Re: [gentoo-user] Deficient Gnome Window Frames

[gevisz]

2013/9/6 Alan McKinnon <alan.mckinnon@×××××.com>

> On 06/09/2013 20:55, gevisz wrote:
> > 2013/9/6 gevisz <gevisz@×××××.com <mailto:gevisz@×××××.com>>
> >
> >
> >     2013/9/5 Alan McKinnon <alan.mckinnon@×××××.com
> >     <mailto:alan.mckinnon@×××××.com>>
> >
> >         On 05/09/2013 14:51, gevisz wrote:
> >         > Usually, when I open a new window frame in Gnome 2, I have a
> >         Close,
> >         > Maximize/Restore and Minimize buttons on its upper-right
> corner.
> >         >
> >         > Sometimes, however, especially when I open a supplementary
> >         window frame
> >         > from a running program, its upper (text) bar contains only the
> >         Close
> >         > button with no possibility to maximize the window frame to the
> >         whole
> >         > screen, and it is extremely inconvenient.
> >         >
> >         > I do remember that I had a similar problem in Gnome 2 under
> >         Ubuntu but
> >         > somehow managed to get to the configuration where almost all
> >         my windows
> >         > had Maximize/Restore and Minimize buttons. The only exception
> >         was the
> >         > Firefox sub-window to save a bookmark. :^(
> >         >
> >         > Just now, I have tries FXCE and found out that it opens all the
> >         > sub-windows with the Maximize/Restore, Close and Minimize
> >         buttons "out
> >         > of the box" and without recompilation of all the programs that
> >         do not do
> >         > the same in Gnome (except for the Firefox bookmark sub-window,
> >         of course).
> >         >
> >         > However, I am reluctant to migrate to FXCE right now because
> >         at the
> >         > moment I cannot achieve the same look-and-feel as in my Gnome
> >         > (especially, I miss the the all-in-one clock-calendar-weather
> >         applet
> >         > with the world map showing the daytime at different locations).
> >         >
> >         > Could anybody advise me how to get the Close, Maximize/Restore
> and
> >         > Minimize buttons in all window frames in Gnome 2.
> >
> >
> >         I think the true answer is
> >
> >         "You can't. The Gnome devs know better than you what you want"
> >
> >         I'm happy to be proved wrong though.
> >
> >         If it bothers you, just migrate to XFCE and deal with the pain.
> >         It will
> >         last only a short time.
> >
> >         Alan McKinnon alan.mckinnon@×××××.com
> >         <mailto:alan.mckinnon@×××××.com>
> >
> >
> >     Currently, Gnome works better than Xfce for me, because so far
> >
> >     1)  I found no way to switch keyboard layout from English to any
> other
> >          language (while Gnome and DWM do this after tackling with evdev
> >          configs),
> >
> >     2) Gnome allows more combinations for hot key bindings, for example,
> >          I can not assign <Win>+<Shift>+<any letter> to any program
> launcher
> >          in Fxce, while it does work in Gnome,
> >
> >     3) installing Orange in FXCE involves unmasking some dependent
> >         packages, but I like to stick to the stable thread.
> >
> >     All in all, I do understand why Linus said that Xfce is a step back
> >     compared to Gnome 2
> >     (but I still have not got why Xfce is a big step forward compared
> >     with Gnome 3 :^), as
> >     have not tried it so far).
> >
> >     P.S. I will probably post a separate question, but if somebody can
> >             explain how to setup language keyboad layout switch in Fxce,
> >             you are welcome. :^)
> >
> >             I set up toggling the keyboard layout to <rWin> key in
> >            /usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d/10-evdev.conf as follows:
> >
> >            Option "XkbOptions"
> >     "grp:rwin_toggle,grp_led:scroll,compose:menu,terminate:ctrl_alt_bksp"
> >
> >            It works for  Gnome and DWM but not for Xfce. :^(
> >
> >            Moreover, I need the keyboard layout indicator somewhere on
> >     the Xfce panel,
> >            but could not find any.
> >
> >
> > A short update: after installing xfce4-xkb-plugin, which was not
> > included in the xfce4-meta package
> > (and I did not noticed it earlier), I finally got a keyboard layout
> > indicator. At first, it did not work, that is,
> > I could not switch a keyboard layout in no way. However, later, after
> > changing some of the plugin's
> > settings, it suddenly started to switch the keyboard layout.
> > Interestingly, the applet continued to switch
> > the keyboard layout even after I have changed all its settings to the
> > original ones. Magically, the <rWin>
> > key also started to switch the keyboard layout.
> >
> > So, my first and most important objection against Xfce4 is no more
> > valid. The third one is not
> > so important. Only the second is a bit annoying but one can live with
> > it. :^)
> >
> > Now, my Xfce4 looks almost like my Gnome2. Its weather applet is even
> > more informative. :^)
> >
> > However, my original question about Deficient Gnome Window Frames is
> > still valid.
> >
> > But not so important any more. :^)
>
>
> Window decorations are usually done by the window manager, I assume
> Gnome2 is no different?
>
> Have you tried running a different window manager that supports what you
> want?
> What is the Gnome2 wm anyway? Metacity? (it's been so long since I
> looked, I've forgotten)
>

Yes, the Gnome 2 window manager is Metacity.

However, I never configured my Gnome 2. :^)

I migrated to Gentoo from Ubuntu 10.04 LTS and, after mounting my old home
partition,
Gnome 2 transparently used its old configs from Ubuntu.

I think that that old Gnome 2 configs may be the reason that, at first, I
could not get
the keyboard layout switch in Fxce4.

However, now I have found all that need in Xfce4 and almost completely
satisfied with it.

The only two features that I do not like in Xfce is
1) the ugly icons of Xfce4 weather applet (Gnome 2 had much better ones)
and that
2) I can not assign <Win>+<Shift>+<any letter> to any program launcher in
Fxce4, while it does work in Gnome



>
>
> --
> Alan McKinnon
> alan.mckinnon@×××××.com
>
>
>