Not possible for other docks to use Unity LauncherAPI
Affects | Status | Importance | Assigned to | Milestone | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unity |
Opinion
|
Undecided
|
Unassigned | ||
libunity |
Opinion
|
Undecided
|
Unassigned | ||
unity-2d |
Opinion
|
Undecided
|
Unassigned | ||
libunity (Ubuntu) |
Opinion
|
Undecided
|
Unassigned | ||
unity (Ubuntu) |
Opinion
|
Undecided
|
Unassigned |
Bug Description
When the launcher API was reported people questioned why unity wouldn't use DockManager. The answer that was given was that unity launcher API was better. It's easier for developers use unity launcher api within their own applications. As a dock developer I agreed and welcomed unity launcher api, it sounded like a good idea and something I would like to implement in my dock. When I started looking in to it the disappointment hit me: libunity requires Unity to be running (or more exactly it requires the unique d-bus address com.canonical.Unity to be in use) otherwise it doesn't send out any signals over dbus. I can hack my way around this by letting my dock register the com.canonical.Unity address but that's not an ideal solution. What will happen then if the user tries to start unity while my dock is running?
Changed in unity-2d: | |
status: | New → Invalid |
Changed in libunity (Ubuntu): | |
status: | New → Confirmed |
Changed in unity: | |
status: | New → Confirmed |
Changed in libunity: | |
status: | New → Confirmed |
Changed in unity-2d: | |
status: | Invalid → Confirmed |
Changed in unity (Ubuntu): | |
status: | New → Confirmed |
Since the unity team came up with their own API instead of using DockManager, and due to the pushing of it by Canonical and thus lots of apps adopting that API (in favor of DockManager), Michal Hruby and I decided to just stop supporting DockManager. Thus, all docks will (most likely) start supporting the unity API instead.
So this bug will now affect any dock that might support that: DockbarX, AWN, Docky, Plank, etc.
The poster's hack seems reasonable (as a hack), in that it is probably rare that users would want to run more than one dock at the same time. But hopefully there is a better solution.