Re: [Usability] window manager configuration

[Seth Nickell <snickell stanford edu>]

I would say one of the most crack ridden thing about window manager
options is that they are, well, "window manager options" rather than
options set in the "right places" that happen to be technically
implemented by the window manager.

>  - which window manager options are not crack-ridden bogosity?
>  - which crack-ridden bogus options do you have to offer 
>    despite their bogosity, since people are grumpy?
> 
> Here is my list of options that are probably reasonable:
> 
>   Titlebar font size
>   Titlebar font family

These should probably be controlled by metatheme, or at least be set
from the same page as other font preferences.

>   Number of workspaces (once you assume workspaces are OK ;-)
>   Name of each workspace

This should be set from the pager applet. Otherwise it fails to make my
list of "non crack" options; a default of 4 generally works. It would
probably make the grumpy list though. Workspaces seem like something
that I would not obviously associate with windows, the most obvious
manifestation of the window manager.

>   Current theme ("border style") (theme doesn't include the font, just the 
>                                   frame appearance)

Metatheme once again, or some other similarly centralized theme
solution.

> Here are some possible options for the "advanced" tab:
> 
>   Keybindings use Alt (MOD1) vs. Windows/Meta key (HYPER/SUPER)
> 
>     (I hate this one, but basic deal is that the Windows key is
>      better, if it exists, but often it doesn't - I'm not sure trying
>      to autodetect this is a good idea since it'll result in
>      inconsistency, so I think Alt by default, but the option to
>      switch to Windows key for people that want to reduce keybinding
>      conflict issues with legacy apps)
> 
>   Custom keybindings in general 
> 
>     (I hate this too, but realistically people need to work around
>      applications; on Windows the long-standard navigation keybindings
>      mean that apps never conflict with them. Also, people hate to
>      re-learn keybindings, and you just can't fight the system.)

I don't think these should be in a window manager section. Maybe they
should go in a "Keyboard Shortcuts" page or something ??? I'm not really
sure where to put them, but having the global keyboard options as a
sub-category of the *window manager* is not a very obvious model.

>   Click-to-focus/sloppy focus (follows mouse?)

With a blank slate I would perhaps put this in the mouse page, but I
know that would confuse the hell out of a lot of people who would never
find it... Sooo.... a "Windows" preference page/dialog seems to be in
order (even if its perhaps a tab in a general "Desktop" item.

>   Stuff from "Actions" tab in KDE window behavior control panel:
> 
>     titlebar double-click maximizes vs. shades?
>     titlebar single-click actions for buttons 1/2/3?
>     first click action for buttons 1/2/3? (pass through first click?)
>     Alt+click action for buttons 1/2/3?

Same with this.

> Options I hate a lot but people probably want:
> 
>   Maximize covers panel or not
>   Panel is on top vs. below vs. raise-on-mouseover/focus

Do people really use this ?!? I have never had a compulsion to change
either of those...

> Sound about right?
> 
> What is the control panel (or panels) called that contains these
> items?

No single control panel :-)

-Seth