Re: [gdm-list] How make a window on top

[Ray Strode <halfline gmail com>]

Hi,

On Thu, May 13, 2010 at 3:22 AM, Jeff Cai <Jeff Cai sun com> wrote:
> In gnome-screensaver, when the screen gets locked, gnome-screensaver
> will create a full-screen window to cover the screen. But I wonder how
> gnome-screen ensure always to cover other applications windows? If at
> one time, a new window of an application pops up, how does the
> full-screen window ensure to cover it?
gnome-screensaver watches the window hierarchy and raises itself to
the top when necessary.
A better approach would be to use the mit screensaver window.

I wrote a blog post about that here:

blogs.gnome.org/halfline/2007/07/25/screensaver-extension/

but haven't gotten a chance to change things yet.

> Another question is how to make a window be able to show in the front of
> the full-screen window if the window is not a child window like
> gtk-unlock-dialog?
You cant really.   I mean we could add some hack to let specific
windows through, but nothing like that exists now.   Also, that
highlights one of the big issues with having the unlock dialog on the
same X server as the screensaver.  If the screen is locked, then we
can't "unlock" certain apps.  Only the lock dialog has the grabs, so
only it can get input.

BTW, this would probably be better discussed on gnome-screensaver's list.

--Ray