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Gaslighting Wayland Devs To Fix Multi Window Apps #Linux #YouTube https://youtu.be/7ju6tnep-pU
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Brodie Robertson
@aliteral GIMP for example has 2 modes, one where all the elements are in 1 mega window and 1 where each element is a floating window, the latter is a multi window app. The issue is apps can't choose where to place there windows so it's up to the compositor, often times that means the compositor will just stack the windows and various other configurations which are out of the control of the app developer.
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Brodie Robertson
@aliteral You as the user can place the windows with no problem, the issue is often times these apps offer same form of automatic layout, this is what breaks
in reply to Brodie Robertson

This was a good update on how the proposal is going.

Personally I like the term canvas (client virtual canvas or client positioning canvas) as it's a familiar in web CSS and drawing applications.

Stealing from drawing apps, the next logical concept is to allow the user to draw a selection box around a collection of windows already on the desktop, and choose Group, assigning them to a parent canvas to be moved (or tiled) as a group.
And the converse option of UnGroup.

in reply to Paul L

@prlzx I don't know if that would fit as an upstream protocol feature but it would be neat to see a desktop experiment with that
in reply to Brodie Robertson

I think it's a phase 2 thing as it allows a user to expressly signal an intent to the Wayland compositor that they regard these windows to be related (even if from a different app or binary) rather than ceding control to the application.

So it ought to pass some original objections about "can't have apps just placing themselves wherever they want" since the user initiated it.

Also works for applications that allow you to launch a "helper" app from its own menu/toolbar …?

in reply to Brodie Robertson

If devs are willing to actually implement it, I'm good with the third option. It is stupidly convoluted, but I guess that is what is needed to happen to make the most people happy.

I'm also worried about wierd cases where apps are relying on some hack or other bad design practises to function and then messing up when the hack no longer works due to the nature of this design. Though I guess this is true whenever any change happens

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