How to use Claude to extend a Ruby window manager
Claude Code added multi-monitor basics, Xinerama bindings, and systray functionality to a custom Ruby X11 setup. The author reports daily use, with cleanup of the initial code still pending.
news.ycombinator.com
Suggested prompt
Suggested prompt written by Agents In Use, not the source author. Replace bracketed inputs and review tool permissions first.
Extend [custom Ruby window manager] and its [X11 bindings] with [multi-monitor or systray feature]. Explain the relevant X11 mechanisms before implementation, work within the existing bindings, and identify areas needing cleanup after I try the feature.
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See placements →Evidence at a glance
Sourced account- Source poster / publisher
- vidarh
- Original account
- Read the source ↗
- Published
- Source link checked
- Reported result
- The author reports working second-monitor support and subsequent Xinerama and systray additions, while describing the initial code as ugly and still awaiting cleanup.
- Human involvement
- The author uses the features daily and identified code-quality problems; the initial multi-monitor code remained uncommitted pending cleanup.
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How the agent did it
- Claude Code wrote basic multi-monitor support for the author's Ruby window manager.
- Claude Code added Xinerama support to the custom X11 bindings.
- The author asked Claude to explain systray operation before implementation.
After moving and gaining space for another monitor, the author used Claude Code to extend a custom Ruby X11 window manager. Claude wrote the basics of multi-monitor support largely by itself. The environment was unusual: the window manager used custom X11 bindings rather than Xlib or XCB, and the author knew of few examples that matched its structure.
The immediate priority was using the second monitor without spending more than a few hours on the work. The author says they started without understanding how X11 multi-monitor support worked and that Claude made it function. They also describe the resulting code as ugly and uncommitted, with cleanup still desired.
Further work added Xinerama support to the X11 bindings and selection support needed for a systray in the author's pager. Claude also wrote the systray implementation. Before starting that work, the author asked Claude to explain how a systray works.
The author reports relying on these features daily, prioritizing working functionality for personal projects. They contrast that practice with their own more incremental, polished work process on professional projects.
Who it's for: Developers maintaining unusual personal software who can accept an initial working implementation followed by cleanup.
Prompt
Suggested prompt (written by Agents In Use, not the author's)
Source: Hacker News · vidarh
Frequently asked questions
Did this window manager use standard X11 libraries?
The author says it used custom X11 bindings, with neither Xlib nor XCB.
Was the generated multi-monitor code ready to commit?
The author says the code worked but was ugly and had not been committed because they wanted to clean it up.
More details
Remaining steps
- Claude added selection support and wrote the systray implementation.
About this account
Claude Code implemented unfamiliar window-system features, with the author choosing priorities and requesting explanations before systray work.
Platform: Hacker News. Attribution: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43935204. Prompt: Suggested (written by Agents In Use, not the author's). Sourced by the Agents In Use pipeline.
Credit: vidarh on Hacker News
Source published
Added to Agents In Use
Source checked
Tools and topics
Claude Code · Ruby · Custom X11 bindings · Xinerama
Ruby · X11 · Window managers
Editorial completeness: 100/100. Measures documented fields, not agent performance or verified outcomes.