Always On Top

Always On Top is a GNOME extension that allows applications that don't have the 'Always On Top' feature in their default menus to stay on top of other windows.

Features

Panel Button

A button appears on the top panel that shows the current window state:

• Left click: Toggle the focused window's "always on top" status
• Right click: Open the context menu for quick settings access
• Middle click: Toggle window stickiness (visible on all workspaces) - only works when stickiness is enabled in settings

Visual Indicators

The panel button shows different icons based on the current window state:

• Pinned icon: Window is on top
• Under icon: Window is not on top
• Pinned sticky icon: Window is on top AND visible on all workspaces
• Under sticky icon: Window is visible on all workspaces but not on top
• No focus icon: No window is focused or desktop is focused

Keyboard Shortcut

• Default shortcut: Super+T to toggle pin/unpin the focused window on top
• Customizable: Change the keyboard shortcut through the extension preferences

Stickiness Feature

When enabled, you can make windows "sticky" (visible on all virtual desktops):

• Use middle-click on the panel button to toggle stickiness
• Can be disabled in settings if not needed
• Works independently of the "always on top" feature

Configurable Settings

Access settings via the extension preferences or right-click the panel button:

• Position: Choose whether the button appears on the left or right side of the panel
• Rank: Set the position priority (0-9) among other panel elements
• Stickiness: Enable/disable the middle-click stickiness feature
• Keyboard Shortcut: Customize the hotkey for toggling always-on-top

Installation

Method 1: Download from GitHub Releases (Recommended)

1. Download the latest release:

   • Go to Releases
   • Download always-on-top-v*.zip (the extension package)

2. Install the extension:

   # Extract to extensions directory
   unzip always-on-top-v*.zip
   cp -r AlwaysOnTop@Siddharthh39.github.io ~/.local/share/gnome-shell/extensions/

3. Restart GNOME Shell:

   • On X11: Press Alt+F2, type r, and press Enter
   • On Wayland: Log out and log back in, or reboot your system

4. Enable the extension:

   gnome-extensions enable AlwaysOnTop@Siddharthh39.github.io

Method 2: Download from GitHub (Latest Development)

1. Download the extension:

   wget https://github.com/Siddharthh39/Always-On-Top/archive/refs/heads/main.zip

2. Extract and install:

   unzip main.zip
   cd Always-On-Top-main
   cp -r . ~/.local/share/gnome-shell/extensions/AlwaysOnTop@Siddharthh39.github.io/

3. Compile the schema:

   cd ~/.local/share/gnome-shell/extensions/AlwaysOnTop@Siddharthh39.github.io/schemas
   glib-compile-schemas .

4. Restart GNOME Shell:

   • On X11: Press Alt+F2, type r, and press Enter
   • On Wayland: Log out and log back in, or reboot your system

5. Enable the extension:

   gnome-extensions enable AlwaysOnTop@Siddharthh39.github.io

Method 3: Clone Repository

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/Siddharthh39/Always-On-Top.git
   cd Always-On-Top

2. Install the extension:

   cp -r . ~/.local/share/gnome-shell/extensions/AlwaysOnTop@Siddharthh39.github.io/

3. Follow steps 3-5 from Method 1

Method 4: Automated Installation Script

You can also use the provided installation script:

#!/bin/bash
# Always On Top Extension Installer

EXTENSION_DIR="$HOME/.local/share/gnome-shell/extensions/AlwaysOnTop@Siddharthh39.github.io"

echo "Installing Always On Top Extension..."

# Create extension directory
mkdir -p "$EXTENSION_DIR"

# Download and extract
wget -O /tmp/always-on-top.zip https://github.com/Siddharthh39/Always-On-Top/archive/refs/heads/main.zip
unzip -q /tmp/always-on-top.zip -d /tmp/
cp -r /tmp/Always-On-Top-main/* "$EXTENSION_DIR/"

# Compile schema
cd "$EXTENSION_DIR/schemas"
glib-compile-schemas .

# Clean up
rm -rf /tmp/always-on-top.zip /tmp/Always-On-Top-main

echo "Extension installed successfully!"
echo "Please restart GNOME Shell and enable the extension:"
echo "  gnome-extensions enable AlwaysOnTop@Siddharthh39.github.io"

Uninstallation

To remove the extension:

gnome-extensions disable AlwaysOnTop@Siddharthh39.github.io
rm -rf ~/.local/share/gnome-shell/extensions/AlwaysOnTop@Siddharthh39.github.io

Compatibility

Tested with:

• Ubuntu 23.10+ x86_64
• GNOME Shell: 45, 46
• Other Linux distributions with GNOME

Note:

• Tested with DING extension - works well! 😉
• For best experience, use with vanilla GNOME
• Compatible with most other GNOME extensions

Usage Tips

1. Quick Toggle: Use the keyboard shortcut Super+T for instant window pinning
2. Multi-Desktop Workflow: Enable stickiness to keep important windows visible across all workspaces
3. Panel Organization: Adjust the rank setting to position the button where you prefer it on the panel
4. Settings Access: Right-click the panel button for quick access to preferences

Troubleshooting

Extension not appearing after installation

• Make sure you restarted GNOME Shell properly
• Check if the extension is enabled: gnome-extensions list --enabled
• Verify the extension directory exists and has correct permissions

Keyboard shortcut not working

• Check if the shortcut conflicts with system shortcuts
• Try setting a different shortcut in the extension preferences
• Ensure the extension is active and enabled

Settings not saving

• Make sure the schema is compiled correctly
• Check file permissions in the extension directory

Contributing

Feel free to contribute to this project! You can:

• Report bugs and issues
• Suggest new features
• Submit pull requests
• Improve documentation

License

This project is licensed under the GNU General Public License v3.0 - see the LICENSE file for details.

Credits

• Original concept inspired by the need for better window management in GNOME
• Icons and UI design following GNOME Human Interface Guidelines
• Built with love for the GNOME community

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Repository: https://github.com/Siddharthh39/Always-On-Top
Author: Siddharthh39