Is there a way/ubuntu program to glue a bunch of program windows together into one window?

Question

While developing, I like to keep a browser, and code editor open on the same screen. I'd like to find some way to join them and treat them as a single window, so they minimize together, and resize together, and have a movable divider between them.

Is there some sort of window-panel application that I can use to create a multi-program window?

Answer 1

Well, I don't have access to comments on this site yet; guess the points system is separate from stackoverflow.

Wanted to respond to OP's last comment. I really like xmonad. You can set it up to run within gnome, kde, etc. with extensions. Here are steps I took in gnome 2.28.2:

sudo yum install -y xmonad.x86_64
sudo yum install -y ghc-xmonad-contrib.x86_64
sudo yum install -y ghc-xmonad-contrib-devel.x86_64

Create a file ~/.xmonad/xmonad.hs and put in:

import XMonad
import XMonad.Config.Gnome
main = xmonad gnomeConfig

Set the window manager:

gconftool-2 -t string -s /desktop/gnome/session/required_components/windowmanager xmonad
gconftool-2 -t string -s /desktop/gnome/applications/window_manager/current xmonad

If you change your mind, you can run the above two commands, substituting xmonad with metacity to put it back as it was.

links:

xmonad in Gnome

xmonad in KDE

Answer 2

Don't know if it can be done with Gnome (or Unity), but you can definitelly do it with the Fluxbox WM, as named like tabs.

Another option is KDE's tabbed windows. IIRC PWM and PekWM can do it too.

Answer 3

It's probably not exactly what you want, but if your window manager does not provide support for this, you might be able to use an Xnest instance instead.

Xnest is essentially a nested X server that outputs to a window, rather than a hardware device. You can run specific applications, or even a full-featured desktop within an Xnest window.

Unfortunately, this approach is slightly cumbersome: applications need to be launched with a non-default display option (or a modified DISPLAY environment variable) and you cannot move windows into or out of the Xnest window.