Alexander Larsson wrote:
On Thu, 2007-08-30 at 21:00 +1000, Mark Thiele wrote:
There is nothing wrong in not being everything to everyone.
True, but you don't have to be a power user to want to have access
multiple files in multiple directories all at once.
You can do that fine already. Just use multiple windows.
Multiple windows is the primary problem.
There is a cost that all users have to bear when you add complex
features to the UI, so for each feature its a tradeoff you have to make
between how it affects the majority of users and how much it gains the
people who use the feature.
I would suggest that most users would not be calling for tabs, as they
have not had the opportunity to use them before in a file browser. There
is nothing to stop it being a preference option. I would also suggest
that it may become quite popular if it were offered in an obvious way. A
quick search of the web will discover many calls for tabs in nautilus.
Web searches are not a good way do decide user interface questions. Only
the vocal are visible in such a search. They may easily be a minority,
plus you don't see the people who already like the current behaviour.
Web searches may have their weaknesses, as with any quick survey, but
it can perhaps give a small indication of user direction.
Of course, nobody has done the work of actually implementing tabs and
designing the user interaction model. So perhaps its possible to do it
such that it doesn't affect the non-tab-user much and doesn't cause too
much strain on the rest of the codebase. If that is the case, and the
patch is clean it might be accepted. But I am not gonna spend time on it
personally.
I'd have a look at it, within the time I have available, but do not know
where to start. Any pointers?
Not really. Start with reading the stuff in the docs dir in the source
tree. Its slightly outdated, but a good start.
"If you want to look into it that's fine and if it works we may
implement it - not. We're not going to waste our time helping you do
something that does not suit our personal tastes."
If you do have a large number of text based files open however, won't
you want a file browser with the ability to stand alongside? I've put
pcmanfm launchers on my desktop for this purpose, but still feel that I
shouldn't have to go to the bother.
In general you don't have as many directories as you have files though.
Very true, but why do you need as many windows as you have directories?
Ok. I get it. The Nautilus team, regardless of what anyone else may ask
for or like, is not going to implement anything that they themselves do
not think is in "the best interests" of the lowest common denominator
of user or that does not fit their personal taste.
As for changing my windows manager, why? Metacity is a great wm. No
gripes at all with it. Unlike other wm's I've tried (fluxbox,
enlightenment, fvwm, etc.) it works so seamlessly with gnome as to
become invisible to the general user. Nice, stable, and simple. I'm
experimenting with enlightenment though, but changing wm's has a
distinct trade-off feature wise. Also a distinct visual trade-off as
most gnome apps seem to utilise gtk+ themes.
The problem with any kind of workaround in a desktop environment is
that sooner or later you will find yourself having to workaround your
workaround. From my limited experience, it's generally a waste of time.
Trying to do a workaround which leaves Nautilus drawing the files on my
desktop, but has pcmanfm opening all my folders bar the cd writer
folder. Would seem to be my best solution. I could get pcmanfm to draw
the desktop too and ditch nautilus altogether, but I still have to
check what features I'd lose. Probably not much...
Yours,
dov
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