** Description changed:
When using my laptop with an external monitor attached, Unity behaves in
an unexpected manner. Below, is a basic outline of how I have my
monitors set up using Gnome3's Display utility.
-------------------------------------
| |
-------------------------------------
| External Monitor (#1) || Laptop Screen (#2) |
| ||
|
------------------------------------- -------------------------------------
I'm not sure what the proper name for the menu/indicator bar that runs
across the top of the screen is. Here, I refer to it as the Unity menu
bar.
My problem is this - when using multiple monitors, with maximized
applications, it is difficult to use the mouse to switch focus from one
app to the other. In my mind, the Unity menu bar must act as both a menu
bar and a traditional window title border when applications are
maximized. In single screen mode, this works as I expect it to. For
example, I can reach up to the Unity menu bar and drag down to de-
maximize the window.
But, this pattern/metaphor seems to break down when using multiple
monitors. Let's say I have Firefox maximized on #1 and Thunderbird
maximized #2. I start by using Firefox. Thus, Firefox is the application
in focus. As long as continue to interact with Firefox, everything
behaves as I expect it to. The problem starts when I want to shift focus
to Thunderbird running on #2. If I use Alt-Tab, everything works as
expected because Unity properly understands that I have shifted focus to
Thunderbird. But, if I use my mouse to switch focus, Unity's behavior is
not logical. Let's say I drag my mouse from Firefox to Thunderbird and
attempt to interact with the Thunderbird menu, which is in the top-left
corner of #2. Because Firefox still has the focus, I can not immediately
access Thunderbird's menus. The Unity menu bar stays blank. This is
confusing, but not the end of the world. It gets worse when the user
discovers that clicking on the Unity menu bar that is positioned above
Thunderbird does not cause Thunderbird to obtain focus. In this
situation, the idea that the Unity menu bar is a title bar and menu
breaks down because I can not give Thunderbird focus using the maximized
title bar. The only way to switch focus to Thunderbird involves
selecting some non-functional chrome in the Thunderbird window. Once I
have clicked on Thunderbird, it has the focus and the menus and title
bar behave as expected.
This is similar to bug #716177 but the recent fixes don't seem to have
the desired affect.
Metacity had the option to have focus follow the mouse. In most use
cases, this is incredibly frustrating. But, when using maximized windows
in dual monitor set ups, this is actually much more natural. Unity
should have some way of detecting when it should switch gears and allow
focus to follow mouse and when it should wait for a click to switch
focus.
I hope this all makes sense.
----------------------------------------------------------
Desired solution:
- When a user has a maximised application open on a second monitor, and
a different window is in focus, clicking on any empty area in the second
monitor top bar should bring the non-focused application that is
currently maximised on the second monitor in to focus.
- When a user has a maximised application open on a second monitor, and
a different window is in focus, the normal 'drag any empty area in the
top bar downwards to shift window from maximised to restored state'
- behaviour should apply.
+ behaviour should apply. (see bug https://bugs.launchpad.net/ayatana-
+ design/+bug/723882 for a description of this functionality)
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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/843958
Title:
Multi-Monitor Maximized Difficulty
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