gtk-window-decorator hacks

[crankyjack]

Where do developement posts concerning gtk-window-decorator belong? Is gtk-window-decorator a part of the core, is it a sort of a plugin, or is it a separate compiz application?

I did some gwd hacking, making it aware of metacity's button layout. I'd like to post a patch, but I don't quite know where. Should I also enter a bug into freedesktop's bugzilla and attach the patch?

---Jan

[PaK]

Right now IMHO David is not reading this forum, is this right guys ? Hello david ? :) are you here ? Anyone know David relation to this forum ? I dont see any advantages of reading whole forum by David, but IMHO some topics should be commented by David, for examplem discussion about libwmcompiz and lib3deffects in state plugin topic, or discussion about dbus configuration layer for compiz. Mailing list isnt userfriendly ;[ for any discussions IMHO.


Backing to the topic... i suppous you should send mail to compiz mailing list you will find everything here http://lists.freedesktop.org/mailman/listinfo/compiz

[mikedee]

There are some instructions here about producing a patch against the current git. Make sure you are using a very recent checkout since it was changed a lot early this week (and a load more a few hours ago!). I think git is clever enough to merge your patches anyway, but you might want to check that your fix wasnt fixed :)

http://www.go-compiz.org/index.php?title=Develop#Downloading_with_git

Once you have those patches, you might want to post them here for people to test out and report any bugs (it is not essential). Then when you are happy you should post it to the compiz mailing list so that it can be checked and hopefully accepted into head. You may be prepared to wait a few weeks though, there is a slight backlog :)

Probably the most fitting section would be application development since it is seperate from core and plugins.

[mikedee]

BTW - I do not mind forwarding stuff up to the mailing list if you are not registered. David seems very busy at the moment, so hopefully we can work some way where we can discuss things here and then when there are some plans they can be sent to the mailing list for approval or comments from David.

Like you said though it would be nice if we could flag posts for his attention, hopefully these things will come.

[PaK]

Well this would be grate tradeoff between community developers and David, cause it seems that he is very strict in assortment for ways that he communicate :)

[mikedee]

I have a feeling that he does monitor the forums a little at least...

There were some discussion here about direction of the window decorator and it was generally agreed that the code needed cleaning up and seperating so that people can work on their own decorators. Our wishes were granted, we now have libdecoration.

Also there was a post about switcher using the normal window type, shortly after there were patches to switcher that fixed it.

So there are some coincidences that is for sure ;)

[imnotpc]

I usually cross post important issues to the mailing list, but when it comes to technical stuff I simply don't know what's important enough to be brought to his attention. In my experience if you post a link and bring it to his attention he'll read it. He has been very quiet lately on the mailing list. I assume he's busy coding.

[crankyjack]

OK, fine. I'll stick to the forum since my patch does not work in the git version of compiz. Now just tell me where can I write about my frustrating experience and post the patch so that someone wiser can try and fix it. ;-) I can't quite figure out where gtk-window-decorator related stuff belongs. "Development Help" does not look like the best place. So should I write to "Core Development", "Plugin Development", or "Application Development"? Maybe there should be "Decorator Development".

—Jan

[Amaranth]

Just attach it to this thread. *me wants badly* :)

[stalynx]

This is OT but I think people need to understand that, traditionally, development discussions in the open source community have taken place over mailing lists. I don't think DavidR is less receptive to ideas but instead is a traditionalist on how to manage an open source project.

Also there is a type of gauntlet initiation that happens when one is new to a project and wishes to contribute. Normally someone new raises issues on the mailing list and submits patches. A developer will normally comment on these patches and provide insight/criticism. But at times these comments can be harsh. If you are receptive, in time you will become more accepted as well as being more knowledgeable about the project.

In the recent years with the introduction of ease of use Linux distributions there has been an influx of people who have never seen or participated in this process. So it may appear mysterious at first or even insulting but it's really nothing new and if anything it is the way things have been done since the beginning.

[RYX]

(Thanks stalynx, don't worry about being OT - it is an important info, so I think it is ok in this case.)

I'd say the decorator-related posts/discussion should go into "Application Development" (or maybe into "Core Development", but I am unsure if the decorator should be seen as part of the core). Though it would be worth to give it its own section (like Decorator Development).

The libdecoration is a great improvement. I don't know David's plans on this, but we should now try to either work out some plugin-system for g-w-d or start creating cool new decorators (like cairo-based, metacity-based, kwin-based, ...) that take advantage of all of the compositing features. (Beccause I am tired of pixelated rounded corners in metacity ...)

:)

[mikedee]

I would imagine that now libdecorator is now finished or almost finished it will be possible to write your own decorator without too much effort. You would not need to notify or work with David on it since it is a different project (like aquamarine).

If you wanted to work on gtk-wd then it would probably be best to work out your plans and if they are more than a few small patches then you should post them on the mailing list to check that David or anyone else is not doing the same thing (or the opposite)

[RYX]

The question is: Does David want to keep the two "engines" (cairo, metacity) within gtk-wd or will he focus on only supporting metacity? Or will he create two decorators, now that we have a libdecoration?

And does he want to implement a plugin-system (he wrote something like that on the list some month ago) in the future?

Those are just some thoughts, because I am unaware of the upcoming changes in gtk-wd and don't want to work out something which is replaced by David's changes two days after I am finished ... (however - now I know how to create libraries :) ...)

[mikedee]

You could post on the mailing list and find out ;)