Desktop is unusable if desktop-effects (compositing) are disabled

[Leo Milano]

Binary package hint: kubuntu-netbook-default-settings

Summary: please let's make sure that desktop effects, whether or not turned on by default, are effectively optional to the user.

Workaround: use [Alt-Tab].

Details: As of the beta release for Karmic, the default desktop shell is configured with an active applications switcher on the upper left, which seems to only work when desktop effects are on. I would suggest to replace this widget by one that works when effects are disabled, or enhancing the widget to drop back into something usable when no effects are present.

How to reproduce: open a few windows, minimize them, turn desktop effects off, try to locate those windows.

Rationale: desktop effects add a considerable amount of eye-candy and functionality to the netbook experience. However, they can affect performance, which is a big issue in netbooks, which are usually power-saving, low cost computers with limited resources. To be practical, users may prefer to disable effects in order to get better graphics performance in other areas such as multimedia. Also, Desktop Effects are still a bit unstable, and many user still need to live without them, even in high-end systems.

[Scott Kitterman (kitterman)]

There has been work in KDE svn trunk past what we were able to merge for Karmic/KDE 4.3 to improve this. The netbook edition for Karmic is a tech preview and this is one of it's limitations. The work around is alt-tab. This will be much better in Lucid.

[Leo Milano (lmilano)]

Hi Scott,

Thanks! I added the workaround to the bug description. I think this is the best time to start stating fundamental goals like this one, if nothing else as just goals for now.

Cheers!

[Scott Kitterman (kitterman)]

Thanks. We'll be collecting these sortd of things up for the release
notes.