Comment 7 for bug 366683

Great catch, Matthew. This is the history I was missing on this whole ordeal.

Bug 3200 is actually a feature request. In it, the claim is made that new windows popping to the top of of the Z-buffer is a inconvenient and a security risk. Well, obviously, the requester and I disagree on what is inconvenient. But, putting aside this subjective claim, I cannot accept the idea that locating new windows at the bottom of the Z-buffer (window stack) is *more* secure. The bug history show no indication it resulted in a feature change and I see no debate of the validity of this security claim.

I don't suppose Z-location has much to do with security, ultimately, since there are probably still ways to hide windows or launch window-less applications. But, if a new window is created, I don't think it placing it below existing windows is a secure option. Isn't it a greater risk to be unable to see newly created windows?

Moreover, if a new window goes on top of the stack, you can at least bring your last window to the top immediately with ALT-TAB. Or, you can lower the new window down to the bottom with CTRL-middle-click (or whatever is your hot-key for that action). If new windows go to the bottom, there is no recourse. You have to lower, shade, or minimize all the windows above it to see what happened. Furthermore, there are three Z-buffers, not one. If you want a window to always be on top of new windows that show up on the top of the "normal" window stack, you can just set the "Always above other windows" option for that window.

I still don't understand the logic of this change in the slightest.

I've opened another bug, hoping to have an earnest, open debate.

http://bugzilla.xfce.org/show_bug.cgi?id=5581