compiz static window switcher no longer displaying window titles after upgrade

[Steve Langasek]

I have my Unity desktop configured to use the static application switcher plugin. After upgrading to compiz 1:0.9.11+14.04.20140218-0ubuntu1 (and related packages) today, and restarting my session, I find that the window switcher no longer displays window titles. This is a major regression - the whole reason I'm using the static switcher is because a thumbnail-based picker is useless for distinguishing between many similar-looking windows!

I was going to look at tracking this down in the code, but the previous version I had installed, 1:0.9.10+13.10.20131011-0ubuntu4, has no matching commit in the compiz bzr branch; there are no per-upload tags, and the changelog deltas are inserted on top of a tree that doesn't match what was uploaded. So it's not very practical to track this back to a related commit.

[William Fulton (william-fultondesigns)]

Is this bug labelled 'Critical' getting any attention? To me the default Unity alt-tab switcher is just the most frustrating thing to use and at least the static application switcher works like a traditional switcher does, but it has this huge deficiency as you can't fully identify the program being switched to as the window title has gone awol.

[Lysenko Denis (pharmasolin)]

Hello, as this is old bug, and due http://www.whizzy.org/2015/09/big-bug-bonanza-16-04-lts/ preparing to 16.04 release, can you please write if this bug still affects you on 14.04.03 or 15.04-15.10? If no close this bug, to make it clear for Ubuntu team on existing problems. Thanks!

[Hans Deragon (deragon)]

Problem still persist on 14.04.03 LTS (System fully updated as of this writing). But this should be an option one can enable.

[Lysenko Denis (pharmasolin)]

Ok i will add tag desktop-bugscrub-triaged for ubuntu qa team, thanks.

[Dave Musicant (musicant)]

I just tested this in 15.04, and the bug still persists there as well.

[Lysenko Denis (pharmasolin)]

Do you mean you dont have "Steam" written in the dialog?
http://i.imgur.com/Vzm7aU7.png

[Steve Langasek (vorlon)]

Denis, that is not the static window switcher.

[Lysenko Denis (pharmasolin)]

Thx, Steve, were trying to google this app in google images, but can't find.

[Steve Langasek (vorlon)]

On Sun, Oct 04, 2015 at 09:21:55PM -0000, Lysenko Denis wrote:
> Thx, Steve, were trying to google this app in google images, but can't
> find.

This isn't an app, this is part of compiz.

[IMarvinTPA (imarvintpa-y)]

I really would like to have the title bar show up with the icon of the application. Otherwise, the windows are indistinguishable and I'm randomly picking between my Firefox or Files windows. I like the static switcher so I can plan out how much tabbing I'll need to get to the window I may want. Please fix this. I disable making the window come forward because the motion of the desktop is distracting. The thumbnails are useless when you have lots of windows like I have.

Thanks,
IMarv