KWin Rules
Overview
KWin allows the end-user to define rules to alter the behavior of an application's windows.
For example, when an application is started, it can be forced to always run on Virtual Desktop #2. Or a defect in an application can be worked-around by using a rule to, say, always force the window on top of all others.
This page will define the different settings and the attributes. For the impatient folks, working examples will be listed. Whenever possible, screen shots will be used to show example settings.
Tip
Examples
A collection of examples is provided to convey the power of KWin window rules.
KWin Rule Editor
Invoking the Editor
There are several ways one can invoke the Rules editor. Below are a couple:
- Right-click on the title-bar of any window, choose and in the Configure window, select or
Anatomy
The editor is composed of four tabs:
As the name implies, is used to specify criteria to match one or more windows. The other three tabs are used to alter the characteristics of the matching windows.
Rule Evaluation
When an application starts (or the rules are modified), KWin evaluates the rules from the top of the list until either a matching rule is found or the list is exhausted. If a rule matches, the attributes set in the rule are applied to the window and the window is displayed.
Tip
Window Matching
Each window rule has user-specified Window Matching criteria. KWin uses the information to determine whether the rule is applicable.
Window Attributes
Along with Window Matching criteria, each window rule has a set of Window Attributes. The attributes override the corresponding application's settings and are applied before the window is displayed by KWin.