Compiz Wall Edge Flip DnD monopolizes screen edges

[Ryan Thompson]

Binary package hint: compiz-fusion-plugins-main

When the option "Edge Flip DnD" is enabled in the Wall plugin, Compiz takes control of the screen edges for its own purposes, meaning that, for example, an autohiding panel cannot be accessed by moving the mouse to the appropriate screen edge. Obviously, "Edge Flip Pointer" also does this, but that is by definition. However, "Edge Flip Move" does *not* monopolize the screen edges.

While I understand that in general, there is no good way to allow both Compiz and the panels to share the screen edges, I think a solution is possible here, since drag-and-drop requires holding down a mouse button, just like moving a window. I would expect that the "Edge Flip DnD" option could be programmed to only take control of screen edges while a mouse button is held down, just like "Edge Flip Move."

For now, the solution is to disable Edge Flip DnD, which is rarely used anyway.

[Jan Niklas Hasse (jhasse)]

After i activated the plugins (or the feature) for dragging windows at the border to another workspace, i can't click there with the mouse anymore.

This is really annoying when you want to grab the scrollbar or click at something on the panels. Also this blocks some programs which are you using a 1 px bar at the left to open something: you can only open it when the window isn't maximized.

(Hope you did understand it, because my English is very bad)

[Maniac-y (maniac-y)]

This is works-as-intended: If you need the screen edges, you have to disable the flip options for the edges you need.

[Jan Niklas Hasse (jhasse)]

Isn't it possible to enable it and use the screen edges at the same time?

[Maniac-y (maniac-y)]

(In reply to comment #2)
> Isn't it possible to enable it and use the screen edges at the same time?

Do you have any ideas how to detect the pointer approaching the screen edge besides using always-on-top windows? ;)

[Jan Niklas Hasse (jhasse)]

(In reply to comment #3)
> (In reply to comment #2)
> > Isn't it possible to enable it and use the screen edges at the same time?
>
> Do you have any ideas how to detect the pointer approaching the screen edge
> besides using always-on-top windows? ;)
>

What about only creating/showing these windows when the user actually drags a window?

[Bálint Magyar (balintm)]

This is happening to me in Gutsy as well. Took a while to narrow it down but it's definately caused by that option.

[Maniac-y (maniac-y)]

*** Bug 584 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

[Maniac-y (maniac-y)]

*** Bug 770 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

[epidemian (epidemian)]

I confirm this bug in Ubuntu 9.10

It doesn't only bother with auto-hidden panels, but also with clicking the items on the panels (menus, launchers, notifications, open applications). Not having the edges of the screen available makes clicking these items slower, as it takes more time to _hit_ them (having the edges available for clicking, one can move the mouse quickly to the edges/corners and click... which is pretty handy).

It's also particularly bothersome that the Edge Flip DnD feature is enabled by default in Ubuntu when selecting Normal visual effects.

[Travis Watkins (amaranth)]

I'm not sure what settings you've changed but Edge Flip DnD is _not_ enabled by default in either Normal or Extra Visual Effects settings in Ubuntu.

[epidemian (epidemian)]

@Travis: Yeap, it seems you are right.

As changing global visual effects (None, Normal or Extra) resets the activated compiz plugins, I thought that it also reseted the settings of these plugins (i.e: the whole compiz configuration).

It seems weird to me that these settings are not reseted to some default ones, while the activated plugins do (this mean that if two different users select the same global visual effect configuration, say Normal for example, they can get different-behaving desktops :S). It also makes me wonder how are this global configurations implemented, as importing/exporting a hole compiz configuration (profile) is a very easy task =P.

But well, that is a completely different issue.

[jhfhlkjlj (fdsuufijjejejejej-deactivatedaccount)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. We are sorry that we do not always have the capacity to look at all reported bugs in a timely manner. There have been many changes in Ubuntu since that time you reported the bug and your problem may have been fixed with some of the updates. It would help us a lot if you could test it on a currently supported Ubuntu version. When you test it and it is still an issue, kindly upload the updated logs by running apport-collect <bug #> and any other logs that are relevant for this particular issue.

[MC Return (mc-return)]

@brettcornwall: This bug has been fixed already, but is not invalid or won't fix.