Comment 8 for bug 542994

Actually I have a very dirty bash script for compiling, because I'm building the deb packages by hand (with pypackager, a gui application) and distributing them from the maemo garage web page, but to have the package included in the maemo repository, it must be built with the autobuilder, so it will need a proper Makefile.

Yes, the maemo interface is strict modal.Application windows are always maximized or fullscreen, only one window can be shown. Dialogs are always strict modal, on top of application window. Even if a dialog is set to 800x480, it won't be fullscreen unless the application window is fullscreen, but it will use the window available area. No window is resizeable, and only application windows have the minimize/close buttons.

About the dialogs width and height, they don't follow their own style guide (maemo file dialogs don't use the full width) so we can use what we see fit.
Sometimes the witdth is more trouble than the heigh (usually when there are two or more panels), but usually the height is more trouble than the width (it is 480 when fullscreen, 420 when not).
I've left the preference setting as default when the default dialog size (-1,-1) is right, I force a size when it is not, it is a case by case decision.