Suggestion: notify when programs finish

[Richard Hult <rhult hem2 passagen se>]

I have a little suggestion for GNOME:

Completion notify

Sometimes I compile large programs, with lots and lots of lines of 
code. These compilations can take a couple of minutes and up to 
almost half an hour for very big things like the Linux kernel. I try 
to use my computer as efficient as possible, which means that I have 
many programs running simultaneous, and the windowmanager I use 
(Enlightenment) lets me have several virtual desktops (or what it is 
called in e ;). One effect of this, is that my programs are scattered
all over the different desktops, and all windows are not visible at 
the same time at all times.

What do I want then? I would like a functionality that let me attach 
a notifier on 'things' (like programs, windows or shell commands). 
When the 'thing' is done, I wish to have a popup window that tells me
so. For example, when my gnome-libs compile is finished, I wish to go 
on and compile the next gnome package as fast as possible, so I can 
try out the new bleeding-edge version of gnome =)

Or maybe I want to know when my netscape-download of gnome-core is done
so I can start compiling it as quickly as possible =)

I do not know how this should be implemented, and if it's a really 
useful function, but I myself have often wished that I had a simple 
way to "mark" a process with a notify-flag. Perhaps it could be done 
by having a little flag in gtop, that I could click. gtop or a 
notify-program in the background could then check every 5 seconds or 
so, if the process is finished. This way, you cold use the notify 
tool on already started processes, and not just before you start a 
process. But I don't like that you have to start a program to 'flag the
window', it doesn't feel smooth enough to be useful.

Another way, that feels more "natural", or at least easier to use, 
would be to start the program like this:

frenzy> cd gnome-libs
frenzy> gnotify make

This could be used to start program with the 'run program'-menu 
entry in the panel, with an added checkbox, '[ ] notify when program 
is finished'. 

I don't know how that would work with things like netscape-download
windows though.

When the make process is done, a nice little gnome window pops up and 
tells me: 'make is done' or something similar. Even nicer would be if I 
could choose between an 'Ok'-button that just dismissed the window, and 
a 'Jump to window'-button, that would take me to the appropriate desktop, 
and deiconifying the window if nesseccary. This is very windowmanager 
dependant of course, but it would still be a very nice feature, 
methinks:)

Another way to do it, would be to let the windowmanager tell gnome that
a window closes. For example, a netscape-download window. 

So... any input? Totally worthless or even a bit useful? Does anything 
like this already exist?

IE, a nice way to let me start programs and let the GUI tell me when 
it's done.

Regards,
  Richard