Tiling XFCE windows with shortcut keys

Original forum link
https://forum.qubes-os.org/t/22840
Original poster
renehoj
Created at
2023-12-15 12:21:32
Posts count
2
Likes count
3
Tags
xfce

Here are some shell scripts to help arrange windows without having to drag them with the mouse.

The scripts use xdotool and wmctrl to move and resize windows, the scripts work with multiple monitors as long as they have a similar size screen.

If you want to use different size screens, you are probably has to design a function to calculate the correct x-axis offset.

I made the scripts using 1920x1080 resolution, higher or lower resolutions might need to tweak some values.

shell scripts

top_left_windows.sh 
#!/bin/bash

window=$(printf '0x0%x' $(xdotool getwindowfocus))
x_pos=($(wmctrl -l -G | grep $window | awk '{print $3; }'))
y_pos=($(wmctrl -l -G | grep $window | awk '{print $4; }'))
x_size=($(xdotool getwindowfocus getdisplaygeometry | awk '{print $1; }'))
y_size=($(xdotool getwindowfocus getdisplaygeometry | awk '{print $2; }'))
offset=$(((x_pos / x_size) * x_size))

new_x_size=$((($x_size / 2) * 95 / 100))
new_y_size=$((($y_size / 2) * 86 / 100))
new_x_pos=$(($x_size * 2 / 100 + $offset))
new_y_pos=$(($y_size * 2 / 100))

wmctrl -i -r $window -b remove,maximized_horz,maximized_vert
wmctrl -i -r $window -e 0,$new_x_pos,$new_y_pos,$new_x_size,$new_y_size
top_right_window.sh 
#!/bin/bash

window=$(printf '0x0%x' $(xdotool getwindowfocus))
x_pos=($(wmctrl -l -G | grep $window | awk '{print $3; }'))
y_pos=($(wmctrl -l -G | grep $window | awk '{print $4; }'))
x_size=($(xdotool getwindowfocus getdisplaygeometry | awk '{print $1; }'))
y_size=($(xdotool getwindowfocus getdisplaygeometry | awk '{print $2; }'))
offset=$(((x_pos / x_size) * x_size))

new_x_size=$((($x_size / 2) * 95 / 100))
new_y_size=$((($y_size / 2) * 86 / 100))
new_x_pos=$((($x_size / 2) + ($x_size * 1 / 100) + $offset))
new_y_pos=$(($y_size * 2 / 100))

wmctrl -i -r $window -b remove,maximized_horz,maximized_vert
wmctrl -i -r $window -e 0,$new_x_pos,$new_y_pos,$new_x_size,$new_y_size
bottom_left_window.sh 
#!/bin/bash

window=$(printf '0x0%x' $(xdotool getwindowfocus))
x_pos=($(wmctrl -l -G | grep $window | awk '{print $3; }'))
y_pos=($(wmctrl -l -G | grep $window | awk '{print $4; }'))
x_size=($(xdotool getwindowfocus getdisplaygeometry | awk '{print $1; }'))
y_size=($(xdotool getwindowfocus getdisplaygeometry | awk '{print $2; }'))
offset=$(((x_pos / x_size) * x_size))

new_x_size=$((($x_size / 2) * 95 / 100))
new_y_size=$((($y_size / 2) * 86 / 100))
new_x_pos=$(($x_size * 2 / 100 + $offset))
new_y_pos=$((($y_size / 2) + ($y_size * 2 / 100)))

wmctrl -i -r $window -b remove,maximized_horz,maximized_vert
wmctrl -i -r $window -e 0,$new_x_pos,$new_y_pos,$new_x_size,$new_y_size
bottom_right_window.sh 
#!/bin/bash

window=$(printf '0x0%x' $(xdotool getwindowfocus))
x_pos=($(wmctrl -l -G | grep $window | awk '{print $3; }'))
y_pos=($(wmctrl -l -G | grep $window | awk '{print $4; }'))
x_size=($(xdotool getwindowfocus getdisplaygeometry | awk '{print $1; }'))
y_size=($(xdotool getwindowfocus getdisplaygeometry | awk '{print $2; }'))
offset=$(((x_pos / x_size) * x_size))

new_x_size=$((($x_size / 2) * 95 / 100))
new_y_size=$((($y_size / 2) * 86 / 100))
new_x_pos=$((($x_size / 2) + ($x_size * 1 / 100) + $offset))
new_y_pos=$((($y_size / 2) + ($y_size * 2 / 100)))

wmctrl -i -r $window -b remove,maximized_horz,maximized_vert
wmctrl -i -r $window -e 0,$new_x_pos,$new_y_pos,$new_x_size,$new_y_size
top_windows.sh 
#!/bin/bash

window=$(printf '0x0%x' $(xdotool getwindowfocus))
x_pos=($(wmctrl -l -G | grep $window | awk '{print $3; }'))
y_pos=($(wmctrl -l -G | grep $window | awk '{print $4; }'))
x_size=($(xdotool getwindowfocus getdisplaygeometry | awk '{print $1; }'))
y_size=($(xdotool getwindowfocus getdisplaygeometry | awk '{print $2; }'))
offset=$(((x_pos / x_size) * x_size))

