windows automatically maximize and lack decoration when minimized

[Egon Willighagen]

Binary package hint: kwin

$ lsb_release -rd
Description: Ubuntu 8.10
Release: 8.10

Problem:

windows automatically maximize in the KDE 4.1.2/3 desktop. Minimizing is sort of possible with resizing, but the windows do not have any decoration then. I confirmed to run kwin and 'kwin --replace & disown' did not help, as suggested on ubuntuforums [0]

Machines:

Yesterday, this happened in one machine, and this morning after reboot on my other laptop too. Both are upgraded from Hardy. On the first I repeatedly removed the .kde folder (renamed it to .kde.old), and per Riddel's comments on IRC, I made sure I had no funny window preferences in kwin*rc. I had the problem with the default 4.1.2, and since my second laptop ran 4.1.3 did not have the problem, I upgraded.

The second machine I upgraded a few weeks back already, and only started showing the problem today, with a last reboot 4 days ago. In that time, I installed several packages, one of which may have set some automagic parameter, possible a dependency of 'ubuntu-mobile'?

Suggestions on how to debug this most welcome.

Details:

$ apt-cache policy kwin
kwin:
  Installed: 4:4.1.3-0ubuntu1~intrepid1
  Candidate: 4:4.1.3-0ubuntu1~intrepid1
  Version table:
 *** 4:4.1.3-0ubuntu1~intrepid1 0
        500 http://localhost intrepid-backports/main Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
     4:4.1.2-0ubuntu13 0
        500 http://localhost intrepid-updates/main Packages
     4:4.1.2-0ubuntu12 0
        500 http://localhost intrepid/main Packages

But had the problem with 4.1.2 from regular intrepid too.

$ dpkg -l "*kwin*"
Desired=Unknown/Install/Remove/Purge/Hold
| Status=Not/Inst/Cfg-files/Unpacked/Failed-cfg/Half-inst/trig-aWait/Trig-pend
|/ Err?=(none)/Hold/Reinst-required/X=both-problems (Status,Err: uppercase=bad)
||/ Name Version Description
+++-=============================-=============================-==========================================================================
ii kwin 4:4.1.3-0ubuntu1~intrepid1 the KDE 4 window manager (KWin)
pn kwin-kde4 <none> (no description available)
ii kwin-style-crystal 2.0.1-0ubuntu1 semi transparant window decoration for KDE
ii kwin-style-serenity 1.7.1-2 plasmoid inspired window decoration for KDE
rc kwin4 4:3.5.9-0ubuntu1 Connect Four clone for KDE
ii libkwineffects1 4:4.1.3-0ubuntu1~intrepid1 library used by effects for the KDE 4 window manager

0.http://ubuntuforums.org/archive/index.php/t-940041.html

[Egon Willighagen (egonw)]

I also blogged about it, with two screenshots:

  http://kemistry-desktop.blogspot.com/2008/11/help-unsolved-problems-with-maximized.html

[Martin Gräßlin (ubuntu-martin-graesslin)]

Are you sure that you are not running by chance Compiz? I have never seen the problem of missing window decorations in KWin but it is a problem I know from Compiz. At least my experience is that if KWin does not show the decorations then KWin crashed and you are not able to change focus, etc. With Compiz it is still possible to change focus if there are no decorations.

[Egon Willighagen (egonw)]

On Sat, Nov 15, 2008 at 10:04 AM, Martin Gräßlin
<email address hidden> wrote:
> Are you sure that you are not running by chance Compiz? I have never
> seen the problem of missing window decorations in KWin but it is a
> problem I know from Compiz. At least my experience is that if KWin does
> not show the decorations then KWin crashed and you are not able to
> change focus, etc. With Compiz it is still possible to change focus if
> there are no decorations.

egonw@egonw-laptop:~$ ps aux | grep kwin
egonw 12169 1.5 0.9 69732 19540 ? Sl 08:09 2:01 kwin
egonw 22820 0.0 0.0 3240 820 pts/2 S+ 10:18 0:00 grep kwin
egonw@egonw-laptop:~$ ps aux | grep compiz
egonw 22824 0.0 0.0 3236 808 pts/2 S+ 10:18 0:00 grep compiz

Does that answer your question?

I'm in the process of seeing which packages my two broken systems have
installed that my still working one does not have... a quite long
list... need to write a script to invert diff them... will then post
the list. Maybe someone spots a bad package in that list...

Egon

--
----
http://chem-bla-ics.blogspot.com/

[Egon Willighagen (egonw)]

My .xsession-errors

[Egon Willighagen (egonw)]

OK, it seems to be a 'feature':

aptitude remove devilspie

That seems to solve the problem. Thanx to those who replied in my blog.

[Egon Willighagen (egonw)]

No, it does not. After a logging in again. I'm back to square zero :(

Removing devilspie does *not* solve the problem.

[Egon Willighagen (egonw)]

Sorry. It might actually work. I think something went wrong with the first 'dpkg --purge devilspie' I did... :( Sorry about that.

OK, since this automaximizing and removal of window borders seems to a feature, which is not likely to be suitable for laptop windows environments, and aimed at mobile devices other than laptops, might this report be read as:

wishlist to have something like (k)ubuntu-desktop(?) conflict with ubuntu-mobile? I know in retrospect that ubuntu-mobile was not for me, but the packages it depended on did not make me realize that was *not* for laptops, but for smaller devices where automaximize make sense...

[FriedChicken (domlyons)]

I have this problem on KDE 4.2 on Jaunty after installing ubuntu-mobile.

There should be a way to disable the autostart of devilspie on KDE. Applications like Kopete look really ugly in maximized mode and on a normal (laptop) display this doesn't make sense.

Maybe this bug has to do something with bug #305690, because CellWriter gets started without beeing asked, too.