Panel's keyboard focus

[Karsten Luetkewitz]

* Matthew Weier OPhinney (matthew-lists at weierophinney.net) wrote:
> -- Karsten Luetkewitz <phrep at plskthx.org> wrote
> (on Wednesday, 11 June 2003, 07:16 PM +0200):
> > Hi!
> > 
> > Currently the panel can receive keyboard focus, which means that
> > XFce-panel will always be one of the windows that are included in the
> > list of cycleable (Alt-Tab) windows. That is IMHO a huge usability
> > regression, I can't think of a sane reason to let the panel receive
> > keyboard focus. 
> 
> I can think of one immediately. I recently downloaded morphix, and the
> version I burned had xfce4 on it for the desktop. Unfortunately, morphix
> didn't find my USB mouse. Since I *could* cycle to the panel, it meant I
> was able to open up a terminal and get my mouse working. I *LIKE* such
> functionality.

Or you could've just used Alt-F2 to start xfrun4! Seriously, IMHO
making the panel non-keyboard-focusable is a much saner default, and I
very much doubt that anyone who has got a mouse uses the keyboard to start
applications from the panel :) Yes, it makes *full* keyboard navigation
impossible for the panel, but it also means a lot more happy users, esp.
those of us who use the keyboard to switch between workspaces and tasks.
Introducing a new setting is also undesirable IMHO.

> By the way, gkrellm, even when in panel state, *also* gets focus; do you
> find this to be a usability regression as well? ;-)

I haven't used gkrellm for more than a year now, why would I want it to
receive keyboard focus (granted I have a mouse)?

-- 
Karsten 'phrep_' Luetkewitz