Gnome terminal feature: close button on tabs / modifying OSS

[Fred H Olson <fholson cohousing org>]

Hi,

I am using Gnome 2.14 as part of Ubuntu 6.06 and am very pleased
in general.

There is one specific little annoyance but first a few words about how I
set Gnome terminal up.  I have a saved session (which I had difficulty
doing) with an open Gnome terminal with 4 tabs semi didicated to several uses:
o cmd line
o editor
o ssh to shell account on the net (where I use Pine)
o aux cmd line

I generally keep these 4 tabs open thruout a session.  It is amazing how
much I depend on the relative location of the tabs.

Occasionally when I click a terminal tab (I often switch between them and
a browser etc) I hit the close button on the tab by mistake.  There is no
confirmation on the intent to close the tab.  Particularly in the case of
the editor this can be quite disconcerting.  If I then re-open a tab with
the profile that was accidentally closed it is usually out of order;
another nuisance.

I wish there were a a confirmation popup or a configuration item to
suppress this button.

--- Considering hacking a version without the button ---

I do not know the C language and am not a programmer skilled at modifying
programs like those in Gnome.   I do not have formal computer science
training.  I'm sort of an advanced hobbiest with more pre Linx skills who
still finds Linux a challenge.  I have seldom compiled Linux
programs tho I have used assemblers and compilers elsewhere - mostly Msdos
based 10+ years ago. I was intimidated by installing software til Synaptic
came along.  I have done a fair amount of programming (in Forth
"embedded systems" - tho little in last 10 years).  I could learn some C.
I've considered learning Python so I could understand Mailman source code.

I find it ironic that now that I am using OSS software (Linux since 1999)
I have not been able to take advatage of it's availability (due to mys
skills and it's complexity).  I've been pondering whether I could learn
enough to disable thos pesky buttons - partly as a way of dipping my toes
into modifing OSS for my own use.  I did get gnome-terminal-2.14.2.tar.bz2
and have been looking around the files. So far I am bewildered.  I have
found very little explanation of the software and comments are very
minimal.  Is this typical?

Anyway I'm looking for advice as to whether to pursue this.  How many
subscribers to this list have modified an OSS program?  Is there other
documentation that would get me started in understanding the Gnome
terminal source?. Is Gnome terminal a resonable place to start playing?

Fred

-- 
Fred H. Olson  Minneapolis,MN 55411  USA        (near north Mpls)
Communications for Justice - My new listserv org.       UU, Linux
My Link Page: http://fholson.cohousing.org       Ham radio:WB0YQM
fholson at cohousing.org   612-588-9532   (7am-10pm Central time)