[dev] [dwm] Window Layout Not Being Respected After Using Another Window Manager

[ruby R53]

I used FVWM for less than like 2 hours, and then, when I came back to dwm, I noticed all my windows were being treated as dialog ones, and so none of them respected my default window layout (monocle).

I'm currently running dwm 6.6 on Gentoo, provided by their official package repository. If it matters, I also have the following patches applied to it:

dwm-bartabgroups-20210802-138b405.diff
dwm-center-6.2.diff
dwm-preventfocusshift-20240831-6.5.diff
dwm-refreshrate-20230826-9554a10.diff
dwm-removeborder-20220626-d3f93c7.diff

But I don't think it might be their fault, as I've been using them almost since I started using dwm as well (months ago), and never had any problems with them.

Then, I've also installed dwmblocks as I came back from FVWM. I thought it could be the issue as well, but after starting dwm without it, there was no difference whatsoever.

So, what could possibly be causing this? Could FVWM have interfered with how windows behave in X, or could it actually be dwmblocks' fault and I didn't catch it?

The weirdest part is how _all_ windows are affected. No matter what program I launch, all of them will have their window behaving as floating ones. A quick fix would be to use Mod+Shift+<space> on each of them, but they won't retain that parameter after I close them.

[Hiltjo Posthuma]

Do you expect others to apply your specific patches and configuration and try
to reproduce the problem for you (assuming it is even a dwm bug at all)?

Please learn to write a proper detailed bug report and use the vanilla upstream
version (git or 6.6).

I will not look into this one at least.

--
Kind regards,
Hiltjo

[ruby R53]

> Do you expect others to apply your specific patches and configuration and try
to reproduce the problem for you (assuming it is even a dwm bug at all)?

well that's why i said "if it matters" in the first place

> Please learn to write a proper detailed bug report and use the vanilla upstream
version (git or 6.6).

right, i can try it and will keep you updated on it

On Friday, September 12th, 2025 at 6:32 AM, Hiltjo Posthuma <hil...@codemadness.org> wrote:

> On Fri, Sep 12, 2025 at 02:17:45AM +0000, ruby R53 wrote:
>
> > I used FVWM for less than like 2 hours, and then, when I came back to dwm, I noticed all my windows were being treated as dialog ones, and so none of them respected my default window layout (monocle).
> >
> > I'm currently running dwm 6.6 on Gentoo, provided by their official package repository. If it matters, I also have the following patches applied to it:
> >
> > dwm-bartabgroups-20210802-138b405.diff
> > dwm-center-6.2.diff
> > dwm-preventfocusshift-20240831-6.5.diff
> > dwm-refreshrate-20230826-9554a10.diff
> > dwm-removeborder-20220626-d3f93c7.diff
> >
> > But I don't think it might be their fault, as I've been using them almost since I started using dwm as well (months ago), and never had any problems with them.
> >
> > Then, I've also installed dwmblocks as I came back from FVWM. I thought it could be the issue as well, but after starting dwm without it, there was no difference whatsoever.
> >
> > So, what could possibly be causing this? Could FVWM have interfered with how windows behave in X, or could it actually be dwmblocks' fault and I didn't catch it?
> >

> > The weirdest part is how all windows are affected. No matter what program I launch, all of them will have their window behaving as floating ones. A quick fix would be to use Mod+Shift+<space> on each of them, but they won't retain that parameter after I close them.

[Hiltjo Posthuma]

On Fri, Sep 12, 2025 at 09:51:12AM +0000, ruby R53 wrote:
> > Do you expect others to apply your specific patches and configuration and try
> to reproduce the problem for you (assuming it is even a dwm bug at all)?
>
> well that's why i said "if it matters" in the first place

It could matter. If you used vanilla dwm (to debug) then you've ruled at least
this out. It is just basic debugging principles.

Also for your sake: more people might help you if the issue (if there is any)
is easier to reproduce or test for.

http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html#beprecise

--
Kind regards,
Hiltjo

[ruby R53]

fair enough

turns out this was enough for me to find the culprit: the center patch

i didn't apply the necessary changes to config.h and so it wasn't able to behave properly, kinda weird that i was only able to experience the bug long after i got that patch tho'

so thanks for the tip, and i apologize in case i acted like a n00b