Re: openbox, obpager

[RVP <rvp%SDF.ORG@localhost>]

On Mon, 28 Jul 2025, Niels Müller Larsen wrote:

> When I run ‘obpager &’ from a terminal after X is started, it starts nicely showing my workspaces and everthing works.
>
> The problem is that I don’t get the pager on the screen if I try to run ‘obpager &’ from either .xsession or .config/autostart. Nothing shows.

What a bizarre little program this is.
It:

a) dies if it can't locate the atoms it needs (which is only set by the WM);

b) creates a separate process for each desktop it finds (yes, indeed!);

c) can't handle any window already sitting where it wants to be (top LHC);

d) makes any window who's left edge goes off-screen disappear from its preview.

I suggest you file a PR upstream. In the meantime, try this workaround:

```
$ cat ~/.config/openbox/autostart
#!/bin/sh

{ sleep 5; obpager; } &
xmessage -fn 10x20 -timeout 1 'Dummy window created for OBPager' &

# Run other autostart programs.
# xterm -fn 12x24 -fg Ivory -bg Black -ls &
$
```