Re: menu panel and the macintosh menu bar

[Joseph Carter <knghtbrd debian org>]

On Mon, Nov 27, 2000 at 09:52:58PM -0500, Jonathan LaCour wrote:
> A little while ago on a Gnome list, the concept of a MacOS style Menu
> Panel or Menu Applet was suggested, and a patch was submitted.  The patch
> was a bit of a hack, but supposedly worked at least partially.  The
> discussion was taken to gnome-hackers, and this list is now dead.

Heh, you just struck a nerve - the menu panel is a pet peave of mine.


> I do not want this concept to die.  Currently, Gnome ships with a "Menu
> Panel".  This panel is novel, and somewhat useful, but serves no real
> purpose. I believe that changing this panel into a MacOS style menu
> swallowing bar would be very useful.  Current panels offer a very
> "windows-ish" feel, and allow for a transition into Gnome from Windows,
> but there is no MacOS transition tool.  I think that many people like the
> idea of a MacOS-like toolbar, and I would hate to see this great feature
> left out of a desktop that is supposed to be inviting to all users.

The real solution is to throw the menu panel so far away that we never
need fear its like again.  It's an admitted hack, and a pretty lame one at
that given what it provides.  What does it provide?  Text names for a
non-configurable menubar that provides everything the main panel menu
does, but provides it differently.

The ideal replacement would be code to allow menu names on the panel
instead of just icons.  If you want to configure your Panel to use names
instead of pictures, go for it.  But it should be the same panel.


> KDE provides such a menu bar, and will surely gain many MacOS converts.
> For the longest time, I have been looking for a solution like this, and I
> would love to see a developer pick up the project!
> 
> I would pick up this project, but I am currently busy with other ventures.
> I would hate to see this left out of an otherwise wonderful and complete
> desktop environment.

I wouldn't mind seeing an applet for Gnome 2.0 which allows apps to hand
their menubar to a running panel applet..  I don't know enough to do it
(yet) but I think it'd be cool to do.  =)

-- 
Joseph Carter <knghtbrd debian org>               GnuPG key 1024D/DCF9DAB3
Debian GNU/Linux (http://www.debian.org/)         20F6 2261 F185 7A3E 79FC
The QuakeForge Project (http://quakeforge.net/)   44F9 8FF7 D7A3 DCF9 DAB3

<taniwha> Knghtbrd: we should do a quake episode :knee deep in the code":
          you run around shooting at bugs:)
<Knghtbrd> taniwha: I'll pass the idea on to OpenQuartz  ;>