Re: desktop as a separate window (fwd)

["Kenneth Christiansen" <kenneth ripen dk>]

> the code to be written assumes one or the other approach.
>
> Some advantages of the use-the-root-window approach we have now:
>  - xsetroot, xearth, etc. still work; non-GNOME-compliant window managers
>    work better (the icons end up decorated and/or on top of real windows,
>    but at least there isn't a giant window decorated and/or on top)
>  - more gmc code is reusable

The gmc desktop isn't very good. For instance align to grid doesn't work very well.

But atleast it should have better icon handling while changing resolution that microsofts
explore (it's explorer that creates the background icons on the desktop as far as I know)

Since in windows, when you for instance run a game, and it changes the resolution, all your
icons gets ontop of eachothers

>  - no need to handle expose events on the desktop background

>  - will not require a next-generation GNOME window manager;

The wm-spec isn't gnome specific, and there's a lot of known wm authors
behind the new spec, so getting a next-generation window manager with
support these hints shouldn't be the biggest problem we face in the near
future.

I think it would be worse if we today use a lot of resources in order
to support the old way, which just makes it harder to do this job, and
then in 1 - 1½ year we regreed, because it not very extendable, and
then we have to start all over again in order to make it right.

>    the giant-window approach will require the in-progress
>    window manager spec I think

Now far is the wm spec from completion?

>
> Some advantages of the giant-window-covering-root approach:
>  - it can be a big canvas; so you can have crazy transparency
>    effects and things (at least once the AA canvas supports text
>    properly)

Sounds easy extendable yes

>  - avoid shaped windows, which are some kind of efficiency hit
>  - no need to grab the server to do rubberbanding

>  - easier to embed Bonobo objects in the desktop
It might be nice to be able to do this, if someone gets some crazy but
good ideas at some point ;-)

>  - quite a bit easier to program

Thats tought to beat. Wouldn't the code also be much more cleaner?

Kenneth