherWindowName">
<property name="application_name" value="beep-media-player"/>
</matcher>
</matchers>
<actions>
<action name="DevilsPieActionSetWorkspace">
<property name="workspace_index" value="4"/>
</action>
</action>
</actions>
</flurb>

he gives me also this error:

** (devilspie:9941): WARNING **: Could not parse configuration: Fout in regel 33 teken 13: Element 'action' is gesloten, maar op dit moment is element 'actions' open