The Window Manager Report - Notes: Twindy (~200706)

Disclaimer: these notes are guaranteed to be incomplete, and they are probably also wrong. Use them at your own risk.

These comments apply to the 0.45 version of Twindy that preceded the current (and final) 1.00 version by only one release. I corresponded with him several times about these problems and many/most of them should be fixed in v 1.00.

• based on JUCE library ("slightly modified")
• he admits in the docs the --with-Xinerama flag on compile does nothing
• it doesn't "swallow" existing apps that start before the WM - they disappear
• I can't paste into Twindy's "Preferences" windows ... and neither Shift nor CapsLock work!! Makes it awfully hard to put capitals into an application line (if you go in with Capslock on, you can't change it inside Preferences either) - also applies to the run app box
• documentation is extremely thin, relying on the assumption that it's all obvious
• if you run an app, then run a second app, they appear one after the other in the lower window - but the first one vanishes completely
• it's not aware of changes in windows: it frames aterm initially, but if I increase the font size, it just explodes out of Twindy's box
• it doesn't contain jpilot at all, although the left-top corner for each is always where Twindy wants it to be
• framing is better, but not good, in the upper window
• in a very limited sense ... it uses sliding focus between the two windows
• the left buttons go to the top, the right to the bottom
• stuff launched into the top window is more controlled for space, and multiple apps are tabbed
• trying to change the colour scheme, tried to save and let it select the file type ("*.tracktionscheme") and saved it as "go" ... This created "gotracktionscheme" note the lack of a dot ... only way to get a dot was to save "go."
• killed an aterm (typed "exit") and the tab for it remains, holding a big empty black rectangle like a bungling robber ... you have to kill the tab with the "X" attached (second go-round, no problem)
• many people are willing to give up the space for a titlebar, borders, and a taskbar - but this is a lot to sacrifice
• Tracktion may have a big prominent exit button, but it's an app and not a WM: exiting without confirmation on exit button click is BAD

Applications screenshot:

Preferences screenshot: