time settings and window snapping

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cmhobbs
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Joined: 06/24/2013

A couple of questions for Trisquel 7:

1. Can I adjust the way the clock displays in the lower right panel? I'd like it to be in 24 hour time. My clock settings are for 24 hour time, but the panel clock doesn't reflect that.

2. Is it possible to snap windows to the side of the screen, sort of like in XFCE? I.E. drag a window to the side of the screen and have it automatically tile to half the screen size?

Thanks a ton!

Telinome

I am a member!

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Joined: 08/13/2013

I too cannot get the clock to switch.

cmhobbs
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Joined: 06/24/2013

After some digging, I discovered it's not actually the clock applet but the indicator applet. You have to change its settings in dconf-editor. See the attached screenshot for the location to make these changes.

Screenshot from 2014-11-05 16:28:50.png
muhammed
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Joined: 04/13/2013

Thanks a lot!

I posted about this too a while ago

http://trisquel.info/en/issues/12087

SteveGeemaggio
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Joined: 01/06/2013

Hello,

As regards Window Snapping. I'm wondering why it is no longer a feature in Trisquel 7.0 too.

As far as I remember, window snapping was a feature in Trisquel 5.5, but ever since Trisquel 6.0 it is no longer a feature.

Also Trisquel 5.5 featured a very nice transparent menu panel by default, which I thought looked way nicer than the current default look of the menu panel. I'm aware the menu panel can be made transparent in properities, but any editing I have done with the menu panel has looked desperate.

I know these aren't real urgent matters, but look and feel is a big part of attracting users to a new OS, And to the world of freedom I believe, and small little features like Window Snapping, and a nice menu panel and icons could win over Tonnes of new users!

The default Trisquel desktop is like a badge of honour in my opinion, and I want to Wow people with it's look and feel, before I get technical, and then tell them the punch line... It's Completely Free as In Freedom Software!

Anyway, sorry for the rant. I love Trisquel and everything it stands for. Because of Trisquel I have easily been able to experience truely free software, and for that, I am very grateful.

Thank you Trisquel and everyone involved. Keep up the great work.

Cheers,

Steve

Classic desktop experience.jpeg
onpon4
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Joined: 05/30/2012

I'm pretty sure it was Trisquel 6, not Trisquel 5.5, which uses Compiz by default; that's what gives the window snapping feature. Trisquel 7 now uses Metacity by default again. You can still install and use Compiz (though I don't know how to do it).

The semi-transparent black from Trisquel 5.5 was probably removed because it looks incredibly ugly now, and it was even glitchy in Trisquel 5.5. To see what I mean, right-click on a panel, choose Properties, and go to the Background tab. Trisquel 5.5 had this set to semi-transparent black rather than "system theme"; try setting it to this, and you'll notice that it doesn't work consistently (in particular, the indicator applet won't change color with the panel; several other applets also have such a problem).

doolio
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Joined: 12/31/2013

Hi, how were you able to configure window snapping in Xfce. I've selected 'Snap Windows to screen border' and deselected the 'wrap workspaces' options under the Adnaced tab in the Windows Manager but my windows don't seem snap as you've described.

Trisquelian
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Joined: 01/23/2015

For those of you that want to keep the default Trisquel 7.0 GNOME Flashback look of your desktop and want window snapping. You will have to switch your window manager for Compiz. I wrote it up over here https://trisquel.info/en/wiki/compiz . Once you are done installing it, you have to go into Compiz's configuration window and configure window snapping as you want it (I don't think it is enabled by default).
Note: I actually forgot to test switching to Compiz when you are logging in ( I was not using lightdm/gdm at the time)

I personally use i3 (tilling window manager) as it provides great tilling functionality and gives a lot more power to the keyboard.

Ps: I would also like to know what other window managers provide window snapping/tilling without changing the default look of Trisquel.

davidnotcoulthard (not verified)
davidnotcoulthard

Since when did XFCE have snapping?

SteveGeemaggio
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Joined: 01/06/2013

Hello again,

Cheers for the replies!

onpon4,
I guess it might have been Trisquel 6.0 I meant. I thought it was 5.5 as I remember in the beginning being able to window snap and then window snapping disappearing for a long time. I must have had Metacity set instead of Compiz in 6.0.

I would have to disagree with you about the semi-transparent panel looking ugly, but I do agree that it is Very buggy! Even when using 5.5, I remember the panel suddenly becoming un-transparent after a while of running the OS, and now even when customising the panel in 7.0, those bugs still exist, and as you mentioned, the indicator applet does not become transparent. I believe if these bugs were fixed, some sort of nice transparency on the main panel would look nice for a future release of Trisquel. The new transparent Trisquel start menu in my opinion is very impressive looking. I love it.

Trisquelian
Thanks for the instructions to install Compiz. I may try that when I have time.

Below is a picture of Trisquel 7 with 5.5 transparency.

Steve

Trisquel7DefaultWith5.png
davidnotcoulthard (not verified)
davidnotcoulthard

If you want snapping/tiling/whatever-it-should-be-called, installing MATE, setting it up like Trisquel up to 5.5, and then having Compton start at startup would work.

Then go to dconf editor and there's a setting to enable Marco's window snapping (don't remember exactly where).