[xmonad] background applications

[Eric Abrahamsen]

I've recently set up xmonad on Ubuntu 10.04, and I think it's a
testament to xmonad's ease of use that after only three days, the
biggest problem I'm having is this:

I've got some applications that are run at startup, including Skype.
Under gnome (or do I mean metacity?) Skype shows up only in the system
tray, no window. Under xmonad, Skype runs (if someone calls me a
floating window appears), but since it has no window I seem to have no
means of interacting with it. Is there some way I can call it up? Or at
worst, have it start with an actual window?

I'm trying to get a handle on the different "levels" that xmonad can run
at: either within gnome, or instead of gnome... is that right? Currently
I start out by selecting xmonad as my session at the gdm login page, and
the operative file is /usr/share/xsessions/xmonad.desktop, rather than
/usr/share/applications/xmonad.desktop.

Anyway, any pointers (either purely practical, or more conceptual) would
be welcome!

Eric