howto: minimize evolution to tray

[nZain]

With Lucid I gave evolution another try (actually the fourth time I installed a new Ubuntu version) and after some fiddling it worked (the first time, sadly). I like the idea to gather all "message" like things in one tray icon, so basically I like the indicator-applet. However, there is no way to customize it and many users complain about this. One particular issue is that evolution cannot be minimized to this tray icon. There are a lot of workarounds, all of them (to my knowledge) circumventing the indicator-applet and using an individual tray icon. But today, I found out how to do it. So...

You want to use the indicator-message icon, but minimize evolution without an entry in the window-list?

Devilspie has the "skip_tasklist" capability. So, install devilspie and create a script for evolution mail, e.g. $HOME/.devilspie/evolution.ds like this:

( if 
  ( and
    ( matches (application_name) "evolution" )
    ( matches (window_name) "^.*-.Evolution" )
  )
  ( begin 
    ( println "--[ Evolution ]--" )
    ( pin )
    ( skip_tasklist )
    ( minimize )
  )
)

When evolution is started, the script pins evolution (so its available on all workspaces), enables skip_tasklist (so it is not shown in the window list), and minimizes it.

best
Patrick

[x-shaney-x]

Hmm, it's doing nothing here.

I added the file as well as a "test" firefox rule to make sure it's working.
When run from a terminal devilspie is showing both the .ds files are being read but doesn't actually do anything.

Though I do get a message saying /etc/devilspie doesn't exist.

[iamnotthemessiah]

not working here either. devilspie running

[aeltester]

works right here.

( if 
  ( and
    ( is (application_name) "evolution" )
    ( matches (window_name) "^.*-.Evolution" )
  )
  ( begin
    ( pin )
    ( skip_tasklist )
    ( minimize )
  )
)

[x-shaney-x]

That's not working for me either

[nZain]

Hmm, too bad When you run devilspie in a terminal with the debug option, i.e.

devilspie -d

do you get the println output from my original code? Eventually, the regular expression may not work in your language setting? On my system, the output looks like this, when I have both firefox and evolution open:

patrick@patrick-laptop:~$ devilspie -d
Devil's Pie 0.22 starting...
Loading /etc/devilspie
/etc/devilspie doesn't exist
Loading /home/patrick/.devilspie
Loading /home/patrick/.devilspie/evolution.ds
Loading /home/patrick/.devilspie/firefox.ds
5 s-expressions loaded.
--[ Firefox ]--
Setting geometry '1024x750+1280+0'
Setting pinned
--[ Evolution ]--
Setting pinned
Skipping tasklist
Minimising

As you see, it also says that /etc/devilspie is missing on my system, probably some default settings that are loaded optionally. Furthermore, I'm not sure if that works with other panel implementations - I'm using the default in gnome, i.e. gnome-panel.

[x-shaney-x]

Devil's Pie 0.22 starting...
Loading /etc/devilspie
Loading /home/shane/.devilspie
Loading /home/shane/.devilspie/calc.ds
Loading /home/shane/.devilspie/evolution.ds
Loading /home/shane/.devilspie/firefox.ds
Loading /home/shane/.devilspie/openoffice.ds

4 s-expressions loaded.

That's it. It isn't just evolution, none of them are doing anything. The other files are just tests but I have tried all sorts of different expressions from different parts of the web and NOTHING is working for me.
I created the /etc/devilspie directory but made no difference.

[Eggenheimer]

It works for me if I make the match a bit more relaxed like this:

( if
  ( matches (window_name) ".+Evolution$" )
  ( begin
    ( println "--[ Evolution ]--" )
    ( pin )
    ( skip_tasklist )
    ( minimize )
  )
)

[x-shaney-x]

Thanks, NOW it's working.
None of my others are though. Not that it matters since I only want it for Evo

[mirajshah]

i'm quite sure both nZain's and Eggenheimer's scripts work for me; devilspie runs for me, i have the script in /etc/devilspie (i use opensuse), and when i open evolution the window wireframe thingy appears to maximize then minimize to the tray. The problem is, I can't seem to get a tray icon.... is this how the scripts are intended or is something wrong?

i'd really prefer to have a tray icon