XEmbed-based protocol

This interface allows to send X windows to be embedded into the system tray via XEmbed. It does not work in sandboxed applications.

Specification

Freedesktop.org System Tray Protocol Specification

Implementations

Application-side

Showing a menu, implemented client-side

• Gtk3 provides Gtk.StatusIcon

• Qt5 provides QSystemTrayIcon

• The following fall back to Gtk.StatusIcon:

  • libxapp: XAppStatusIcon

  • libappindicator

  • Electron: Tray

Showing full popup applets

This must be implemented by the application itself; no toolkit provides support for this.

Tray-side

Trays

• GNOME shell extension: gnome-shell-extension-appindicator

• xfce4-panel notification area (source)

• LXPanel systray (source)

• MATE panel systray

• tint2 systray

• a lot of other lightweight panels have their own systrays