Re: desktop as a separate window (fwd)

[Paul Warren <pdw ferret lmh ox ac uk>]

On Mon, 29 Nov 1999, Havoc Pennington wrote:

> 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
>  - no need to handle expose events on the desktop background
>  - will not require a next-generation GNOME window manager; 
>    the giant-window approach will require the in-progress 
>    window manager spec I think

Actually, it won't work properly with the new spec, because it doesn't
include the event proxying stuff.

> 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)
>  - 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
>  - quite a bit easier to program

- The desktop becomes focusable, and thus keyboard navigable, if you
desire.
- Makes it possible to do clicks on transparent icons properly (not
possible with shaped icons)
- Greatly reduces the number of windows managed by the WM.
- Doesn't need any of this crazee root-window-button-click-proxy stuff,
which is not in the current draft of the new spec anyway.

cheers,

Paul