Quake-like console for OpenBox

UPDATE: THIS SCRIPT HAS NEVER WORKED RELIABLY, I AM NOT SURE WHY, SO I STOPPED USING IT.

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Script for displaying uRXVt terminal as quake-like console. Written in Python3, works in OpenBox.

The script shows undecorated terminal window on top of all windows and on all desktops at top of a screen (hence "quake-like"). When the script is run again, the terminal becomes hidden. After another run, the terminal becomes visible again.

Script is intended to be used from OpenBox's rc.xml file like this:

<keybind key="W-t">
   <action name="Execute">
      <command>/path/to/quake_console.py</command>
   </action>
</keybind>

(This calls the script whenever Window key and "t" key are pressed together.)

Why I find it useful

I find very useful to access a shell anytime from anywhere with just one key combination, without positioning terminal window. Moreover it is persistent (unless you end a shel).

I enjoy the console particularly in these cases:

• Upgrading the system, because downloading packages take some time and I can quickly check a progress while I am doing other work.
• Using a command line utilities like cal, date or setxkbmap.
• Running some program when run script dialog is not enough.

Dependencies

Code is written in Python 3 and uses:

• uRXVt terminal,
• python Xlib and EWMH packages (both in PIP),
• Command xmessage (i.e. Xorg utlity) for displaying errors (can be omited).

Implementation notes

Unfortunately, I do not know X11 protocol so well, so I had some problems with handling position and size of a terminal window. In code are two comments that say I do not know why things are done this way, but it works for me.

Possible improvements

• Avoiding linear search of all windows by caching window ID somewhere? (In root window as a property?)
• Remembering window geometry when unmapping and seting it back when mapping.
• Making it somehow work with all EWMH compliant window managers.
• After start, console has full width (thanks to _NET_WM_STATE_MAXIMIZED_HORZ hint), but when a size is set via window.configure, window can be smaller than.