Re: SV: [Nautilus-list] Desktop window

[Maciej Stachowiak <mjs eazel com>]

"Blad, John Erling" <john erling blad aftenposten no> writes:

> I'm much more concerned with some comments about why you do this.
> Is there anyone that can say anything about why the X-server has
> to be restarted? And how the anti-aliasing is done?
> 
> If Nautilus only runs with TrueColor-visuals or some other special
> visuals on the X-server a lot of people is going to get a lot of
> trouble with Nautilus. Many people seems to belive PsaudoColor is
> old fashioned and should not be unsupported but a number of
> applications *do use it* and *have to use it* to work.

Nautilus doesn't require TrueColor visuals.

Nautilus does draw it's own desktop window, which covers the root
window. Using a desktop window provides several advantages:

1) It allows drawing the icons and text anti-aliased.

2) It avoids having to create a bunch of shaped windows, one for each
   desktop icon. Doing this is bad for performance.

3) It allows sharing more code with the normal icon view. Doing things
   the shaped window way would require a completely separate
   implementation.

4) It allows focusing the desktop.

5) It allows Nautilus to use a better visual for drawing the
   background than the default, if there are multiple visuals and the
   default is not the best.

6) It allows Nautilus to easily add a right-click menu to the desktop.

For reasons of this sort, most modern file managers for X are being
designed with the model of using their own desktop window instead of
using the root window.

 - Maciej