BSPWM not recognizing Spotify

[Brett99]

I'm trying to make a rule for Spotify, but it's not working. When I run 'bspc query -T', Spotify appears to have no name. Here's the output of bspc query -T:

HDMI3 1920x1080+0+0 50,0,0,0 *
    1 5 50 0,0,0,0 T - *
        V a 0.500000
            a Google-chrome Google-chrome 0x2000001 5 875x920+990+105 L --------
            H m 0.500000
                a URxvt urxvt 0x1200009 5 484x292+713+389 R -------- *
                V m 0.500000
                    m URxvt urxvt 0xE00009 5 484x292+713+389 R --------
                    m URxvt urxvt 0x1000009 5 484x292+713+389 R --------
    2 5 50 0,0,0,0 T -
        V m 0.500000
            m XFontSel xfontsel 0x1C0002A 5 574x181+668+444 R f------- *
            m   0x1600001 5 1810x920+55+105 R --------
    3 5 50 0,0,0,0 T -
    4 5 50 0,0,0,0 T -
    5 5 50 0,0,0,0 T -

Spotify is the line below XFontSel. It doesn't have a name, so I can't make a rule pertaining to it.

[Brett99]

I was able to make a rule that works with Spotify by using bspc rule -a "" fullscreen=on. Spotify's name is an empty string. Is this a BSPWM or Spotify issue?

[Brett99]

I think this is a BSPWM issue and not a Spotify issue because Spotify's name is recognized by xprop.

[baskerville]

What's the output of xprop?

[Brett99]

_NET_WM_ICON(CARDINAL) = 
WM_CLASS(STRING) = "spotify", "Spotify"
WM_NAME(STRING) = "Spotify"
_NET_WM_NAME(UTF8_STRING) = "Spotify"
XdndProxy(WINDOW): window id # 0x1400002
_NET_WM_DESKTOP(CARDINAL) = 4
WM_NORMAL_HINTS(WM_SIZE_HINTS):
        program specified location: 0, 0
        window gravity: Static
_NET_WM_PID(CARDINAL) = 5221
WM_LOCALE_NAME(STRING) = "en_US.UTF-8"
WM_CLIENT_MACHINE(STRING) = "Server"
WM_PROTOCOLS(ATOM): protocols  WM_DELETE_WINDOW, _NET_WM_PING

[baskerville]

What's the output of xlsw?

[Brett99]

0x0400001  ui-  NA           NA
0x0C00001  -io  Xautolock/xautolock  xautolock
0x0800003  u--  NA           xcompmgr
0x0E00001  u--  Google-chrome/google-chrome  google-chrome
0x0E00003  u--  Google-chrome/google-chrome  google-chrome
0x0E0001F  u--  Google-chrome/google-chrome  google-chrome
0x0E00022  u--  Google-chrome/google-chrome  google-chrome
0x1400001  u--  NA           NA
0x1600009  u--  URxvt/urxvt  brett@Server:~
0x1000075  u--  Google-chrome  Some glyphs don't work, some are tiny... don't know what to do. · Issue #889 · powerline/powerline - Google Chrome
0x2000001  u--  Spotify/spotify  Green Day - 21 Guns
0x100007B  u--  Google-chrome  How can I bind something to moving the scroll wheel left/right? · Issue #61 · baskerville/sxhkd - Google Chrome
0x1000001  ---  Google-chrome  baskerville/xlsw - Google Chrome
0x1800009  ---  URxvt/urxvt  brett@Server:~/Downloads/xlsw-master
0x1200004  u--  NA           NA
0x0E00030  u-o  NA           NA
0x1000046  ui-  NA           Chromium clipboard
0x0E0021E  u--  Google-chrome/google-chrome  google-chrome
0x1000078  u-o  NA           NA
0x100007C  u-o  NA           NA
0x1E00001  u--  Spotify/spotify  spotify
0x2A00001  u--  NA           NA
0x1000057  u-o  NA           NA
0x0400000  ui-  NA           bspwm

[baskerville]

Spotify sets its WM_CLASS too late. This property should exist when the map request is received.

[Froziph]

I get that Spotify should be the ones to fix this. But it worked before i updated bspwm (just did that today, haven't had time to create new configs before now). When it worked before, shouldn't it be fixable from bspwm's site? Any way to have a rule saying Spotify should spawn on a specific desktop? Some workaround?

[d630]

@Froziph A workaround for spotify is to get the _NET_WM_PID via xprop and then to grep the command name. An example for external_rules_command:

#!/bin/sh

id="${1?}" \
instance="$3" \
class="$2";

case "$class" in
    (foo)
        bar;;
    ("")
        unset -v _NET_WM_PID;
        . /dev/fd/0 2>/dev/null <<IN
        : \"\${$(
            xprop \
                -id "$id" \
                -notype \
                -f _NET_WM_PID 32c '=$0' \
                _NET_WM_PID;
        )}\";
IN
        case "$(ps -p "${_NET_WM_PID:?}" -o comm= 2>/dev/null)" in
            (spotify)
                echo desktop=^5;;
        esac;;
esac;

[navxio]

@d630 I'm facing the same problem, can you explain how to use your solution?