new_x_size=$(($x_size * 97 / 100))
new_y_size=$((($y_size / 2) * 86 / 100))
new_x_pos=$(($x_size * 2 / 100  + $offset))
new_y_pos=$(($y_size * 2 / 100))

wmctrl -i -r $window -b remove,maximized_horz,maximized_vert
wmctrl -i -r $window -e 0,$new_x_pos,$new_y_pos,$new_x_size,$new_y_size
bottom_window.sh 
#!/bin/bash

window=$(printf '0x0%x' $(xdotool getwindowfocus))
x_pos=($(wmctrl -l -G | grep $window | awk '{print $3; }'))
y_pos=($(wmctrl -l -G | grep $window | awk '{print $4; }'))
x_size=($(xdotool getwindowfocus getdisplaygeometry | awk '{print $1; }'))
y_size=($(xdotool getwindowfocus getdisplaygeometry | awk '{print $2; }'))
offset=$(((x_pos / x_size) * x_size))

new_x_size=$(($x_size * 97 / 100))
new_y_size=$((($y_size / 2) * 86 / 100))
new_x_pos=$(($x_size * 2 / 100 + $offset))
new_y_pos=$((($y_size / 2) + ($y_size * 2 / 100)))

wmctrl -i -r $window -b remove,maximized_horz,maximized_vert
wmctrl -i -r $window -e 0,$new_x_pos,$new_y_pos,$new_x_size,$new_y_size
left_windows.sh 
#!/bin/bash

window=$(printf '0x0%x' $(xdotool getwindowfocus))
x_pos=($(wmctrl -l -G | grep $window | awk '{print $3; }'))
y_pos=($(wmctrl -l -G | grep $window | awk '{print $4; }'))
x_size=($(xdotool getwindowfocus getdisplaygeometry | awk '{print $1; }'))
y_size=($(xdotool getwindowfocus getdisplaygeometry | awk '{print $2; }'))
offset=$(((x_pos / x_size) * x_size))

new_x_size=$((($x_size / 2) * 95 / 100))
new_y_size=$(($y_size * 93 / 100 ))
new_x_pos=$(($x_size * 2 / 100 + $offset))
new_y_pos=$(($y_size * 2 / 100))

wmctrl -i -r $window -b remove,maximized_horz,maximized_vert
wmctrl -i -r $window -e 0,$new_x_pos,$new_y_pos,$new_x_size,$new_y_size
right_windows.sh 
#!/bin/bash

window=$(printf '0x0%x' $(xdotool getwindowfocus))
x_pos=($(wmctrl -l -G | grep $window | awk '{print $3; }'))
y_pos=($(wmctrl -l -G | grep $window | awk '{print $4; }'))
x_size=($(xdotool getwindowfocus getdisplaygeometry | awk '{print $1; }'))
y_size=($(xdotool getwindowfocus getdisplaygeometry | awk '{print $2; }'))
offset=$(((x_pos / x_size) * x_size))

new_x_size=$((($x_size / 2) * 95 / 100))
new_y_size=$(($y_size * 93 / 100 ))
new_x_pos=$((($x_size / 2) + ($x_size * 1 / 100) + $offset))
new_y_pos=$(($y_size * 2 / 100))

wmctrl -i -r $window -b remove,maximized_horz,maximized_vert
wmctrl -i -r $window -e 0,$new_x_pos,$new_y_pos,$new_x_size,$new_y_size
center_window.sh 
#!/bin/bash

window=$(printf '0x0%x' $(xdotool getwindowfocus))
x_pos=($(wmctrl -l -G | grep $window | awk '{print $3; }'))
y_pos=($(wmctrl -l -G | grep $window | awk '{print $4; }'))
x_size=($(xdotool getwindowfocus getdisplaygeometry | awk '{print $1; }'))
y_size=($(xdotool getwindowfocus getdisplaygeometry | awk '{print $2; }'))
offset=$(((x_pos / x_size) * x_size))

new_x_size=$(($x_size * 90 / 100))
new_y_size=$(($y_size * 80 / 100))
new_x_pos=$(($x_size * 5 / 100 + offset))
new_y_pos=$(($y_size * 10 / 100))

wmctrl -i -r $window -b remove,maximized_horz,maximized_vert
wmctrl -i -r $window -e 0,$new_x_pos,$new_y_pos,$new_x_size,$new_y_size

Key binds You just bind the shell scripts using the XFCE keyboard menu. You can bind the shortcuts as you like, I use the super/windows key for the shortcuts.

super+q : top-left super+w: top super+e: top-right super+a: left super+s: center super+d: right super+z: bottom-left super+x: bottom super+c: bottom-rigth

Screenshots

corners|690x390

top-bottom|690x390

left-right|690x391

center|690x392

mixed-size|690x390