Devilspie (version 0.13 and greater) s-expressions examples

[jrib]

I wrote a Wiki page about Devil's Pie: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Devilspie
Feel free to improve it, it was my first wiki written from the scratch and I am not a native English speaker either so there are probably some gramatical and conceptual mistakes. Table of contents would be nice too. Also, it would need some examples and actual info how to use Devil's pie, I consider this to be just a beginning.

I added it to the first post for people to check out. Looks good, thanks!

[foxy123]

Devil's Pie worked great fro me. However I have recently installed a nightly build of Firefox instead of 1.5 release version. I also have 1.5 Thunderbird installed.

I set devilspie so that firefox should open on the 1st desktop and thunderbird on the second. If I call these programmes from menu or lancher panel it is fine, but if I click on the link in thunderbird, it opens firefox on the second desktop. Moreover it moves firefox to the second desktop if it is already open. Does anyone know why is that?

[fabs0028]

I started with this version some times ago but i stil can't find an answer to the thing i wanna do :
I'd like to only move all the firefox windows that aren't the main one, i mean for example the download window or the extension window.

But my problem is that i wanna move them for example in the middle of the screen without resizing them :

I made a rule like this one

(if (matches (application_name) "Firefox") and (not matches (window_name) "Firefox$" )( geometry "387x302+161+162" ))

But of course it resizes the windows.
So i was wondering if they were an action to only move a window.

I think it is not possible so maybe a good idea would be to be possible to use arguments ... for example the actual size of the window.

Maybe something to add to devil's pie
Thanx a lot for your help and your tutorial which is really helpfull.

Oh by the way as i am on and amd64 ubuntu i made a deb for devil's pie using checkinstall.
I join it so it could be useful for some people

[jrib]

I started with this version some times ago but i stil can't find an answer to the thing i wanna do :
I'd like to only move all the firefox windows that aren't the main one, i mean for example the download window or the extension window.

But my problem is that i wanna move them for example in the middle of the screen without resizing them :

I made a rule like this one

(if (matches (application_name) "Firefox") and (not matches (window_name) "Firefox$" )( geometry "387x302+161+162" ))

But of course it resizes the windows.
So i was wondering if they were an action to only move a window.

I think it is not possible so maybe a good idea would be to be possible to use arguments ... for example the actual size of the window.

Maybe something to add to devil's pie
Thanx a lot for your help and your tutorial which is really helpfull.

Oh by the way as i am on and amd64 ubuntu i made a deb for devil's pie using checkinstall.
I join it so it could be useful for some people

I think you can just omit the first two parameters. So something like:
geometry "+161+162" should only move the window and not resize it. You may also want to experiment with the "center" action instead.

[fannymites]

Can anyone tell me how to make a "match all" rule? I'm trying to force ALL windows to open in the centre of the screen. I can make individual windows do it but I don't want to make rules for every single app.

[benplaut]

Can anyone tell me how to make a "match all" rule? I'm trying to force ALL windows to open in the centre of the screen. I can make individual windows do it but I don't want to make rules for every single app.

does the ubiquitous '*' work?

[fannymites]

Unfortunately not. Neither does the "always" option from the older version of devilspie (or any, all "" " " and many others I've tried)

[Azriphale]

I have not yet used devilspie, but I have an idea of a work-around for that. Its not the best solution, by all means, but it may just work.

what about something like

(if (not matches (application_name) "a_nonexistent_application") .....)

If I read all this correctly, that should do whatever actions you put in there to everything that is not called "a_nonexistent_application", which should be everything.

Or skip the if () section. Don't know if that works tho, due to the fact that i don't have devilspie

[fannymites]

It sounded like a good plan but still not working.

[EDIT] Worked it out, I need $

(if (matches (application_name) "$") (begin (center)))

[EDIT again} Well that's strange, it was working, I tried about 10 different apps and they all opened centred but after a reboot it won't work anymore.
Also, unfortunately, using devilspie the windows open in a corner somewhere then jump to the centre of the screen which isn't pretty. I'll keep playing around with it.

[jrib]

It sounded like a good plan but still not working.

[EDIT] Worked it out, I need $

(if (matches (application_name) "$") (begin (center)))

[EDIT again} Well that's strange, it was working, I tried about 10 different apps and they all opened centred but after a reboot it won't work anymore.
Also, unfortunately, using devilspie the windows open in a corner somewhere then jump to the centre of the screen which isn't pretty. I'll keep playing around with it.

don't use any matcher, just do (I think this should work just like example 1 in my first post does):

(center)