multi-monitor, placement: size requests cause window to maximize, when moving to a larger monitor would be better

[Lalo Martins]

Description: Ubuntu 12.10
Release: 12.10
compiz 1:0.9.8.4-0ubuntu3

I have two monitors of different sizes (laptop and external). I have emacs configured for a default frame size that makes efficient use of my external monitor. However, emacs opens with its default-default window size, then changes when it reads my init file.

“Smart” placement will more or less randomly place it in either monitor, depending on the apps I have open at the moment, where my mouse cursor is, the day of the week, and direction of the wind. It's fine when it places it on the external, but when it's placed on the laptop, it then tries to resize to larger than would fit on the screen.

Expected: the window would be moved to the large monitor, where it fits.

What happens instead: it gets maximized; unmaximizing it and then moving it doesn't make it the right size. I have to “Open new frame...” from the emacs menu, then close the old one.

This of course happens with other apps too, it's just easier to reproduce with emacs due to the fact that it reads its init file after the window has already been drawn.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Trying to understand the exact problem... can I retitle this to:
"Window opens maximized on a smaller monitor instead of opening on a larger monitor where it would fit"
?

[Lalo Martins (lalo.martins)]

Sorry, I think the description was pretty clear, with instructions to reproduce it, no?

Here's the exact lisp that makes it happen for me:
(setq default-frame-alist '((width . 100) (height . 50)))

I don't know if it happens when windows *open*, if it does it would be nice to fix them too; it does happen when they resize themselves, that was what the bug was about.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Please clarify the bug title so that it describes the problem, rather than a desired solution.

[Lalo Martins (lalo.martins)]

I'm sorry to be rude/passive-aggressive, but have you actually read the description? I have no idea how to make it more clear than that; it explicitly describes the problem, it has steps to reproduce it, and it explains why it's a problem. Does this title help?

[Lalo Martins (lalo.martins)]

I guess I phrased the title as a feature request because it didn't feel like a very high priority bug, sorry if that was confusing. I'm sure you're busy.