Automating Window Minimization and Raising

Oct 13, 2025 by wbrum.org 41 views

Introduction

In this article, we will explore the process of minimizing and raising a window from a shell script on a Linux machine with a GUI. This can be particularly useful for automating tasks that require user interaction, such as checking internet speed. We will use the X11 protocol and the xdotool command-line tool to achieve this.

Prerequisites

Before we begin, make sure you have the following packages installed on your Linux machine:

xdotool: A command-line tool for simulating keyboard and mouse events.
x11-utils: A collection of X11 utility programs.

You can install these packages using your distribution's package manager. For example, on Ubuntu or Debian, you can use the following command:

sudo apt-get install xdotool x11-utils

Minimizing a Window

To minimize a window, we can use the xdotool command with the windowminimize option. Here's an example:

xdotool windowminimize --sync <window_id>

Replace <window_id> with the actual ID of the window you want to minimize. You can obtain the window ID using the xdotool command with the getwindowfocus option:

xdotool getwindowfocus

This will print the ID of the currently focused window.

Raising a Window

To raise a window, we can use the xdotool command with the windowraise option. Here's an example:

xdotool windowraise --sync <window_id>

Again, replace <window_id> with the actual ID of the window you want to raise.

Automating Window Minimization and Raising

Now that we have the basic commands for minimizing and raising a window, let's create a script that will automate this process. We'll use the xdotool command to minimize the terminal window, run a command to check internet speed, and then raise the terminal window with the result.

Here's an example script:

#!/bin/bash terminal_id=$(xdotool getwindowfocus) xdotool windowminimize --sync $terminal_id speedtest=$(speedtest-cli --simple)

xdotool windowraise --sync $terminal_id xdotool type --window $terminal_id --clear $speedtest xdotool key --window $terminal_id Return

This script uses the speedtest-cli command to check internet speed and then raises the terminal window with the result.

Conclusion

In this article, we explored the process of minimizing and raising a window from a shell script on a Linux machine with a GUI. We used the X11 protocol and the xdotool command-line tool to achieve this. We also created a script that automates the process of minimizing the terminal window, running a command to check internet speed, and then raising the terminal window with the result.

Additional Tips and Variations

To minimize all windows, you can use the xdotool command with the windowminimize option and the --sync option, like this:

xdotool windowminimize --sync --all

To raise all windows, you can use the xdotool command with the windowraise option and the --sync option, like this:

xdotool windowraise --sync --all

To minimize a window by its title, you can use the xdotool command with the search option and the windowminimize option, like this:

xdotool search --class Terminal --windowminimize

To raise a window by its title, you can use the xdotool command with the search option and the windowraise option, like this:

xdotool search --class Terminal --windowraise

Q: What is the X11 protocol?

A: The X11 protocol is a windowing system protocol that allows multiple clients to communicate with a single server, which manages the display and input devices. It is the underlying protocol used by most Linux desktop environments.

Q: What is xdotool?

A: xdotool is a command-line tool for simulating keyboard and mouse events. It allows you to automate tasks that require user interaction, such as clicking buttons, typing text, and moving the mouse.

Q: How do I install xdotool on my Linux system?

A: You can install xdotool on most Linux distributions using the package manager. For example, on Ubuntu or Debian, you can use the following command:

sudo apt-get install xdotool

Q: How do I get the ID of a window using xdotool?

A: You can use the xdotool command with the getwindowfocus option to get the ID of the currently focused window. For example:

xdotool getwindowfocus

Q: How do I minimize a window using xdotool?

A: You can use the xdotool command with the windowminimize option to minimize a window. For example:

xdotool windowminimize --sync <window_id>

Replace <window_id> with the actual ID of the window you want to minimize.

Q: How do I raise a window using xdotool?

A: You can use the xdotool command with the windowraise option to raise a window. For example:

xdotool windowraise --sync <window_id>

Replace <window_id> with the actual ID of the window you want to raise.

Q: How do I automate window minimization and raising using xdotool?

A: You can create a script that uses the xdotool command to minimize the window, run a command to check internet speed, and then raise the window with the result. Here's an example script:

#!/bin/bash terminal_id=$(xdotool getwindowfocus) xdotool windowminimize --sync $terminal_id speedtest=$(speedtest-cli --simple)

xdotool windowraise --sync $terminal_id xdotool type --window $terminal_id --clear $speedtest xdotool key --window $terminal_id Return

Q: Can I minimize all windows using xdotool?

A: Yes, you can use the xdotool command with the windowminimize option and the --sync option to minimize all windows. For example:

xdotool windowminimize --sync --all

Q: Can I raise all windows using xdotool?

A: Yes, you can use the xdotool command with the windowraise option and the --sync option to raise all windows. For example:

xdotool windowraise --sync --all

Q: Can I minimize a window by its title using xdotool?

A: Yes, you can use the xdotool command with the search option and the windowminimize option to minimize a window by its title. For example:

xdotool search --class Terminal --windowminimize

Q: Can I raise a window by its title using xdotool?

A: Yes, you can use the xdotool command with the search option and the windowraise option to raise a window by its title. For example:

xdotool search --class Terminal --windowraise

Conclusion

In this Q&A article, we covered some common questions and answers related to minimizing and raising windows from a shell script using xdotool. We hope this helps you automate tasks that require user interaction on your Linux system.