Fluxbox

Fluxbox is a very light window manager, highly customizable (look, shortcuts, etc).

amixer enables you to control your sound card, and the xosd package with osd_cat command enables you to print some stuff to the screen, even with a bar graph for the volume :

Mod4	m	:MacroCmd {ExecCommand amixer sset Master toggle} {ExecCommand amixer sset PCM toggle} {Exec sleep .1s} {Exec echo "Sound `amixer sget Master volume | grep Left: | cut -f 8 -d " "`" | osd_cat -d 1 -p middle -A center -s 1 -u blue -O5}
Mod4	Shift	m	:MacroCmd {ExecCommand amixer sset PCM toggle} {Exec sleep .1s} {Exec echo "Sound PCM `amixer sget Master volume | grep Left: | cut -f 8 -d " "`" | osd_cat -d 1 -p middle -A center -s 1 -u blue -O5}
Mod4	o	:MacroCmd {ExecCommand amixer sset Master 1+}  {Exec sleep .1s}  {Exec osd_cat -d 1 -p middle -A center -s 1 -u blue -O 6 -b percentage -P `amixer sget Master volume | grep Left: | cut -f 7 -d " " | cut -c 2-4` -T "Master: `amixer sget Master volume | grep Left: | cut -c 24-50`"}
Mod4	i	:MacroCmd {ExecCommand amixer sset Master 1-}  {Exec sleep .1s}  {Exec osd_cat -d 1 -p middle -A center -s 1 -u blue -O 6 -b percentage -P `amixer sget Master volume | grep Left: | cut -f 7 -d " " | cut -c 2-4` -T "Master: `amixer sget Master volume | grep Left: | cut -c 24-50`"}
#Mod4	o	:MacroCmd {ExecCommand amixer sset Master 1+}  {Exec sleep .1s}  {Exec echo Master | osd_cat -d 1 -p middle -A center -s 1 -u blue -O2 -l1} {Exec amixer sget Master volume | grep Left: | cut -c 24-50 | osd_cat -d 1 -p middle -A center -s 1 -u blue -O5 -l2}
#Mod4	i	:MacroCmd {ExecCommand amixer sset Master 1-}  {Exec sleep .1s}  {Exec echo Master | osd_cat -d 1 -p middle -A center -s 1 -u blue -O2 -l1} {Exec amixer sget Master volume | grep Left: | cut -c 24-50 | osd_cat -d 1 -p middle -A center -s 1 -u blue -O5 -l2}
Mod4	Shift	o	:MacroCmd {ExecCommand amixer sset PCM 1+}  {Exec sleep .1s}  {Exec osd_cat -d 1 -p middle -A center -s 1 -u blue -O 6 -b percentage -P `amixer sget PCM volume | grep Left: | cut -f 7 -d " " | cut -c 2-4` -T "PCM: `amixer sget PCM volume | grep Left: | cut -c 24-50`"}
Mod4	Shift	i	:MacroCmd {ExecCommand amixer sset PCM 1-}  {Exec sleep .1s}  {Exec osd_cat -d 1 -p middle -A center -s 1 -u blue -O 6 -b percentage -P `amixer sget PCM volume | grep Left: | cut -f 7 -d " " | cut -c 2-4` -T "PCM: `amixer sget PCM volume | grep Left: | cut -c 24-50`"}
#Mod4	Shift	o	:MacroCmd {ExecCommand amixer sset PCM 1+}  {Exec sleep .1s}  {Exec echo PCM | osd_cat -d 1 -p middle -A center -s 1 -u blue -O2 -l1} {Exec amixer sget PCM volume | grep Left: | cut -c 24-50 | osd_cat -d 1 -p middle -A center -s 1 -u blue -O5 -l2}
#Mod4	Shift	i	:MacroCmd {ExecCommand amixer sset PCM 1-}  {Exec sleep .1s}  {Exec echo PCM | osd_cat -d 1 -p middle -A center -s 1 -u blue -O2 -l1} {Exec amixer sget PCM volume | grep Left: | cut -c 24-50 | osd_cat -d 1 -p middle -A center -s 1 -u blue -O5 -l2}

Mod4	p	:ExecCommand xmms -t

The sleep command is just used to print the new value after the change. cut is used to extract the value of the volume for the bar graph.

Instead of shading the window.

For that, you have to modify the source code of fluxbox. Of course, it is easier if you use a source distribution such as Gentoo (here is explained how to emerge a package and modify sources).

But you just have to modify one line in Window.cc :

Window.cc:4084
-  frame().setOnClickTitlebar(shade_cmd, 1, true); // doubleclick with button 1
+  frame().setOnClickTitlebar(maximize_cmd, 1, true); // doubleclick with button 1

Instead of only switching between visible windows (not minimized).

One more time, you have to modify the source code, this time there are two lines :

FocusControl.cc:71
-  (opts & FocusControl::CYCLESKIPSHADED) != 0 && win->isShaded() || 
-  win->isFocusHidden()
+  (opts & FocusControl::CYCLESKIPSHADED) != 0 && win->isShaded() //|| 
+ //win->isFocusHidden()

FocusControl.cc:122
-  if (fbwin && !fbwin->isIconic() &&
+  if (fbwin && /*!fbwin->isIconic() &&*/

I've written to make the modifications for the two previous tips automatic. To apply the patch, copy it in the parent of the src folder, and enter :

patch -p0 < fluxbox.maximize.patch

The patch :

diff -r -U 3 src.orig/FocusControl.cc src/FocusControl.cc
--- src.orig/FocusControl.cc	2006-07-08 01:00:05.000000000 +0200
+++ src/FocusControl.cc	2006-07-08 00:58:21.000000000 +0200
@@ -71,9 +71,9 @@
     // skip if not active client (i.e. only visit each fbwin once)
     (opts & FocusControl::CYCLEGROUPS) != 0 && win->winClient().window() != winclient.window() ||
     // skip if shaded
-    (opts & FocusControl::CYCLESKIPSHADED) != 0 && win->isShaded() || 
+    (opts & FocusControl::CYCLESKIPSHADED) != 0 && win->isShaded() //|| 
     // skip if hidden
-    win->isFocusHidden()
+ //   win->isFocusHidden()
     ); 
 }
 
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@
             break;
 
         FluxboxWindow *fbwin = (*it)->fbwindow();
-        if (fbwin && !fbwin->isIconic() &&
+        if (fbwin && /*!fbwin->isIconic() &&*/
             (fbwin->isStuck() 
              || fbwin->workspaceNumber() == m_screen.currentWorkspaceID())) {
             // either on this workspace, or stuck
diff -r -U 3 src.orig/Window.cc src/Window.cc
--- src.orig/Window.cc	2006-07-08 01:00:06.000000000 +0200
+++ src/Window.cc	2006-07-08 00:58:21.000000000 +0200
@@ -4084,7 +4084,7 @@
 
     // setup titlebar
     frame().setOnClickTitlebar(raise_and_focus_cmd, 1, false, true); // on press with button 1
-    frame().setOnClickTitlebar(shade_cmd, 1, true); // doubleclick with button 1
+    frame().setOnClickTitlebar(maximize_cmd, 1, true); // doubleclick with button 1
     frame().setOnClickTitlebar(show_menu_cmd, 3); // on release with button 3
     frame().setOnClickTitlebar(lower_cmd, 2); // on release with button 2