"focus on switch" does not work reliably in compiz (application switcher and static application switcher)

[m grachten]

Both "Application switcher" and the "Static application switcher" include an option "Focus on switch". According to the description, this option ensures that, while switching windows (typically with alt-tab), the currently selected window gets focus, rather than postponing the change of focus until the user terminates the window switching (i.e. releases the alt button).

Enabling this option does not reliably cause compiz to focus on switch. On two occasions I have actually observed the expected behaviour. However, at latest after session logout and login, the option fails to work. Instead, focus remains with the original window until the window switching is terminated.

This bug occurs in both switching plugins (which are in different packages). Therefore I submit this bug to the compiz package.

Ubuntu release: 11.10 (oneiric)
package versions:
compiz: 1:0.9.6+bzr20110929-0ubuntu3
compiz-plugins-default: 1:0.9.6+bzr20110929-0ubuntu3
compiz-plugins: 1:0.9.6+bzr20110929-0ubuntu3

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[m grachten (m-grachten)]

I can now give a somewhat more specific description of the problem. The situation is as follows:

I normally have no key bound to "Next Window" of the Application Switcher. Instead I use "Next Window (No popup)". In this case, "Focus on switch" is not respected.

If I assign a key to "Next Window" and use it, "focus on switch" works during that operation, and after that, "focus on switch" also works on the "Next Window (No popup)" operation.

After logging out and logging in again (i.e. in a new session), "Focus on switch" works for "Next Window (No popup)", but only *after* I used "Next Window" at least once.

Apparently some initialization is triggered by "Next Window", which is not triggered by "Next Window (No popup)".