Please Don't Use Cleint Side Window Decorations

nerdopolis bluescreen_avenger at verizon.net
Wed Nov 3 19:14:16 PDT 2010


Seeing how the old mailing list is going to soon be shut down, I 
wanted to continue this discussion here. 

The latest information that I know about if Client Side 
Decorations will actually be used, is that it still has to be 
decided.

I hope that you choose to not use Client Side window decorations, and here are 
a few reasons why:

First, there is a good list here why client side window decorations should not 
be used: http://www.google.com/url?sa=D&q=http://blog.martin-
graesslin.com/blog/2010/05/open-letter-the-issues-with-client-side-window-
decorations/&usg=AFQjCNHGkwQHTa1YkBLEVn3P_PF53KhEdA

As I understand, you lose lots of customisation, such as special buttons to 
put on the windows (like window shade), changing the order of the buttons, or 
the appearance on the titlebars because now you are relying on the apps to 
provide them (and could result in different titlebars between QT/GTK apps). 

Not only that, but I think even window movement could be inconsistant, (such 
as edge resistance) because you are relying on the app to provide window 
movement. Could multple virtual desktops even be supported? What will manage 
effects like window wobbliness? 

These features are what many Linux/Unix users are now spoiled by, and IMHO 
make window managment better then Windows,

Client side window decorations also leave windowing "exposed" to glitchy apps 
or other problems. From what I can tell in Windows (that has client side 
window decorations) when an app freezes, its windows will be unable to move, 
unless a workaround is implanted (which you can see in Windows), and in 
Windows a modal window (like a progress window) prevents its parent window 
from moving.

Lastly, with server side window managment, I think thats how XPRA 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xpra is able to export apps windows, rootless on 
a remote display. In the other mailing list, someone suggested that this type 
of approach could be used to support something similar to ssh -X with wayland. 
seeing that XPRA relies on its own virual window manager, I don't know if this 
would be doable if it was cleint side.

Sorry for the length. I don't mean to be overly critical with this, I just 
wanted to bring these issues into consideration, before its too late.


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