[ubuntu-za] Stop the Anti-Unity / Gnome 3 FUD!

Wed Dec 28 17:58:05 UTC 2011

8<-----

> > When I have many windows open on the taskbar (over 20) alt-tab takes
> > much longer than hovering over the icon, especially if you have grouped
> > your icone based on work flow, wich often is with different
> > applications.  Example, I am doing DNS stuff with three terminal
> > windows, an editor, and a few web pages.  But as a side project, and
> > occasional break when my mind is turning to soup, I am researching mail
> > servers using other totally unrelated web pages.
> >
>
> From 11.10 the Alt+tab app groups similar windows (navigable by
> combining cursor keys with alt+tab, or simply hovering over grouped
> windows), adding a "workflow grouping" dimension to what used to be a
> simple window switcher.
>

Snippage to make this comment:

I think Lee meant that he groups windows of different applications
together. In Gnome2, and IIRC KDE you can group for instance two of your
three terminals, one of your two notepads and your browser window in one
grouped indicator, and then the rest in another grouped panel indicator.

AFAIK this is not possible with Unity. I have never worked like this (IMO
it took a long time to get the group set up, and I group mine by virtual
desktop in any case) but I can certainly see the need and the advantages of
this.

Secondly, for the record, I _severely_ dislike the Unity applet switcher. I
often alt+tab to get to a window behind another one on the same desktop and
often get jumped to the last worked on application on a different desktop.

Like Lee, I prefer a Window based interface rather than an application
based interface.

Unity can be tweaked rather easily to cater for a more window based
workflow, so I spend thirty minutes after install to do this, but I get
tripped up by that friggin application switcher too often.

I remember an option under compizconfig or somewhere to "prefer
applications on the current desktop" but it has defaulted to the old way
after an update and I forgot where to set it.

> Besides that, icons in the launcher are now also more than just
> launchers: they are also 'active window' indicators and selectors.

They are application grouped, and not workflow grouped. I like them, and
they allow me to have a quick look and see exactly what of what is open
right now.

> In
> past you wasted space by having separate icons for launchers in
> addition to the window switcher for active windows; now you use them
> to both launch multiple app instances (middle-click),

Middle click on a laptop is not intuitive unless your laptop sports a third
button. I have yet to see a recent laptop with a middle click button. Has
this died out or have I just missed odd one with this feature? (I know of
the "click both buttons to middle click" way of middle clicking, but this
also catches me out once in a while.)

> and also switch
> between running instances (click, select window) - they are also being
> expanded to display additional info such as progressbars for long
> running tasks like file-copies and downloads, and other info-icons,
> and also with additional app-centric tasks via context menus. All this
> extra functionality without taking up more screen space.
>

And this is an awesome feature of Unity that I really like. Launcher apps,
and also custom launchers that can easily be made, as well as the extra
info.

Add to this the various lenses you get now, you can make quick and
sometimes rather complex calculations right in the dash, as a for instance,
by pressing [super] and in the search area typing your calculation. Much
quicker than launching an app to do this. There are other lenses available
to do things like web searches and other basic tasks right in the dash.

This shows a level of adaptability of Unity that is exciting, but also
frustrating for those with special or complex requirements like Lee has.

I think being able to build a group and binding them to a "group" icon in
the unity launcher would help people like Lee who group tasks by work done
out a lot, and widen the appeal of the interface.

>
> To me the question isn't "Why did they change it?", it's "Why wasn't
> always like this?".
>
> PS The Alt-tab behavior can be changed by replacing it with one of the
> other Compiz switcher apps.
>

Yes, and as noted above the switcher could (maybe can still) be "told" to
behave more window centric than app centric - at least by preferring apps
on the current desktop. IMO this should be default behaviour, since the way
it works now does not gell well with the multiple desktop way of doing
things that is a Linux desktop strength.

More snippage

===8<----------------

> What I've also done since before Unity is group apps by workspace
> (desktop):
> 1) Work: work apps, IDE's, coding, text editing, etc.
> 2) Mail: work mail, personal mail
> 3) Entertainment: IM, chat, newreader, music, video
> 4) Terminal, multiple terminal windows / tab-groups
>
> I use Ctrl+Alt+<cursor> to slide the the desktop, then alt+tab to get
> to the correct window. There are other ways, like keyboard + mouse
> combo.
>
> The unity aalt+tab switcher kindof kills this way of doing it. Have you
set it to prefer applications on the current desktop as I mentioned above?
I have it jumping back to whatever had focus on a previous desktop at the
moment.

> Also, Cairo dock is highly customizable, and brings back some of the
> old panel-like functionality. Though I'm using it less and less these
> days. A bit redundant, and starting to get in the way.
>

I miss some of that functionality, and I whitelist a lot of application
indicators (such as that hated must-have because everyone else uses it
Skype) and DropBox.

>
> >>> Right now I have 4 windows open and
> >>> visible.  They are at all of the edges of the screen.  If I move a
> >>> window to the top of the screen in Unity, it goes full screen, and I
> >>> have to move it back and jack with it.
> >>
> >> Yes that's a Compiz feature called 'Grid' (not Unity! It's existed
> >> long before, just like multiple desktop-workspaces). If you don't like
> >> it, disable it with the Compiz-Config app.
> >
>

Which is unfortunately not installed by default, nor is there a way to
tweak this behaviour by default.

> > First, it was not enabled by default before.  Second, you need to
> > install an application to disable it.  Third, you need to know that you
> > need that application...
>
> ...and the problem is...?
>
> You seem to know what to do.
>
> I have had the complaint of not including CCSM by default for ages.

And the point is that new users will not know about this option.

> >> I've activated compiz edge-flipping myself to drag windows to other
> >> desktops in stead of tiling them on the current workspace / desktop.
> >
> > This is nice.  Especially since you can no longer right click and "Move
> > to workspace Right."
>

I prefer the keyboard shortcuts for navigating between desktops. Never
could get around to using the mouse to navigate around like that. Can it
not be set in CCSM?

>
> An even faster way is to Ctrl+Alt+Shift+<cursor> : grabs the active
> window and pulls it the desktop in the direction of the cursor, e.g.
> above, below, or to the side.
>
> >>
> >> If you've used the app a couple of times it will float to the top; if
> >> you can't search it, you should be able to click apps and it should be
> >> at the top of the list of often used apps.
> >
> > How often do you need to benchmark your name servers?  It is never a
> > frequently used app.  That is why I forgot the name.
>
> Perhaps if you describe in detail how you do it we can maybe find some
> cool alternative ways. Guaranteed possible.
>
> >>> Or in Gnome 2, I go to
> >>> Applications ->  Internet and find NameBench.  That was it!  (Yes, this
> >>> actually happened.
> >>
> >> You also see many other things you don't need to see in the menus...
> >> you also have to drill down those menus EVERY time, regardless of how
> >> often you use the apps.
> >
> > Agreed, this can be overwhelming.  The search is a fantastic feature, no
> > doubt.  As is the adaptive menus.  But burying the hard menus is a
> > detriment to some.
>
> Yea. Those menus are not too cool. No more menu's in 11.10 as far as I
> can see. Looks more like a combo of lenses and filters... pretty
> straight forward AFAICS
> Though, I can't remember when I last really needed it.
>
> There is a dash lens that mimics the functionality of the old gnome
launcher. If you search the askubuntu website you should find it under
custom lenses or something.

This is all I am commenting here now, might chuck in a few other comments
later on

Cheersforeers
-- 
Quintin van Rooyen
quintin.vanrooyen at gmail.com
The New SA Geek!
http://g33q.co.za
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