Re: Open to discussion...

[Derek Simkowiak <dereks kd-dev com>]

> > 	The conflict comes between minimized window icons and file/folder
> > icons.  Basically, I was trying to say that a window manager should not
> > have minimized window icons displayed on the desktop.
> 
> This is actually something that I like to see. Be it via the GNOME pager
> or what, I want to see what applications are running, even if hiuden.

	What version of Gnome are you using?  On my panel, there is a
button that corresponds to each open window.  Clicking on it even gives me
keyboard focus at that application.  I must have misunderstood your
feature-request...?

> When someone moves from the default GNOME window manager to another,
> they're making that choice. That can be for expirimental purposes, or that
> could be because they are already familiar with the other window manager.
> GNOME could also supply config parameters to the WM. Or, better yet, and
> WM authors willing, it can be done via a config tool. 

	Yes--Gnome should not prevent non-Gnome WMs from running(!).  I
hope nobody took my original post to mean that.  Instead, I think we need
a spec for people who want to write a WM that will interact nicely with
Gnome.

> One other thing to mention here is themes. A lot of themes will also muck
> around with the background image. User sets background image in the
> control-center. They play around in the WM and change from theme a to
> theme b. The background changes. They go back to the control-center and it
> still thinks that it is displaying the old image, etc.

	Yes, and different WMs set the background differently (thus the
AfterStep themese, WindowMaker themes, E themes, etc.)  If the setting of
the background is clearly defined in our document, we can have Gnome
themes and any "Gnome window manager" will interact nicely with any Gnome
theme (including the Gtk+ themes).  Good point!

> Can be. That doesn't mean all menus should/must be solely the property of
> the UI. In fact, in my opinion, they should not be solely done through the
> UI.

	Are you saying some menus should be handled by the window manager?
If so, which menus, and why?


> Which has had it's good points and it's bad points. It allows immense
> configurability and also immense frustration to people who don't want to
> sit down through the learning curve.

	I believe we can provide a consistent, easy-to-use and easy to
configure environment that can *still* be tweaked to the user's every
desire.  It's just, you shouldn't have to go through a large learning
curve unless you want to.


--Derek