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List:       openbox
Subject:    [openbox] fluxbox-like tabs via external tool ?
From:       pc_warner () yahoo ! com (Phillip Warner)
Date:       2009-03-07 13:16:48
Message-ID: 136117.94558.qm () web57705 ! mail ! re3 ! yahoo ! com
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--- On Mon, 2/9/09, Stepan <zelvicka at gmail.com> wrote:

> I am happy fluxbox user. Now I am tempted to switch to
> openbox, but I
> would miss tabs
> (=auto-grouped windows with tab over group - see
> http://fluxbox.sourceforge.net/features/tabs.php).
> I am aware that openbox developers are not going to add
> tabs into
> openbox itself.
> 
> So my question is: Is there any way to get at least part of
> this
> functionality into openbox via some
> tool? I am looking  for some tool that creates window with
> tab-bar and
> allow other applications to
> be run inside, creating one tab for each.
> 
> Thanks for any advice
> Stepan
> 
Stepan, I am in a similar position as you.  I, too, am quite find of fluxbox's \
tabbing (and pseudo-transparent root menu w/ icons), but I much prefer Openbox's \
popups (window switching, client menu, key modes), and the Openbox developers seem \
more Open to suggestions ;)  

One suggestion that I have for you is to try and treat workspaces like windows and \
the application windows as tabs.  You can assign certain applications to be "grouped" \
this way.  You can add/delete workspaces as necessary.  Have your configs perform \
multiple actions based upon key commands.

However, you also could do something similar to what was previously suggested: use \
tabbed programs.  This by itself is not that wonderful, though.  You can use wmctrl \
and xdotool to automate the "grouping" for tabbed programs.  This works because \
wmctrl can find and raise the program, and xdotool can simulate the keystrokes needed \
to open another tab.  I attached a script that I wrote to implement this.  \
Unfortunately, you cannot mix programs as you can with fluxbox (unless they are all \
terminal programs ;)   ).  Also, don't let you fingers linger on the keys when using \
xdotool, or else the buttons you are pressing will get added to the simulated \
keystrokes!

Right now, for instance, I use mrxvt as my terminal and typically nano for my text \
editor.  I like having my terminals grouped and my text editors grouped.  I also like \
having my text editors on the right side at a certain size.  I use the groupapp \
script (attached) to perform all of this.  I simply assign:  groupapp \
nano.mrxvt.XTerm "mrxvt -name nano.mrxvt -tt nano -e nano" "ctrl+shift+F3" \
"0,660,0,361,713" to ctrl+alt+n in my Openbox config.  Similarly, I assign:
  groupapp mrxvt.XTerm "mrxvt" "ctrl+shift+t"
to ctrl+alt+z, which is what I like to open terminals.  This works really well.

I would also suggest that if you place and resize windows using the attached script, \
that you pre-place them using the openbox config.  The window will be first placed \
according to Openbox, and then the script will move/resize it.  If the window is \
already where it will be, then no annoying jumping will occur.  If you just place the \
window using Openbox, then the placement might be wrong after resizing it.

Since you want unicode support, Stepan, I would suggest that you try using \
rxvt-unicode (urxvt).  urxvt does support tabbing (though not as nice as mrxvt's) if \
you enable the perl extension.  Be sure to disable any other perl extensions that you \
don't need to keep the program light.  I don't know of any other light terminals that \
support unicode and tabbing (perhaps lxde's lxterminal???).

Using the above mentioned tools you should be able to configure Openbox to provide \
close to what you want.  If not, then you could either try to patch Openbox or \
fluxbox.  You could also use something like superswitcher or a zenity/wmctrl combo \
for the missing alt-tab/client menu popups in fluxbox, and perhaps xosd for the \
others.

--Phillip


      
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