Closing Pidgin buddy list window exits Pidgin by default
| Affects | Status | Importance | Assigned to | Milestone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| pidgin (Ubuntu) |
New
|
Undecided
|
Unassigned | ||
Bug Description
Binary package hint: pidgin
Currently, per this bug comment: https:/
FUSA changes status
Indicator applet shows if there is a new message, allows hide/unhide of buddylist
Pidgin shows no icon in notification area
The indicator applet does take over the message notifications and hiding/unhiding of the buddylist, but it does not cause Pidgin to persist if the pidgin window is closed, as one would expect (I expect it to minimize to tray when the X is clicked). Pidgin must currently remain minimized if one intends to use the program. You can reactivate the Pidgin notification icon in Preferences, but this causes redundancy in the notification area. I find this to be a regression in functionality, as I now must always keep Pidgin minimized, taking up space in my window switcher (this is the same problem that exists when using Evolution - it must be kept open and minimized in order to function).
As I see it, this could be corrected two ways:
1. Pidgin assumes it is to terminate if it is set to not display an icon. This makes sense, as otherwise you would be left with no way to interact with Pidgin's interface. This could be changed so that Pidgin would keep running in the background, with the intention of using separate applications such as the Indicator Applet and the FUSA to interface with the program.
2. Change the default setting in Pidgin back to Always Show the Notification icon, but give the Indicator Applet the ability to hide Pidgin's icon.
Adding the functionality of Option 1 to Pidgin doesn't make much sense in the absence of tools such as the FUSA and the Indicator Applet, so it probably doesn't make sense for Pidgin to give it's users the ability to make the program's interface vanish. Option 2 seems like the best solution to me, but may be harder to achieve. If the functionality of Option 2 was added to Pidgin and the Indicator Applet, and there was no Indicator Applet running, Pidgin would work correctly. If the Indicator Applet was running, the IA would instruct Pidgin to delegate the responsibility of providing access to the Pidgin interface to itself, removing the redundant icon problem.
