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SteveInBavaria
Asked: 2024-01-06 03:21:32 +0800 CST

Set application to "always on top"

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I am using Ubuntu 23.10 and I would like to set an application, in my case CuteCom Serial Monitor, to be always on top. At the moment if my IDE is fullscreen I have to launch CuteCom from the dash and then after I return to the IDE and make some changes I have to relaunch Cutecom from the dash again.

If this is possible I can imagine it being useful for other applications too.

gnome

2 Answers

  1. Best Answer

    Just right-click on the titlebar of the window you want to keep on top and select Always on Top from the menu.

    screenshot displaying the Always on Top option

    Alternatively, if you prefer to not use the mouse, you can press Alt+Super and use the up and down arrows to select Always on Top.

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  2. From command line? If so, you need wmctrl.

    In it's most simple form:

    xwin=$(xwininfo | grep -oP 'Window id: \K0x[0-9a-f]+'); wmctrl -i -r "$xwin" -b add,above

    How are you running the window? You need it to have an $XID to target the window. You can use xwininfo to select the window, but you have to do it every time the ID changes.

    This could serve as a GUI version. It will prompt to choose a window. Right click the tray icon to adjust.

    #!/bin/bash

about_dialog() {
        yad --window-icon="preferences-system-windows" --title="About" --on-top --borders=15 --center --skip-taskbar --image="preferences-system-windows" --buttons-layout="center" --text-align=center --text="Always On Top!\n\nChanges selected window's state from\n'Below' to 'Above' & vice-versa.\n" --button=Close:0
}
export -f about_dialog

window_to_int() {
        select_window=$(xwininfo | grep -oP "Window id: \K0x[0-9a-f]+")
}
export -f window_to_int

window_to_int

if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
        yad --skip-taskbar --on-top --window-icon="dialog-question" --title="Question" --image="dialog-question" \
        --button="Try Again":0 \
        --button="Quit":1 \
        --text="Failed to focus on the window.\nDo you want to select again?" \

    response=$?

    if [ $response -eq 0 ]; then
        exec "$0"
    else
        exit 1
    fi
fi

wmctrl -i -r "$select_window" -b add,above

# Tray Icon & Menu
yad --notification --skip-taskbar --image="go-top" \
    --command="bash -c about_dialog" \
    --menu=" Toggle ! wmctrl -i -r \"$select_window\" -b toggle,above \
| Remove ! wmctrl -i -r \"$select_window\" -b remove,above \
| Select ! bash -c 'wmctrl -i -r \"$select_window\" -b remove,above && exec "$0" & killall yad' \
| Exit ! bash -c 'killall yad & wmctrl -i -r \"$select_window\" -b remove,above'" --text="Always On Top!"

exit 0

    Save to: ontop_tray_icon.sh
    Change mode to executable: chmod +x ontop_tray_icon.sh
    Usage: ./ontop_tray_icon.sh

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