Hot corners in XFCE <SOLVED>

[Isaac Beà]

Hello,
I'm a Cinnamon user, but on an old computer I'd like to switch to XFCE because Cinnamon is already starting to run a bit slow.
The problem I'm having is that I'm very used to hot corners in Cinnamon, but in XFCE I see that they don't exist.
I've tried all these different options: viewtopic.php?t=366782, but none of them work.
Do you know if there is a way to use hot corners in XFCE?
Thanks.

[rossdv8]

I have a couple of them set up on my Mint Xfce to do different things. I set them up in Mint 19.3, and I have upgraded this system gradually to Mint 21, So I'll have to remember how I got them. I generally document all changes, so I will see if I saved it in my 'Xfce Fixes' folder . .

E D I T:
Ok,
There's a way to do it that involves some programming, but that gives a lot of choices in what you can do with Hot Corners.
This is the way I originally set it up, and yes, I did document it, but I can barely follow it myself these days.

There's a way to do it that is really simple, but is mostly just for using to display all my Virtual Desktops, so I can see at a glance what is on each of them, and to switch to the one i want to use. For example, if I move the mouse to the bottom right corner (my Panel is at the Top of the screen, so there's nothing at the bottom right), the display zooms out and I can see all 6 Workspaces and what is on them. Workspace 1 has Firefox, workspace 3 has LibreOffice open.
While I am zoomed out I can drag Firefox to from Desktop 1 to Desktop 2 for example, and drag LibreOffice from Desktop 3 to Desktop 1, then click on whichever desktop I want to use. I might click on 2 to get back to Firefox, or I might click on 4 and open a File Manager.

This is How I am using Hot Corners now, because really, it was all I ended up using it for after all the trouble I went to with the Python Scripts before. And this way is just a couple of mouse clicks.

What do you want to use your Hot Corners for?

[Isaac Beà]

Hello rossdv8,
Well, I would like to use hot corners exactly like you do (and with a similar desktop). My intention was to use hot corners to activate xfdashboard.
Thanks

[rossdv8]

Hi Isaac Beà, I'm typing in the dark here because it's late and I am heading to hospital in the morning. I just saw your reply, so I typed a heap of information, then accidentally hit a key combination that threw me back to square one. So I'll finish up now, and get back tomorrow after hospital.

In the mean time, can you check the Desktop Settings items in your Menu. There are two or three of them. If you hover the mouse over them in turn, one will say something about 'Fine Tune your Desktop Settings'. Open that one and when it opens, see what it says for Window Manager.

The bit that says what window manager you are using is a drop down list. Don't Change It, but click it and see what options are there. See if there is one called Compiz. again - Don't Change it. Leave it on the one you are using.

If Compiz IS in the list, tell me. Also, if it IS in the list, open a Terminal, and do:
sudo apt install compizconfig-settings-manager

If compiz is NOT in the list, do:
sudo apt install compiz
sudo apt install compizconfig-settings-manager

Send a reply when you have those, and I'll guide you through setting up the hot corners thing.
There are other ways than using Compiz, but this is the quickest and easiest way to get this function.
For now, here's a preview.

Desktop of one of my Mint 21 machines:


Setting up Hot Corners in Compiz to display ALL Workspaces using the Bottom Left corner of the screen.


What it looks like when I drag the cursor to the Bottom Left corner - Once I drag the mouse there I get a display of all workspaces and can quickly switch between them or drag various open windows around between them if I want:

[Isaac Beà]

Hi rossdv8,
Thank you for responding so quickly. I hope the hospital stay is for work...
At the moment I don't have the XFCE desktop installed, I'll wait to solve the hot corners problem first. I am now working with a live USB. LM 21 XFCE already has compizconfig-settings-manager installed by default.

[rossdv8]

Hi Isaac Beà, I'm just checking stuff while I give the old diesel a chance to get to operating temp. The hospital visit is for my 6 monthly heart electrocardiogram. Oddly, I've never had heart of artery disease, and never had a heart attack that I know of. I did however score two separate Golden Staph blood infections, the last one when I was trying to salvage stuff from my yacht after it went ashore in the mangroves in a cyclone 5 years ago. The infection got into my heart. I had a similar thing happen in 2010/11. So these days I try to stay away from Golden Staffies.
Way more info than needed - but that's why I'm heading off today, so nothing exciting.

