Ubuntu
netbook-launcher package

After launching app that starts with a dialog, focus not on that dialog

Bug #333389 reported by Bart Samwel
6
This bug affects 1 person
Affects Status Importance Assigned to Milestone
Ubuntu Netbook Remix Launcher
Fix Released
High
Neil J. Patel
Ubuntu Netbook Remix Launcher unr-1.2.0
netbook-launcher (Ubuntu)
Fix Released
Low
Neil J. Patel

Bug Description

Binary package hint: netbook-launcher

I installed the netbook remix, and one thing I noticed is that if I start an application from the netbook-launcher that starts with a dialog box, then that dialog box doesn't get the focus. This is especially nasty if the dialog box is one of those boxes that only have an OK button: in this case I press Enter to say "yay, continue", but instead, I start up *another instance* of the same app. I then end up with a bunch of these dialogs. The only way to get the focus to the app is by pressing Alt+Tab, or by using the mouse.

To reproduce: go to the "Preferences" entry in the left pane, press "Tab", press "Enter". The app will start in the foreground, but without focus.

Tags: ubuntu-unr
Revision history for this message
Neil J. Patel (njpatel) wrote :

Thanks for taking the time to report this issue.

Could you please update and try again with the latest versions of the launcher and window-picker-applet installed? I could not reproduce this issue on a fully updated system.

Revision history for this message
Bart Samwel (bart-samwel) wrote :

Interesting thing you say there: I don't use the window-picker-applet, I just use Alt+Tab to switch between windows. When I add it to my panel, it works as expected. But that should be a choice -- I have no need for a window picker, it doesn't add any value for my keyboard-centric usage pattern combined with my auto-hide panel.

Speaking as a developer, it just escapes me why a window picker should influence focus. Separation of responsibilities suggests that this should really be a task for the window manager, that a window picker should just display the state as it is without influencing it... Or am I missing something here?

Revision history for this message
Neil J. Patel (njpatel) wrote :

Well, you don't need to have window-picker-applet running to make the launcher work. I just assumed you were using window-picker-applet. The problem is the there is a level of focus-loss-prevention built in to the window managers which makes some dialogs (and sometimes main windows) open without focus. In other cases, it's a matter of milliseconds where the window manger thinks that you've activated another window in the time the application registered and showed its own window, and therefore the WM doesn't bring the new window to the front.

The reason window-picker-applet fixes this is that it tries to replicate the behaviour of Matchbox Window Manager, in that every new window should be given focus (which works well for netbooks, where it doesn't help to have windows opening behind other windows). Ideally this should be a window-manager option (and it is in Compiz), but window-picker-applet is meant to work across all wms, and therefore implements this behaviour itself.

That said, the launcher has code to do the same and obviously it isn't working so I'm marking this as confirmed setting the milestone for 1.2.0.

Changed in netbook-remix-launcher:
assignee: nobody → njpatel
importance: Undecided → High
milestone: none → 1.2.0
status: New → Confirmed
Changed in netbook-launcher:
assignee: nobody → njpatel
status: New → Confirmed
Revision history for this message
Bart Samwel (bart-samwel) wrote : Re: [Bug 333389] Re: After launching app that starts with a dialog, focus not on that dialog

Great, thanks!

Revision history for this message
Paul Larson (pwlars) wrote :

This bug has been moved to Ubuntu distribution

Changed in netbook-remix-launcher:
status: Confirmed → Won't Fix
tags: added: ubuntu-unr
Revision history for this message
Paul Larson (pwlars) wrote :

Marking this fixed since it works in the latest daily images. Thanks!

Changed in netbook-remix-launcher:
status: Won't Fix → Fix Released
Changed in netbook-launcher (Ubuntu):
importance: Undecided → Low
status: Confirmed → Fix Released
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