Desktop issues discussion proposal

[Ben Steeves]

On Thu, 2004-04-22 at 10:38, Peter Boy wrote:
> Am Do, den 22.04.2004 schrieb Nils Philippsen um 11:33:
> > Forst having to look for a bit of free background isn't really
> > convenient to me, not the least because I tend to run many programs
> > maximized ;-). I always found it a bit cumbersome to first look for free
> > background or having to use the "hide all windows" button, then to click
> > somewhere on the background to mount/umount CD-ROMs, USB sticks and the
> > like. Now I use the Disk Mounter applet (Add to Panel->Utility->Disk
> > Mounter) and this really cuts it, i.e. to mount/umount I always click on
> > the same location of my desktop.
> 
> As we see, things are heavily dependent from one's working habits. (I
> use dual head xinerama, having to move the mouse from the right screen
> to the left, where the panel is located, is not convenient either :-) )

Add another panel :-)

> A new user might at first use the desktop icon, it is the most visible
> way. He will not be confused by the existence of a menue item for the
> same purpose in the context menue, because he woun't get to see it at
> the beginning. Later he may detect alternative ways and may use them as
> appropriate.

I think the "Computer" icon should be panel-able.  That would remove the
dependence on the root window.  As for the right-click menu, it ought to
remain as it is -- a _context_ menu for the root window, having to do
with things in the root window.  If it were up to me, "New Terminal"
wouldn't be there since that doesn't have  anything to do with the root
window.  OTOH, mount and umount commands *should* be there because
mounted discs show up on the root window, so a user could reasonably
expect the context menu to support those functions.

However, we are talking about this in the wrong place.  This sounds to
me like an upstream issue that should be taken up with the GNOME folks.

Ben
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