[User 390889]

This is needed, I think in spite the 'issues' you mention, it should be promoted to official Kodi right now (putting info about the issues on Settings, just like other info is displayed on hovering over the different items).

Because of the KB2670838 bad detecting, I use Kodi in portable mode from unzipped installer.
For using your version, is it enough to replace the 'kodi.exe', or do I have to replace something else like some dlls?

Are you going to release a 17.4 version?

Thank you.

[Shine]

17.4 build is up.

As mentioned before, I don't currently have time to work on this other than providing an updated build every once in a while.

Issues needed to be solved before this is PR-worthy are imo:

• Conflicts with competing always-on-top windows
  
• Window handling in general needs to be refactored to make external programs and players work reliably when always-on-top mode is active. The window handling right now is a mess and a pain to work with.
  
• The other issues mentioned in this thread that I'm unable to reproduce so far

Anybody who feels up to it feel free to pick up from where I left off.

[User 390889]

Working great.

I'm just careful not to send anything else on-top to the 2nd screen, and no problems.

The only issue (not just your version, official Kodi too) is that in full-screen mode, Alt+tab always send Kodi to the 'last' turn, if there are many windows open it's not possible Alt+tab quick back and forth between Kodi and some other now-working-with program.

Many thanks.

[User 390889]

Issue: after enabling 'on top' and using Kodi on 2nd screen, later I send it back to the 1st screen, watched something and then made the mistake to use Alt-tab which send me to who knows what window while looking at an inaccessible Kodi lol, I had to blindly Alt+tab many times/combinations until I got again to Kodi to disable 'on top' .

Can you make the setting 'always on top -only on 2nd screen-' ?

This would eliminate most issues...

[Shine]

Not an issue, it's working as intended.
Always-on-top means it stays on top even if other windows gain focus. That's the whole point of this patch! It's your responsibility to make sure not to hide your active window with the Kodi window.

Hint:

• Press Alt+Space
• Press m (in English Windows version, other languages may vary)
• You can now move the active window using the cursor keys until it is visible.

This is MS Windows basics...

[User 390889]

I tried the Alt+space > move window , but it is of some use if the 2nd screen is on (it was off on my recount ) with only 1 screen if Kodi is fullscreen moving the active non-kodi window shows nothing...

this compared whit e.g. Potplayer and Simpleplayer:

when one puts them in fullscreen on the 2nd screen, they keep visible -and functioning if playing something- if one puts focus on some other window in 1st screen;

if one puts them in fullscreen on the 1st screen, Alt+tab is not invisible like in Kodi-on-top, one can chose and view freely what to give focus and view (besides they don't go 'last place' in Alt+tab like Kodi),

so they are not really 'on top' but they don't loose view on 2nd screen, which is the useful thing?
maybe you have some other use and of course you are the developer...

[Shine]

if one puts them in fullscreen on the 1st screen, Alt+tab is not invisible like in Kodi-on-top, one can chose and view freely what to give focus and view (besides they don't go 'last place' in Alt+tab like Kodi),

so they are not really 'on top' but they don't loose view on 2nd screen, which is the useful thing?
maybe you have some other use and of course you are the developer...

What you want ist windowed full-screen, not always-on-top. Windowed full-screen is the default setting in vanilla Kodi. Please use vanilla Kodi instead of my build.

[User 390889]

Problem is Kodi's ('windowed full-screen' as you say?) without a top bar (the default setting) minimizes -on 2nd screen- on putting something on focus -on 1st screen- which doesn't happen on the other apps like the e.g.s; I think it's a malfunction of official Kodi and I thought that was the reason for your build. Again -I'm not being ironic-, you might have other uses.

Kodi's (what I would call 'windowed' since I see the top bar and the minimize-restore-close buttons at the right side of the top bar) doesn't have the problem of minimizing on 2nd screen. This is the mode I would call 'windowed full-screen' -if one 'maximizes' it but still sees the top bar...-.

The other apps don't minimize on the 2nd screen when putting something on focus on 1st screen on either mode (with or without the top bar), whatever 'windowed' or 'full-screen' correctly mean...

[Shine]

No, my patch doesn't change that behavior. My patch only adds an always-on-top mode, as described in the first post of this thread. It does not do a single thing more and it never will.

You might want to head over to the Feature Request forum and post your request there, perhaps someone will hear you.

[cecastil]

I have a Westinghouse WDE L40F42 flat screen that has always given me problems with certain set top boxes. The worst was the standard Directv DVR receiver. The tv would flicker and display a "no signal" message when changing channels. This would only happen on the HDMI inputs and not component, composite or RF inputs.
Recently, the same tv started producing a reduced-size window when I would turn-off (not power-off) the tv. My Intel Compute Stick had never had an issue with Win10 Home and Kodi starting from Jarvis 16 to Krypton 17.3.

But, there was a recent Win10 Home Update (August 2017) that started the same behavior on the Compute Stick. The Compute Stick has only an HDMI plug with which to attach to a tv or HD monitor. It can do up to 1080p reliably. I did have Krypton 17.3 Kodi-On-Top installed, but the reduced-size window behavior continued. Yes, the reduced-size window was always on top. It was the headerless, frameless window described in previous posts. Krypton 17.4 did not help resolve this problem and I lost the Always-On-Top feature! Bummer...

But, I had seen quite a few posts on HDMI EDID synchronization in Googling around on the topic. There were older posts suggesting a hardware fix via the HDMI connector. Either tape-up, insulate or remove pin 9 of the HDMI plug or buy an expensive HDMI EDID sync box ($100 plus USD). I did a search for a more recent such hardware-based device and found the following for $22.99USD. It took an HDMI female jack-to-female jack adapter to connect the signal source side to my Intel Compute Stick, but the typical HDMI connection cable was the connector to my tv input. It fixed all monitor issues I was having and seemed to better the resolution, as well.

I don't think this HDMI inline device will work with any kind of sink. You can try it. I surely didn't. I just think the manufacturer mispelled the abbreviation "sync" as in synchronize or synchronization. This the only ding I found in this device. I recommend it highly!

FUERAN
HDMI Pass-Through EDID Emulator for use with video splitters, Switches and Extenders (fit-Headless)3840x2160@60hz（NOT SUPPORT Dp to HDMI Adapter Cable Connection )

https://www.amazon.com/Pass-Through-spli...AYNC7HBH4Q

Buen provecho!

CEC

[ichkriegediekri]

@Shine 

Oh...this is so great! Finally an "always on top" feature that works! Finally no more pop-ups or other crap stealing focus - i.e. manual resolution change lets Kodi loose focus when not running in "shell mode", and now it works!!!!

Is there anything we can do to bring that in into official Kodi?

[User 390889]

Hi. Is there a keyboard shortcut to enable/disable 'on top', or would you eventually add one?
Thank you.

[ichkriegediekri]

Hi

I always found that build very helpful. Any chance of a v18 build?

[kennypenny]

Please make alwaysontop edition for v18!

[Shine]

Since more and more people are PMing me asking for a v18 port of this patch, here's my public answer:

Kodi 18 never worked properly for me, not during beta and not the final build. So I'm personally staying with 17 for now. Therefore no plans to port this to v18 at this time, sorry. If ever any v18.x version works for me, then I might consider porting this patch.

That's the status from early this year, right when 18.0 got released. I haven't tried any newer 18.x build ever since, partly because I'm happy with v17 so far, but mainly because time wouldn't permit anyway.

Anybody feel free to pick up from here, this is open source after all! :-)