GNet Solutions » GNU/Linux Administration

While setting up my environment, I wanted a simple feature, windows to snap to the edge of the screen and resize the windows so I can have two windows side-by-side. This feature is known as Aerosnap (maybe because something similar was seen with Aero on Windows 7) and is relatively simple to set up.

Adding the feature¶

• First open up the LXDE configuration:
  

  vi ~/.config/openbox/lxde-rc.xml
  

  
  NOTE: If running lubuntu the configuration file may be called lubuntu-rc.xml. I'm running Arch so I am using the above example.

• Then add the following snippet below <chainQuitKey>C-g</chainQuitKey>:
  

   <!-- Aero Snap for Openbox Begin Code-->
      <keybind key="W-Left">        # HalfLeftScreen
        <action name="UnmaximizeFull"/>
        <action name="MoveResizeTo">
          <x>0</x>
          <y>0</y>
          <height>97%</height>
          <width>50%</width>
        </action>
      </keybind>
      <keybind key="W-Right">        # HalfRightScreen
        <action name="UnmaximizeFull"/>
        <action name="MoveResizeTo">
          <x>-0</x>
          <y>0</y>
          <height>97%</height>
          <width>50%</width>
        </action>
      </keybind>
      <keybind key="W-Up">        # HalfUpperScreen
        <action name="UnmaximizeFull"/>
        <action name="MoveResizeTo">
          <x>0</x>
          <y>0</y>
          <width>100%</width>
          <height>50%</height>
        </action>
      </keybind>
      <keybind key="W-Down">        # HalfLowerScreen
        <action name="UnmaximizeFull"/>
        <action name="MoveResizeTo">
          <x>0</x>
          <y>-0</y>
          <width>100%</width>
          <height>50%</height>
        </action>
      </keybind>
  <!-- Aero Snap for Openbox End Code-->
  

• And finally save and quit. Now you can control the window behaviour using the Super key (the key often named Win); such as
  1. Super+Up,
  2. Super+Down,
  3. Super+Left
  4. Super+Right