Category: Bug of the day

GNOME bug 504729 suggests that switching with alt-tab, while using compositing, is too slow. This is because all the images of the windows are scaled on the client side before the window is displayed.

There are two possible answers to this problem.

Firstly, we can check for key release while scaling is happening, and if one is received, abort scaling and simply switch to the next application.

Secondly, scaling can be faster if it’s done server-side.  This is possible but apparently there’s a common bug that it hits.  Fixing this would also mean that we got to have animated previews easily.

I think the first solution should be added in any case, and the second should be added when it’s possible.  I can add the first solution; I’m not sure I know enough to fix the second.

Photo © L. Marie, cc-by.

In GNOME bug 502491 someone is asking for an effect like Exposé on OS X.  Iain, who wrote the compositor and ought to know, believes it would be better done as a separate program.  There was an attempt to do this a while back, called Expocity, but nothing much came of it.  Does this mean the bug is INVALID?  Should the external program exist?  Anyone fancy doing it?

Includes the memorable exchange:
“Every time I propose an enhancement, you say ‘go for it’.  What are you doing?”
“I’m cooking my dinner.  What are you doing?”

If it was a separate program, it could be activated by a mouse button or a keybinding in the same way that, say, Print Screen is currently activated.  The program could move windows about using the EWMH, but I don’t see how an external utility could tell the compositor to scale the contents of windows down and back again.  Iain, can you throw me a clue? Update: Thanks.

Someone said yesterday in the discussion on animated previews in the alt-tab switcher that an Exposé-like effect would be good for everything that animated previews would, and more.

Photo © Underpuppy, cc-by-nd-sa.

True to my promise, here’s the first bug/squib of the day.

In GNOME bug 567757 someone is asking for live previews in the alt-tab window.  I can’t think why this would actually be useful, as opposed to pretty, and it sounds like a lot of work and a source of new bugs.  I am therefore minded to say no.  Can anyone think of why it might be worth the trouble?