PyWO - Python Window Organizer

Introduction

PyWO allows you to easily organize windows on the desktop using keyboard shortcuts. It's inspired by Quicktile, Compiz plugins: Grid, Put, and Maximumize.

Features:

• Move window in any direction and snap it to other windows' edges
• Resize (expand or shrink) window in any direction
• Place window in predefined places on the desktop
• Use grid-like layout (place window and cycle predefined sizes)
• Switch windows' positions
• Highly customizable

Watch PyWO in action

Requirements

• Python 2.5 or higher
• python-xlib
• python-setuptools

Build & Install

• 1. Clone this git repo
• 2. python ./setup.py build
• 3. python ./setup.py install
• 4. ./pywo --daemon

Download

Download archive with PyWO-0.2 for stable version.

Checkout project's Subversion repository for development version (/trunk folder). This version contains latest features and bugfixes, but I can't guarantee that it will be stable!

Compatibility

PyWO works with (or at least should work with) any EWMH compliant window manager.

Seems to work OK (or almost OK) with:

• Compiz (tested with 0.7.8, and 0.8.4) (does not work with 0.9.x used by Unity)
• Metacity (tested with 2.24 and 2.30.1)
• KDE (KWin) (tested with 4.3.0)
• XFCE (Xfwm4) (tested with 4.6.1)
• Enlightment (e16) (tested with 1.0.0)
• Openbox (tested with 3.4.10)
• FVWM (tested with 2.5.28)

In 0.2 version there are problems with:

• Blackox (tested with 0.70.1), IceWM (tested with 1.36) - no support for _NET_FRAME_EXTENTS, but I should be able to write a hack to get borders' size anyway (fixed in development version)
• Fluxbox (tested with 1.1.1), WindowMaker - window is moved 1px (to right and bottom) too far, not sure why... (fixed in development version)
• Sawfish (tested with 1.3.5.2) - (fixed in development version)
• pekwm (tested with 0.1.11) - some strange behaviour (fixed in development version)
• JWM - some strange behaviour
• Afterstep - _NET_WORKAREA returns None

Development version works OK with GNOME 3 (Mutter)

Usage

Just run ./pywo.py

Create ~/.pyworc file to configure PyWO. Read PyWO Configuration for reference. Defaults can be found in pyworc file. You can choose one of the predefined grid layouts: 2x2, 3x2 (default), 3x3, or define your own.

PyWO creates /tmp/PyWO.log file where all debugging informations are logged.

Default keyboard shortcuts:

Alt-Ctrl-Shift-Q    - exit PyWO
Alt-Ctrl-Shift-R    - reload configuration file
Alt-Ctrl-Shift-I    - print debug information about window manager and current window

Alt-KP_Divide       - switch windows (change position of the window)
Alt-Shift-KP_Divide - cycle windows (change contents of the window)

Alt-KP_1-9          - move window in a direction (KP_1-9 - numpad keys)
Shift-KP_1-9        - expand window in a direction (5 works as maximumize compiz plugin)
Alt-Shift-KP_1-9    - shrink window
Alt-Ctrl-KP_1-9     - put window to predefined position
Ctrl_KP_1-9         - put and resize (grid), and cycle widths
Ctrl-Shift_KP_1-9   - put and resize (grid), and cycle heights

Cycle/Switch - press keyboard shortcut and select other window (using Alt-Tab, or using mouse). If you want to cancel switch/cycle press again the keyboard shortcut

Known bugs

• shrinking with MIDDLE direction is not always working as expected
• windows set to appear on all desktops can cause some problems (fixed in development version)
• problems with windows with border_width > 0

TODO

• keyboard setting for laptop users (withou keypad) - maybe vim like HJKL, or UIOJKLM<>?
• Undo feature
• test with more than one monitor connected - if you want to help me with multi monitor support please send me output of this script - it will check diplays, screens, resolutions
• more settings for move and expand actions
• prepare for easy_install (implemented in development version)
• use pkg_resources and entry_points for plugins system (implemented in development version)
• snap only to visible windows only (skip windows that are covered by others)
• unit testing (in progress)
• add D-Bus communication (implemented in development version)

Changelog

developmnet version (check out /trunk from repository)

• fixed support for Fluxbox, Blackbox, IceWM, Sawfish, Window Maker, pekwm
• fixed handling of sticky windows
• added capslock setting
• grid_2x2 and grid_3x2 ignore grid_height action by default
• new actions: activate, close, sticky, shade, fullscreen, maximize(_vert|_horz), iconify, above, below
• aliases for action and section names
• D-Bus communication with PyWO
• matching windows by name, and classname
• commandline support (similar to wmctrl)
• distribution as Python package (easy_install / pip support)
• major refactoring - it is now possible to use pywo as wrapper for Xlib library
• support for third-party plugins
• modal mode - for use without keypad
• Xinerama support

0.2

• added switch and cycle actions
• added ignore options for [SETTINGS] section and layout definition sections

0.1.1

• changed license to GPLv3 (I've noticed that python-xlib is under GPLv2 so it seems I can't use Apache License 2.0)
• some changes in events module

0.1

• first release