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Configure Linux System Tray

We have received feedback from our community regarding the issue of certain applications, such as Pidgin, not being recoverable once their window is closed on Linux subsystem. This inconvenience can be resolved by utilizing a utility called Stalonetray, which enables the opening of a system tray. By doing so, apps like Pidgin can be minimized to the system tray, ensuring their accessibility even when their main window is closed.

  1. Install Stalonetray

    Begin by installing the Stalonetray package:

    Terminal window
    sudo apt install stalonetray
  2. Create a Configuration File

    Next, create a configuration file for Stalonetray and save it as .stalonetrayrc in your home directory:

    Terminal window
    sudo vi .stalonetrayrc

    Add the following lines to the configuration file:

    background "#777777"
    decorations all
    geometry 4x1+0+0
    icon_size 48

    These lines define:

    • Background color
    • Enable all system tray icons
    • Set the tray geometry
    • Set the icon size

    Once you have finished entering the code, press Esc, enter :wq, and press Enter to save and exit.

  3. Run Stalonetray

    Finally, start Stalonetray to launch the system tray:

    Terminal window
    stalonetray &

    The ampersand (&) runs Stalonetray in the background as a daemon.

    Stalonetray Running Example

Once completed, any application that supports minimizing to the system tray will appear in the tray opened by Stalonetray. Right-clicking on the icons in the system tray will provide access to these apps, allowing you to open or close them as needed.