tint2 - FAQ

Frequently asked questions. Please add any extra tips to the comments.

What is tint2?

  • Tint2 is a panel/taskbar for modern x window managers like GNOME, KDE, XFCE, openbox, pekwm,etc..

Who is the developer of tint2 ?

  • Main developers of tint2 are Thierry Lorthiois and Andreas Fink

Does tint2 have a system tray/notification area?

  • YES! Tint2 finally has system tray/notification area. Please install the latest build if your current build doesn't have it.

I have the latest build of tint2 but still no system tray

  • Check your tint2rc to see if you have the systray option configured and the options are not commented out.
  • The systray section looks like this 
    • #---------------------------------------------
# SYSTRAYBAR
#---------------------------------------------
systray = 1
systray_padding = 0 3 3
systray_background_id = 0
systray_sort = left2right

tint2 doesn't show the systray/notification

  • Check your tint2rc to see if you have 'systray = 1'
  • run tint2 in a terminal. if you get 'tint2 : another systray is running' it's because you have another systray/notification and you can't run more than one at a time.
    • In gnome, remove the systray/notification with a right clic on the separator before your systray/notification -> remove

Why did some systray icons disappear from the panel?

  • tint2 stops/restarts the systray protocol on some events (like switching theme with tint2conf). But some systray icons do not implement the stop/restart of the manager and so disappear from the panel. You can report the problem to us and also to the systray icon developer.

Why don't some systray icons appear when you run tint2 in a KDE session?

  • Some KDE applications use the KDE status notifier service to show system tray icons. If you disable this service (systemsettings -> Startup and Shutdown -> Service Manager -> uncheck "Status Notifier Manager") all the icons should appear normally in tint2.

I want to disable the tint2 systray

  • To disable the systray, just put systray = 0 in your tint2rc
  • Example: 
    • systray = 0
systray_padding = 0 3 3
systray_background_id = 0

How to configure real transparency

  • tint2 autodetects your composite manager and uses real transparency when possible. However, xcompmgr have a little bug which prevents tint2 from detecting it.
  • If you want autodetect with xcompmgr, download and apply xcompmgr's patch (in bug report). See xcompmgr patch

Tint2 doesn't work on compiz correctly?

I want to disable compiz shadow on Tint2

  • Run ccsm the compiz configuration tool. Go to Window Decorations. For both decoration and shadow windows, replace 'any' with 'any & !name=tint2'.

Adding a 'show desktop' button

  • tint2 doesn't implement 'show desktop' button. But here a way to get it.

Create a file with following text 

#!/bin/sh
if wmctrl -m | grep "mode: ON"; then
exec wmctrl -k off
else
exec wmctrl -k on
fi

Save it in /usr/bin/show_desktop.sh and make it executable.
Install the package 'wmctrl'. And call the script in tint2rc config file. 

time1_format = %H:%M
time1_font = sans 8
time2_format = %A %d %B
time2_font = sans 6
clock_font_color = #ffffff 76
clock_padding = 4 4
clock_background_id = 0
clock_lclick_command = show_desktop.sh

Then left click on the clock will do it.

Task list is limited

  • In your tint2rc file, check the value of taskbar_mode. If it's multi_desktop, tint2 show one taskbar per desktop. Change the value to single_desktop if you want just one taskbar.

How can I get 'pager like capability' ?

  • In your tint2rc file, change the value of taskbar_mode to multi_desktop. This option will show one taskbar per desktop. So you can detect on witch desktop is an application and witch desktop is empty (or full). You can close an application whithout switching to the desktop. You can drag n drop application between desktop.

I want to hide some tasks from the panel ?

  • In Openbox config file 'rc.xml' you can assign the property 'skip_taskbar' to your window

The tint2 panel is blank

  • A new option, called panel_items has been added to the config file. This option defines the items tint2 will show and the order of those items(from left to right). Please define that in your tint2rc file. The format is shown below. The options are L for Launcher, S for the Systray, T for the taskbar, C for the clock and B for the battery. 
    • panel_items = LTSBC

How to maximize window over tint2

  • You can manage interaction between tint2 and window with : 
    • panel_layer = bottom,normal,top
strut_policy = follow_size/minimum/none
autohide_height = integer
If you want maximized window never cover tint2: 
panel_layer = top
strut_policy = follow_size
If you want maximized window behind tint2: 
panel_layer = top
strut_policy = none
If you want maximized window behind tint2, but 2 pixels free so you can use desktop action (right click, ...): 
panel_layer = top
strut_policy = minimum
autohide_height = 2

I get errors when I try to compile tint2 on my own

  • Do you have all the dependencies installed? Please check here

I upgraded to tint2 and I still have the old panel with its bugs

  • The tint binary was renamed tint2 to avoid a conflict with another package.So your new tint2 startup command is tint2
  • Since a new stable release hasn't been released yet, both the old tint and the new tint2 binaries will be on your system when you upgrade just incase you run into some problems and want to fall back on the old binary.

Tint2 doesn't show in Pekwm

  • The problem is that pekwm defines by default edge borders, and doesn't allow a panel to get inside these edge borders. The config option is in ~/.pekwm/config under Screen/EdgeSize. You can either disable the edge borders or set tint2 to a size where it doesn't enter these borders (i.e. play with panel_size and panel_margin)
  • Setting the margin to one pixel made it appear on my screen. With horizontal panel: 
    • panel_size = 95% height
panel_margin = 0 1
  • With vertical panel: 
    • panel_size = width 95%
panel_margin = 1 0

Is there an IRC channel?

  • Yes. There is now an irc channel, #tint2 on irc.freenode.net.
  • Just ask your question and stay there, because we are not always watching the channel ;)