gnome-screenshot turns the screen opaque white for several seconds

[Andreas E.]

When I take a screenshot, the whole screen turns opaque white for more than a second. This is annoying and interrupts the workflow, especially if you want to take many screenshots or if you immediately want to continue working with the created screenshot or with another application. It is also confusing because a user can't recognize if this will have an impact on the final screenshot image.

It seems this was intended to be a flash effect and gnome-screenshot creates a fake GTK window:
https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=652311
Since taking a screenshot is a very serious matter about the current display (even pixels can be important for a user), it should be rethought whether the screenshot tool should alter the display at all with any effects. If having such an effect is prefered, it should be thought about properly integrating it as a window manager effect (compiz) and it should guarantee a short duration + transparency (not full opaque).

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
Package: gnome-screenshot 3.4.1-0ubuntu1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-20.33-generic-pae 3.2.12
Uname: Linux 3.2.0-20-generic-pae i686
ApportVersion: 2.0.1-0ubuntu5
Architecture: i386
Date: Sun Apr 22 17:35:46 2012
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 12.04 LTS "Precise Pangolin" - Alpha i386 (20120201.1)
SourcePackage: gnome-screenshot
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Eric E. (etherson)]

I consider the white flash a bug as well. It severely interrupts workflow, especiallly when the PrintScreen key is pressed accidentallly. I have a laptop with the PrintScreen key directly between the Insert and the Delete keys, so it is a very easy button to hit. It's fine that an accidental keystroke brings up the screen capture dialogue, but the flash is too much.

[Andreas E. (andreas-e)]

This bug has as well been reported to Gnome, however they closed it as it is "by design".
https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=672759

The design suggests that some sort of feedback about the success of the screenshot action is given. However I can't understand a solid white 10-second window as a good implementation for this design. This does indeed impact user workflows, as someone writes, one could have continued work or created several other screenshots. If a sufficient similarity with a real flash can't be achieved using X, then a different solution would maybe be favorable.

They mentioned that under Gnome Shell, a compositor is used, while otherwise it uses an X window.

My ideas are :
- either to patch gnome-screenshot to support also Compiz as copositor
- or to replace the fallback by using a simple message box if the screenshot fails or a save dialog.
- to replace gnome-screenshot by another simple screenshot utility with acceptable design.

[Fabounet (fabounet03)]

"The design suggests that some sort of feedback about the success of the screenshot action is given"
That's plain stupid, since you already get a window for confirmation.
And if you use it from the terminal (with -f or -c option), you can easily see any warnings in the outputs.

A simple solution would be to make it an option (I know, option is devil in Gnome's mind, however as a casual user that's the first thing I tried, so I consider that not being able to disable this annoying effect is a bug).

"support also Compiz as copositor"
not a solution, since there are plenty of window-managers out there.

"replace gnome-screenshot by another simple screenshot utility
I've found myself using 'scrot' (it works in command line, but you can bind it to the print-screen key).