run dialog

["Ben FrantzDale" <frantb rpi edu>]

In windows, the "run" dialog (IMHO) is the most usefull "program". There's
no quicker way to do many things than win+r (for example, to browse the C
drive, it's just win+r, c:, enter. same thing for a web site (though it
needs a leading http:// or www for it to see that it's a url)  also email is
just mailto:user@domain.com you get the idea.

I've tried gnome's run dialog, but found it lacking
First it start's unacceptably slowly. on my PII366 it's >1 second. Even on
slow computers Windows' run pops up imedately (also, I think the way the
windows keybord buffer works, you can start typing as soon as the program is
opened, but before it has finished opening and the text ends up being
entered anyway)

Second, Gnome run doesn't have a keybord accessable history (in windows, if
you hit the down arrow, it's like hitting up in bash)  In the same vein, tab
completion would be a must (as well as an indicator of working directory)

More things it could do to make it kick ass...  if you selected a file
rather than an executable, it would open it with the default mime type from
GMC (windows doesnt do this all the time...)  this could be extended so you
could say edit:~/gimpingpic.png and have it be opened by gimp for editing
rather than ee, say, for just viewing...

also, stuff like ~/pix/*.png could open all those files in ee....

bash commands could open a shell and execute the commands... (eg "ls ~"
would be equivilent to running a terminal and typing ls ~)
all sorts of cool stuff...  the power of a command line, the ease of use,
etc. of a GUI....

ideas?

--Ben