Re: xscreensaver capplet.

[Jamie Zawinski <jwz jwz org>]

Chema Celorio wrote:
> 
>>> Can you take a look at the the GUI we have now and comment on what
>>> you don't agree with.
>
> This is how the new capplet looks :
> http://www.gnome.org/~chema/screensaver.png
> This is how the new gnomecc looks :
> http://www.gnome.org/~chema/new-control-center.png

I assume that double-clicking on display modes in the list brings up
another dialog, or something?  What does that one look like?

My comments:

The scaled down preview is a bad idea.  I want the textual description
to be there.

I really, really want checkboxes in the list next to the hacks, so that
you can enable and disable them right there.  I dislike the "one
screensaver at a time" option, as I said, that's completely contrary to
the intent of xscreensaver.  Avoiding that mode of operation is the
reason I *wrote* xscreensaver ten years ago.

It's nice that you fit it all on one page, but that's only possible
because you stripped down the options so much.  You have these options:

    delay [minutes]
    cycle [minutes]
    lock [toggle]
    DPMS [toggle]  [configure] (what does that sub-dialog look like?)

Options you are missing that I think are important:

    lock after [minutes]    -- this is a very popular feature!

    The whole "Image Manipulation" box: those options affect all of the
    display modes that can grab the desktop, so it's important to be
    able to configure that once for all of them.  Some people care very
    much about the ability to tell it not to grab the desktop, since
    they don't want their coworkers seeing what's on their desk even if
    they can't touch it.

Options that you are missing that I think are less important, but that I
still think ought to be present (perhaps on an "Advanced Settings" tab
or something):

    diagnostics
    splash screen
    install colormap
    fade out / fade in

Here is how I would like to proceed:

   - you tell me what changes you think I should make to
     xscreensaver-demo;
   - we reach some agreement about that;
   - I make those changes;
   - you replace your capplet with xscreensaver-demo.

Ok?

So, why don't you describe (in words or pictures) what you think the
layout of the eventual screensaver configurator should be.

-- 
Jamie Zawinski
jwz jwz org             http://www.jwz.org/
jwz dnalounge com       http://www.dnalounge.com/