Maximized Window Offset in Ubuntu Mate

Support & Help Requests
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#1

Hi,

On my machine I have a top, a bottom and a left panel on my main screen. When I maximize a window the left edge slips under the left panel, but not under top and bottom panels.

This had been resolved a year or two ago by entering somewhere an offset, in pixels, equivalent to my left panel width (26 pixels), and this did the trick. But for the life of me I can't find where that is.

It's not in:
* mate-tweak
* panel configuration
* monitor preferences ( Menu / Preferences / Displays )
* window preferences
* Appearance

Can't find anything in the Control Center. Searched the blogs here and can't find it. What the hay ?

This is for Ubuntu Mate, although I'm presently on 20.04, this applies to a number of previous versions, for those who have not yet updated to 20.04.

I think this is something that should be in mate-tweak.

Looking forward to anyone's insights,

Thankyou,

Christian

#2

What exactly are you trying to do? I seem to have misunderstood your post.

#3

Nvidia proprietary drivers by any chance? Using an offset of 30 pixels myself on dual monitor setup.

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Available through nvidia-settings once installed.

I also remember Openbox having a "Margins" feature like that in Lubuntu.
Don't know about Ubuntu Mate/Marco though but probably some window manager...

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#4

Hi Geus ! Hi ItzAnise !

ItzAnise the following has some screen shots that will help understand the problem.

Geus: That's exactly it. except I didn't use the nvidia-settings but changed my window manager to Openbox.

This screen shot shows that I've configured Openbox with a left 30 pixel offeset:

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Which fixes the problem . . . for an undetermined period of time. Then windows start slipping under the left panel again, so I change my left panel to be configured to the right, and again it works for an undetermined period, then I have to go back to the left side. Very strange.

The next screen shot is a window that is slipping under a right panel (blank created to illustrate problem). image

If the window is taken out of maximize and aligned manually to illustrate the way it should be: image

Two other quirks :

  1. When windows are maximized and the problem is present, the maximized window may or may not slip under a side panel, but it never slips under my top or bottom panels, as can be seen in the second screen shot above.

  2. On occasion when I'm moving a window from one monitor to another, in un-maximized mode, I some times accidentally let it go under the top menu bar. Then I'm screwed because you cant grab the title bar to move it again. So while moving an un-maximized window it can slip under top menu bar, but it does not slip if window is maximized.

Here's a screenshot of a window that was moved under the top menu bar (here by example). image

So you can see that the title bar is no longer visible to gram and move the window, or minimize, maximize or close it. You have to go to the Window list, in my case on the bottom panel, and right click the concerned window to get access at the window manipulation options again. However if you have multiple windows, say of Firefox, and the regroup option active, then it's virtually impossible to get the right-click contextual menu.

Anyhoot, thanks for your help, and any other help or link or suggestion you can supply.

Cheers !

#5

Hi xian555
So custom window manager openbox running and margin set on left side of the screen using openbox configuration manager.

Having to switch displays implies that you have a dualmon hardware setup.
Is this a laptop that is sometimes disconnected/reconnected to an external monitor or docking station? Or otherwise maybe a dodgy VGA/HDMI/DVI/Display cable to one monitor?

What I think is happening is that the display application temporarily sees one single monitor (for whatever reason).
The margin setting in openbox is always applied to the screen and not to a specific/static monitor.

So (and you can test this) if you disconnect/disable (not power down) the left monitor of a left-right dualmon setup by using the Applications/Settings/Displays application, the 30px left margin will then be applied to the right monitor which now is the entire screen.

Now turn the disabled monitor on again using the same Displays application and this monitor now becomes the right monitor in the Displays application.
The margin during that session though is still being applied to the "wrong" monitor as it is now the left side of the screen. Now drag the monitors (as you do) et voila! "fixed"...

Read about some scripts that switch ~/config/monitors.xml by keyboard shortcut or startup script but seems cumbersome. Best is probably just to shutdown your PC, disconnect screen/docking, reconnect at different location and power on. Should be OK then with settings remembered (not tested).

When windows are maximized and the problem is present, the maximized window may or may not slip under a side panel, but it never slips under my top or bottom panels, as can be seen in the second screen shot above.

True, same here. Not really a problem though in my book, probably even by design.

On occasion when I'm moving a window from one monitor to another, in un-maximized mode, I some times accidentally let it go under the top menu bar. Then I'm screwed because you cant grab the title bar to move it again. So while moving an un-maximized window it can slip under top menu bar, but it does not slip if window is maximized.

Workaround would be to (temporarily) auto-hide your top panel through it's properties so you can reach the window bar again but yes, I can reproduce that using Openbox WM.