Ubuntu – wmctrl does not resize the window

14.04window-managerwmctrl

I would like to resize a web browser to a specific size.

I have been trying to resize my window (testing wmctrl) using wmctrl but somehow is does not resize it, however the position works.

I tried:

wmctrl -r Taschenrechner -e "0,300,200,800,600"

I am doing the test using ubuntu 14.04 LTS.

Any idea why is this not working? What I am missing?

Best Answer

I was just resizing my windows - wmctrl was the last command I ran!

I ran:

wmctrl -r "Ubuntu Web Browser" -e 0,0,0,1280,720

and you ran:

wmctrl -r Taschenrechner -e "0,300,200,800,600"

My suggestion would be to lose the "" around the sizes, and (maybe) add quotes to the window name:

wmctrl -r "Taschenrechner" -e 0,300,200,800,600

Just realised your program is a calculator. I doubt you can resize it - I can move mine but not shrink it or enlarge it.

This is standard with most calculator applications (and I wish it wasn't).

You said your main project is a Web Browser - it should work with that.

Related Solutions

Ubuntu – What causes the deviation in the wmctrl window move command

What's happening is that wmctrl is returning the geometry of the window inside the decorations (i.e. not including the title bar and borders) but is using the larger window position for the move.

(Some command output lines removed : xdotool might not be installed)

$ wmctrl -lG
0x04000040  0 702  23   900  950  KMatrix dave@KMatrix: test – Konsole

$ xdotool getwindowgeometry 0x04000040
Window 67108928
  Position: 702,23 (screen: 0)
  Geometry: 900x950

The next command prompts for the window of interest and returns the parent window which includes all the decorations and varies depending on the window theme in use.

$ xdotool selectwindow
25166060

$ xdotool getwindowgeometry 0x18000ec
Window 25166060
  Position: 700,0 (screen: 0)
  Geometry: 904x977

As you can see, it's a different window; the X position starts 2px to the left (702-2) and the total width is larger by 4px (900+2+2) because the right border is also 2px. Y is higher (above the top border, if any, and the title bar); height is larger because of all of that plus the bottom border.

wmctrl moves the parent window to the desired [X,Y] position of the child window; width and height are applied correctly to the child, as shown in the "before & after" below.

$ wmctrl -lG
0x04000040  0 702  23   900  950  KMatrix dave@KMatrix: test – Konsole

$ xdotool getwindowgeometry 0x18000ec   # (PARENT)
Window 25166060
  Position: 700,0 (screen: 0)
  Geometry: 904x977

$ xdotool getwindowgeometry 0x04000040  # (CHILD)
Window 67108928
  Position: 702,23 (screen: 0)
  Geometry: 900x950

$ wmctrl -ir 0x04000040 -e 0,702,23,900,950   # <----- "MOVE/RESIZE" *****

$ wmctrl -lG
0x04000040  0 704  46   900  950  KMatrix dave@KMatrix: test – Konsole

$ xdotool getwindowgeometry 0x18000ec   # (PARENT)
Window 25166060
  Position: 702,23 (screen: 0)    <----- Desired [X,Y] applied to parent
  Geometry: 904x977

$ xdotool getwindowgeometry 0x04000040  # (CHILD)
Window 67108928
  Position: 704,46 (screen: 0)
  Geometry: 900x950               <----- Desired [W,H] applied to child

Edit: additional info.

Desktop geometry, Viewport & Workarea

$ wmctrl -d    # (KDE)
0  * DG: 1680x1050  VP: 0,0  WA: 0,0 1680x1015  Desktop 1

$ xdotool -v
xdotool version 3.20140217.1

https://github.com/jordansissel/xdotool

Re: @Sneetsher tip in comments

$ xprop | grep FRAME
_KDE_NET_WM_FRAME_STRUT(CARDINAL) = 2, 2, 23, 4
_NET_FRAME_EXTENTS(CARDINAL) = 2, 2, 23, 4

Ubuntu – Saving and restoring window positions

Take a "snapshot" of the window arrangement and restore it

The script below can be used to get the current window positions of all "normal" windows (run with the argument -get), or restore the last window arrangement (run with the argument -restore).

As explained here, using wmctrl i.c.w. Unity has some issues. If it is satisfying in your situation is to decide.

How to use

The script uses wmctrl:

sudo apt-get install wmctrl

Then:

Copy the script into an empty file, save it as window_arrange.py
Run it by:
```
python3 /path/to/window_arrange.py -get
```
to "record" the current window arrangement, and
```
python3 /path/to/window_arrange.py -restore
```
to restore the last "recorded" window arrangement

The script:

#!/usr/bin/env python3
import subprocess
import os
import sys

wfile = os.environ["HOME"]+"/.windowlist"
arg = sys.argv[1]

def get(command):
    return subprocess.check_output(["/bin/bash", "-c", command]).decode("utf-8")

def check_window(w_id):
    w_type = get("xprop -id "+w_id)
    if " _NET_WM_WINDOW_TYPE_NORMAL" in w_type:
        return True
    else:
        return False

def read_windows():
    w_list =  [l.split()[:6] for l in get("wmctrl -lG").splitlines()]
    relevant = [(" ").join(w) for w in w_list if check_window(w[0]) == True]
    with open(wfile, "wt") as out:
        for item in relevant:
            out.write(item+"\n")

def restore_windows():
    try:
        wlist = [l.split() for l in open(wfile).read().splitlines()]
    except FileNotFoundError:
        pass
    else:
        for w in wlist:
            try:
                cmd = "wmctrl -ir "+w[0]+" -e 0,"+(",").join(w[2:])
                subprocess.Popen(["/bin/bash", "-c", cmd])
            except:
                pass

if arg == "-restore":
    restore_windows()
elif arg == "-get":
    read_windows()