You can control the initial placement of client windows with specifications that use the following format:
Mwm* resource: value
Some of the resources for window placement are described in the following text.
The clientAutoPlace resource determines the position of a window when the window has not been given a specific position. The default value of True positions a window with the top left corner of the frame offset horizontally and vertically. The value of False causes the currently configured position of the window to be used. In either case, mwm attempts to place the window so the entire window appears within the boundaries of the screen.
The interactivePlacement resource controls the initial placement of new windows on the screen. The value of True changes the shape of the pointer to an upper-left-corner bracket before a new window is displayed, so that you can choose a position for the window. When the default value of False is used, the window is placed according to its initial configuration attributes or the values of other mwm resources such as clientAutoPlace.
The moveThreshold resource controls the sensitivity of dragging operations. The value of the moveThreshold resource is the number of pixels that the pointer must be moved with a button pressed before a drag operation is initiated. This resource is used to prevent window or icon movement when you unintentionally move the pointer during a click or double-click action. The default value is 4 pixels.
The positionIsFrame resource determines how client window position information is interpreted. When the default value True is used, the position information is relative to the position of the window frame. When the value is False, the position information is relative to the position of the client window itself.
The positionOnScreen resource controls clipping of new windows by screen edges. The default value True causes a window to be placed, if possible, so that it is not clipped. If clipping cannot be avoided, a window is placed so that at least the upper left corner of the window is on the screen. The value of False causes a window to be placed at the requested position even if it is totally off the screen. The iconPinned and clientPinned resources prevent windows from being moved when one of the window manager's virtual desktop capabilities, such as interactive panning, is in use. When the default value False is used, the icon or client window is panned whenever the root window is panned. If the value is True, the icon or client window will not be moved during panning operations.
The showFeedback resource controls when feedback information is
displayed. It controls both window position and size feedback during move or
resize operations and initial client placement. It also controls window
manager DialogBoxes (see Table 5-11).
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| all | Shows all feedback (default value) |
| behavior | Confirms behavior switch |
| kill | Confirms on receipt of KILL signal |
| move | Shows position during a move |
| none | Shows no feedback |
| placement | Shows position and size during initial placement |
| quit | Confirms quitting mwm |
| resize | Shows size during a resize operation |
| restart | Confirms restarting mwm |
The value for this resource is a list of names of the feedback options to be enabled or disabled; the names must be separated by a space. If an option is preceded by a - (minus sign), that option is excluded from the list. The sign of the first item in the list determines the initial set of options. If the sign of the first option is a - (minus sign), mwm assumes all options are present and starts subtracting from that set. If the sign of the first option is a + (plus sign) or not specified, mwm starts with no options and builds a list from the resource specification.
For example, you could use the following specification in your .Xdefaults file:
Mwm*showFeedback: placement resize behavior restart
This specification provides feedback for initial client placement and resize and enables DialogBoxes to confirm the restart and set behavior functions. It disables feedback for move operations.
To specify the maximum client size for specific classes of clients, the syntax is
Mwm* Clientclass.maximumClientSize: widthheight
For example, to specify that xload clients should be maximized to no more than one sixty-fourth of the size of a 1024768 display, use the following specification:
Mwm*XLoad.maximumClientSize: 12896
To specify the maximum client size for any client with an unknown class, the syntax is
Mwm*defaults*maximumClientSize: widthheight