[Deskbar] Re: Gnome 2.14 Module Proposal: Deskbar Applet

[Jamie McCracken <jamiemcc blueyonder co uk>]

Beno�Dejean wrote:
> Le jeudi 27 octobre 2005 �3:32 +0100, Gustavo J. A. M. Carneiro a
> �it :
>
> > Qui, 2005-10-27 �11:05 +0200, Beno�Dejean escreveu:
> >  The result: a single process (per user, per display), and a single
> > main loop, for all applets.  Of course this means if one applet
> > deadlocks or dies, they all die.  But at least dying in python is not so
> > easy.  You usually get only an exception that is ignored.  Deadlock is
> > easier if they use threads.
>
>
> We don't do it for C applets because if "one applet deadlocks or dies,
> they all die". But thanks for raising the problem of many VM-based
> applets : currently, 3 applets would take ~ 50MB of RES memory.

Yes the real problem with panel applets is that they are out of process 
apps which regardless of the language they are written in are always 
going to be inefficient memory wise to some degree even when written in C.

The best solution is to run all panel apps in-process in their own 
threads (IE make a panel applet a GTKWidget that's threadsafe). We also 
get rid of Corba/bonobo by doing so which is always a plus. The 
drawbacks as stated should not really be a problem if the applets are 
properly debugged (at least so they dont seg fault)

--
Mr Jamie McCracken
http://www.advogato.org/person/jamiemcc/