Re: Helix stuff...

[Michael ROGERS <M Rogers cs ucl ac uk>]

>I grown used to having raise/lower window on Alt-F1/F2 and when I fired
>up sawmill it didn't work any more. My old key bindings were still
>there, but they didn't work. I found, after about some investigation,
>that there is an option in panel configuration that grabs the keys
>before sawmill. This is bad IMHO. It feels like the panel take's over
>some of the responsibilities that the window manager is supposed to
>have. I think that the key binding stuff should be in one place
>otherwise it will confuse the user (and it did this time and I'm used to
>fixing stuff...).

Well I think the ICCCM says the window manager shouldn't bind any keys. Stupid
in my opinion, but even so, if there is a conflict the WM is technically in
the wrong.

One possible solution is to define _one_ key which the window manager can
bind, a key which other Gnome apps must not use. This key (I was thinking of
the Windows key on my 105-key kbd when I thought of this, but the user should
be able to select it in the control center) puts the interface in "window 
manager mode" (think of vi's different editing modes). Any keys pressed
while in "window manager mode" go to the window manager, so you can press up
to raise windows, down to lower them, left/right to cycle through or whatever.
Pressing the window manager key again takes the interface out of "window
manager mode".

The key chosen by the user to enter/leave window manager mode would be known
by all Gnome applications, so they could use alternative key bindings if there
was a conflict.

eg: To lower the current window I might hit Windows-down-Windows. To switch to
the next window and close it I might hit Windows-right-delete-Windows. This
would allow very quick keyboard navigation of the desktop without tying up 
lots of keys (or one of the precious modifier keys).

Thoughts?


Michael