[d630]

Hey. I have come up with a much simpler solution in the meantime. Have a look at https://github.com/D630/bin/blob/master/bspwm-rules, https://github.com/D630/etc-bspwm/blob/master/etc/bspwm/bspwmrc, and https://github.com/baskerville/xdo

[navxio]

Thanks a ton @d630

[deadlysyn]

For posterity, this seems to be less spotify specific and more about electron apps in general? I have the same problem with slack from aur. Either way, @d630 's solution is a big help. 👍

[exynil]

external_rules.sh

#!/bin/sh

wid=$1
class=$2
instance=$3
consequences=$4

main() {
	case "$class" in
		firefox)
			if [ "$instance" = "Toolkit" ]; then
				echo "state=floating sticky=on"
			fi
			;;
		Spotify)
			echo "desktop=3"
			;;
		"")
                        sleep 0.5

			wm_class=($(xprop -id $wid | grep "WM_CLASS" | grep -Po '"\K[^,"]+'))

			class=${wm_class[-1]}

			[[ ${#wm_class[@]} == "2" ]] && instance=${wm_class[0]}

			[[ -n "$class" ]] && main
			;;
	esac
}

main

[maniac-en]

Hey, @exynil @d630 Even I'm facing the same issue of not able to add a rule for spotify! You both have mentioned a bash shell script to handle the issue but I'm actually unaware of how to actually implement your solution.

Do I simply call the script in bspwmrc or do I need to do something else about it?

[exynil]

Hi @maniac-en, Sorry for my English.

You need to use external rules in bspwmrc

bspc config external_rules_command "$HOME/bin/bspwm-external-rules"
bspwm-external-rules must be an executable file

You can look at my dotfiles

[maniac-en]

Hey @exynil Thanks for your reply!
I tried your solution, it almost works for me as I wanted to put my spotify on desktop 5 but it doesn't take me there! Here's what I'm using from your script: spotify.sh

Do you know what might be the issue?

[exynil]

@maniac-en
Your code works for me. There is a delay in the script sleep 0.5. I did it because my window class data appears after some time.
You may have a very fast or slow system. Try increasing this delay number, for example, to a second and see if it helps.

In fact, this is not a very good way (to rely on latency), but it turns out that data on the window class appears in the system some time after the program starts. I haven't found another way to quickly get the window class data yet.

P.s. I have a poor level of English, I hope I didn't make any mistakes.

[exynil]

@maniac-en
What do you mean by "almost works"? Spotify expands to full screen, but just doesn't go to 5 workspace? Can you show me your last bspwmrc and spotify.sh (external-rules)

[maniac-en]

Your English is completely fine, don't worry about that!
I get how you're fetching the class based on delay! But the thing is other rules for spotify are working in my case except going to Desktop 5.

I say almost because out of all the rules I supplied in spotify.sh , going to Desktop 5 is not working!

I tried changing the delay to 1, 1.5, 2, and even removing it, but no luck!

Here's my bspwmrc which has the external rule for spotify!

[exynil]

@maniac-en
I think I understand what your mistake is.
Your desktop names are referred to as:

bspc monitor -d I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X

when creating rules, you should rely on these names.

echo "state=fullscreen desktop=V follow=on"

Hope this helps you!

[maniac-en]

@exynil
Oh ya that was it! Everything works now.
I just shifted to using BSPWM and therefore I was using the config provided in /usr/share/doc/bspwm/examples/bspwmrc.

Thankyou so much for help!

[exynil]

@maniac-en You’re welcome

[ghost]

Alright so spotify has been a mother to work with the bspwm rules but I managed to find a workaround.

1. Fixing spotify going to the right workspace on startup:

At the top of my bspwmrc I launch polybar then I have a few programs I want to start one of them being spotify:
spotify &

Then I put this command:
wmctrl -r Spotify -t 6

This pretty much says "Take spotify and put it in the 6th workspace (Starting the count from 0, so really the 7th workspace)

You can replace the 6 with whatever workspace you want spotify to go to.

2. Fixing the spotify rule

I just used @d630 script he posted in 2016 and put this on my bspwmrc.
bspc config external_rules_command "$HOME/.config/bspwm/scripts/spotify.sh"

And now my spotify goes to its assigned workspace at startup and if for whatever reason I close it during the session, if I reopen it it's going to to the assigned workspace.

Phew...

[p0ryae]

I can fully confirm @lyonelz96 's solution and @d630 's script still work till this day.

@d630 's script lack focus and follow so when you open the window, it doesn't switch workspace.

To add that feature, simply add follow=on and focus=on after echo desktop=^5
So it looks like this:

echo desktop=^5 follow=on focus=on;;

Instead of

echo desktop=^5;;

[BlueInt32]

A little note to anyone struggling to make @d630's script work: do not forget to add execution permissions to the bspwm-rules file. I have been stuck on this for like an hour... 😏

[vaygr]

My problem with external rules is that on every window launch the script is going to be executed, which seems much heavier on resources. I ended up writing a devilspie2 rule after taking a look at dasJ/spotifywm#8:

-- Move spotify to the designated desktop
local spotify_desktop = 5

if (get_application_name() == "Untitled window" and get_window_name() == "Untitled window") then
  if get_process_name() == "spotify" then set_window_workspace(spotify_desktop) end
end

[PolGZ]

Neither of the two solutions offered by @d630 nor @exynil seem to work for me. Even copy-pasting d630 config files from his second reply.

I have bspc config external_rules_command "$HOME/.config/bspwm/scripts/external_rules.sh" on my bspwmrc and the external_rules.sh script has execute permissions. Any idea what should I test?

I also tried changing the desktop=5 to desktop=V, since I have them named like that, as pointed by exynil to @maniac-en.

I am using Debian stable + spotify flatpak. Could it be because of being a flatpak?

[exynil]

Hello @PolGZ . I checked my solution is still working. If you still haven't solved the problem. Send me your bspwmrc and bspwmrc_extarnal_rules.sh file.

[bo1929]

They have finally fixed this. The latest version of the Spotify client now sets everything on time.