Ghostty window is off-center on Linux + GNOME when changing initial window dimensions

[alexrp]

I've noticed that, on Linux + GNOME, if I configure Ghostty's initial window dimensions to be different from the defaults, the window is no longer centered when starting. To illustrate the problem, here's me opening WezTerm and Ghostty:

And here are my Ghostty window dimensions:

window-height = 40
window-width = 130

For comparison, here are WezTerm and Ghostty, but with Ghostty's default window dimensions:

Note that this setting is required:

❯ gsettings get org.gnome.mutter center-new-windows
true

This issue does not occur with any other terminal emulator I've tried, so it seems like Ghostty might be doing something odd here.

❯ ghostty --version
Ghostty 1.1.2

Version
  - version: 1.1.2
  - channel: stable
Build Config
  - Zig version: 0.13.0
  - build mode : builtin.OptimizeMode.ReleaseFast
  - app runtime: apprt.Runtime.gtk
  - font engine: font.main.Backend.fontconfig_freetype
  - renderer   : renderer.OpenGL
  - libxev     : main.Backend.io_uring
  - desktop env: other
  - GTK version:
    build      : 4.14.2
    runtime    : 4.14.2
  - libadwaita : enabled
    build      : 1.5.0
    runtime    : 1.5.0
  - libX11     : enabled
  - libwayland : enabled

[rhodes-b]

In Wayland (GNOME has been by default for awhile) a program has no control where the initial window is placed. Thats generally at the control of the compositor.

Maybe when ghostty resizes the initial window its from the top left corner? Im not sure how well you are supposed to be able to control that.

GTK might also give you less control on that in general. You said you tried other terminal emulators but gnome terminal and console work?

[jcollie]

Gnome Tweaks has a setting that can be turned on to always center new windows:

It's off by default in Gnome <= 47 but I've heard that in Gnome >= 48 it will be default on.

[00-kat]

From OP:

Note that this setting is required:

❯ gsettings get org.gnome.mutter center-new-windows
true

So they almost certainly have the same setting that GNOME Tweaks sets enabled.