windows don't get focused when switching workspaces

[Markus]

Binary package hint: desktop-effects

1. Enable desktop effects.
2. Open some windows.
3. Switch to another virtual desktop.
4. Switch back to the original virtual desktop.
5. No window is focused. Pressing ALT-Tab focuses the window below the window on the top.

ProblemType: Bug
Architecture: i386
Date: Fri Mar 23 18:32:52 2007
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 7.04
Uname: Linux fundstueck 2.6.20-12-386 #2 Wed Mar 21 20:53:13 UTC 2007 i686 GNU/Linux

[Mika Wahlroos (mpw)]

I also get this with current feisty.

After a little experimentation, it seems that when switching from a workspace that has a window focused to another one with windows, one of the windows on the target workspace gets focus. However, if the previous workspace has no windows, or none of them have focus, no window on the target workspace gets focus either.

This doesn't make sense, is inconsistent (why should the focusing of windows on the target workspace depend on the situation on the previously selected workspace?), and differs from the way Metacity behaves.

[VF (vfiend)]

Works okay with viewports ("workspaces on a cube")

[Loe Spee (lgespee)]

Possibly related bug:
Opening a window with desktop-effects (compiz) enabled doesn't focus the window
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/compiz/+bug/102920

[Javier Ruiz (jrhbcn)]

Same problem here using ubuntu feisty and nvidia card. No solution found yet rather than going back to metacity :-(

[Fırat Küçük (firatkucuk)]

same problem on feisty and intel 915 card.

delete ~/.gconf/apps/compiz and try again

[Javier Ruiz (jrhbcn)]

For the record, I've deleted ~/.gconf/apps/compiz and the problem persists

[TiagoMacambira (macambira)]

Same thing here w/ a clean install of Feisty + gnome-compiz-effects.

As an interesting side note: I use gkrellm here and its window is configured to appear with "stick state". If I shut gkrellm down, things start to behave as expected, i.e., after switching virtual desktops, previously focused windows regain focus.

[Alexander Butenko (avb)]

Comfirm this problem.
I solve this problem for me by setting /apps/compiz/general/screen0/options/focus_prevention_match to none from any.

Also this helped me with pidgin-hotkeys plugin. When focus preventing was blocking activation of showing buddy list.

Play with this option, i think by default it must be changed to something different then 'any'.

[Travis Watkins (amaranth)]

We use viewports now so I'm marking this as low priority.

[Matt Zimmerman (mdz)]

This bug affects viewports as well as workspaces, so I've reprioritized accordingly. To reproduce:

1. Focus window A on viewport 1
2. Switch to viewport 2
3. Focus window B on viewport 2
4. Switch back to viewport 1

window A should be focused again, but isn't.

[Markus (markus-schmaus)]

This seems to work OK with gutsy, but one quirk remains.

1. Open window A on viewport 1 and window B on viewport 2.
2. Move to viewport 1.
3. Press Ctrl-Alt-Shift-Right to move window A to viewport 2.
4. -> Window A has the focus on viewport 2.
5. Move back to viewport 1 and leave window A on viewport 2 by pressing Ctrl-Alt-Left.
6. Move to viewport 2 by pressing Ctrl-Alt-Right.
7. -> Window A is above window B, but window B has the focus.

[Matt Zimmerman (mdz)]

On Fri, Aug 10, 2007 at 10:08:24AM -0000, Markus wrote:
> This seems to work OK with gutsy

Not for me, it doesn't. My original problem remains. Only one window across all
viewports can have the focus at a time, so one needs to change focus *every*
time when switching viewports. With workspaces, focus was retained when
switching away and back, which is much more natural and efficient.

> , but one quirk remains.

This sounds like a separate issue.

--
 - mdz

[Forlong (forlong)]

I can not confirm this on Gutsy.

When switching workspaces (viewports) the top window of the current always gets focused.

[Travis Watkins (amaranth)]

This should be fixed now.

[jbrendel (juergen-brendel)]

I am seeing exactly this problem on a brand new install of Ubuntu 9.10 (nvidia card, Dell D820 laptop). Has this really been fixed? I experimented with the raise prevention settings, but no luck. Is this a configurable parameter these days? If so, where can I fix this?

[Julian Maibaum (cerbero626)]

jbendel: If your windows loose focus after switching to an empty workspace and back, you can solve it by enabling the compiz "Window Rules" Plugin in the CompizConfig Manager and adding a "No Focus" rule of the form "type=Desktop | class=Cairo-dock".

[Ravi (ra-ravi-rav-gmail)]

I also face the same problem. The current work around is to set the focus prevention level in general settings to off.

[Ravi (ra-ravi-rav-gmail)]

The above work around doesn't always work.