Back on topic. You won't need all the transparency stuff I have, but if you look at the conky, you'll see 4GB of RAM used on an 8GB machine. That is with only Firefox running. In Mint 20, that was seldom above 2.5GB, with only Firefox running, and STILL had transparency and various other Compiz stuff running. Something changed with RAM use in Mint 21, but the higher RAM use is NOT anything to do with Compiz. Without opening Firefox most of my RAM use is fairly reasonable still.
Whatever caused it, the system doesn't seem to run differently. I've had Compiz as my display manager since Mint 17 or so on the Mint machines. Back then I had Kubuntu on another and still have Elementary and other stuff on one or two.

Anyway, a fresh install of Mint Xfce is a good place to start. You can probably work out how Compiz Config Settings Manager works, and enable 'Expo',, but I'll see what is happening next time you reply.

Cheers, RossD

E D I T
I'm back again, and I just hooked into the computer (through NoMachine VNC) that I set up with a fresh install of Mint 21 Xfce. The default Window manager on it seems to be Compiz, because I don;t recall installing it or setting it up, and you are right, No longer any need to install Compiz Config Settings Manager. I opened CCSM, typed expo into the little search thingy, and it was enabled. I looked through the settings, and where I always use Bottom Left to display it, the default seems to be Bottom Right.

If my memory is wrong, all you need to do is Enable Expo, and choose a corner or two that doesn't interfere with your panel. Xfce comes default with the panel at the bottom of the screen. If you like it there, make the trigger for Expo the Top Left or Top Right. The reason to pick the corners that are NOT where your Panel lives, is to pick the corner that is NOT next to the Mint Menu, or you'll get to hate Hot Corners really quickly.

[Isaac Beà]

I hope you are well, rossdv8.
Thank you very much for your help. It works perfectly with Compiz.

[rossdv8]

Glad I could help, Isaac.
Once in a while something I suggest is useful
Don't be afraid of Compiz. There are other long time Linux users who seem to be scared of both Compiz and PulseAusio Volume Control, but honestly, the days when dinosaurs like me were playing with a Red Hat Linux Red that was struggling to make the transition from needing almost everything done in the Terminal, to a reasonable GUI, are long gone.

Tools Like CompizConfig Settings Manager, and PulseAudio Volume Control are there as 'Tools' to help us 'do stuff' in a more intuitive way, although a lot of us oldies still prefer to do a heap of stuff at the command line level.

Being able to access things like a 'basic' implementation of Hot Corners with a few mouse clicks simplifies life, even if it takes the 'programming fun' away from some tasks.

So - there are some really great online resources, including a complete manual, about both those programs (pavucontrol and CCSM). Compiz itself is a versatile 'tool' as well. You don;t need to turn every fancy thing on. If you do, you might find out why some people think Compiz is a resource hog. Just try the stuff that interests you and that your machine is capable of without running up a huge RAM deficit or making your GPU struggle.

And beware of the Firefox Tab Monster

[iliketrains]

excuse the off-topic drive by but.....
What you've done to that desktop is jaw dropping. I just felt it warranted some recognition.

[rossdv8]

excuse the off-topic drive by but.....
What you've done to that desktop is jaw dropping. I just felt it warranted some recognition.

That's one of the very rare times I recall an out of nowhere nice comment on one of my desktops. Probably because with all the panels and transparent effects and my changing the Mint logos from 'green' highlights and replacing the green bits with Mint Leaves and of course, the green drop shadows - it all gets a bit overpowering

Thing is, I have a 55 inch monitor, and I use multiple desktops, so the panels each side are simply to give ma s spot above and below the left and right panels to make it easy to scroll the mousewheel on the desktop to swap between workspaces. Often I have a couple of other computers on a desktop each, so I can easily use one screen, mouse and keyboard to control 4 computers and simply scroll between them all.

I guess I mostly do it 'because Mint can' and of course, being an old man, I like to play around with things like transparent apps, using videos as desktop wallpaper and other silly stuff none of us actually need - again, 'just because Mint can'.

So thanks. I like sharing stuff, so people don't forget 'ya Don't Need Windows or Mac' All you need is some fresh Mint.