java windows iconify on creation

[sillysloft]

sometimes, when a java application create a new window, all windows belonging to that application get iconified. when trying to restore it, sometimes it does, and sometimes it will show up and quickly get iconified again.

people on fluxbox-users mailing list said it happened with several java applications. someone said it happens with fluxbox 0.9.15.1 too. i'm using fluxbox 1.0rc3 and java jre-1_5_0_09 i just updated to, but it happens with several java versions as well. i tested some java applications on wmaker and it doesnt happens.

Reported by: valtert

[sillysloft]

Logged In: YES user_id=1633360 Originator: YES

also, someone said it happens to modal windows, and maybe only to modal windows.

Original comment by: valtert

[sillysloft]

Logged In: YES user_id=1633360 Originator: YES

also, someone said it happens to modal windows, and maybe only to modal windows.

Original comment by: valtert

[sillysloft]

• status: open --> closed

Original comment by: mark-t

[sillysloft]

Logged In: YES user_id=1538990 Originator: NO

This is a Java bug. Switch to 1.6 or Blackdown.

Original comment by: mark-t

[sillysloft]

Logged In: YES user_id=218444 Originator: NO

I disagree this is so simple.

Even though this is probably a Java bug, other window managers (eg. Metacity) handle Java windows just fine.

I work for a company that develops Java software. Migrating from Java 5 to Java 6 is not an option in the short term due to some technical issues, so we're stuck with Java 5 for a while (Blackdown is not an option either). I bet many other companies face a similar situation.

All my co-workers use standard GNOME desktops, and they don't suffer with these problems. I insist on Fluxbox because I prefer it, but dealing with this annoying bug has been a real PITA.

So, I beg someone reopens this bug and looks into it on the Fluxbox side, so that Java users/developers' lives stop being miserable ;-)

Original comment by: blueser

[sillysloft]

Logged In: YES user_id=1538990 Originator: NO

You're welcome to disagree, as long as you don't mind being wrong. It is a Java bug that has been resolved in 1.6 and does not exist in Blackdown. See this thread for more information, including a modification to the fluxbox source that will "fix" it: https://sourceforge.net/tracker/index.php?func=detail&aid=1572489&group\_id=35398&atid=413960 .

Original comment by: mark-t

[sillysloft]

Logged In: YES user_id=218444 Originator: NO

Hi Mark,

of course I don't mind being wrong =) And I was not doubting that it was a Java bug (I will even file a bug report on Sun's bug database regarding this). I was just saying that it could be some weird or unusual behavior that Java windows triggered that GNOME and other WMs handle better than Fluxbox, and, if so, I was hoping for a Fluxbox solution, given that jumping to Java 1.6 is not a solution on my case (and I bet that many other Java developers are on the same situation -- just don't know if they use Fluxbox as well ;-)). As I said on my previous post, Blackdown is not an option either, our client demands that we use Sun's JVM for this system we're developing.

Anyway, thks for the pointer to the other discussion, there's indeed much more data there (including the prove that it has been introduced on one of the latest versions -- I was pretty sure I hadn't experienced it before, and I have been using Fluxbox + Java for "ages"). Since it is a weird Java bug and it has been fixed on 1.6, I understand your position on this. I was just hoping some workaround could be implemented on Fluxbox "officially". Any chance this could be supported as a compile-time option (like one of the '--disable-*' params to 'configure' script)? Eg. --disable-XX-atom or --enable-java5-workaround? (the default values would be of course to keep the code as it is)

Original comment by: blueser

[sillysloft]

Stop advertising modal support.

Original comment by: rathnor

[sillysloft]

Logged In: YES user_id=603593 Originator: NO

Does the attached patch stop it doing silly iconifying?

Essentially, despite fluxbox claiming to support the "modal" state, it doesn't, and consequently clears it from the list of states each time, and never honours it being set in there.

The patch stops it advertising support.

The best solution would be to make modal support work, but I need sleep tonight - looks like there are a few too many missing pieces in that puzzle for half an hour :)

File Added: fluxbox-modal-workaround.patch

Original comment by: rathnor

[sillysloft]

Logged In: YES user_id=218444 Originator: NO

Hi Simon, thks for jumping in =)

Mmmh... interesting, so it might not be exclusively Java's fault after all.

Indeed, the odd iconifying only happens when modal dialogs are involved (and, the strangest of it all is that it doesn't happen all the time, even on the same situation involving the same windows -- just one of the missing pieces of the puzzle, I guess ;-))

I will gladly try your patch, but can't make it today, because I am not at work =( In the meantime, if someone could test it, we would all benefit... ;-) Important question: is your patch targeted at the 0.9.15.1 version of the RC version?

Again, thks for taking your time to investigate this issue a little further.

Original comment by: blueser

[sillysloft]

Logged In: YES user_id=1538990 Originator: NO

You can already --disable-ewmh, which would get rid of that code. I have no idea if that even compiles, though.

Original comment by: mark-t

[sillysloft]

Logged In: YES user_id=218444 Originator: NO

That could be a solution indeed. But if it doesn't compile, it's not really an option ;-) In this case, I'm afraid a more specific compilation option would be necessary. I'll try --disable-ewmh later to see if it compiles.

Do you know if this disables only this specific code that causes these issues with Java modal dialogs or other additional features that could be otherwise interesting will also be removed?

Original comment by: blueser

[sillysloft]

Logged In: YES user_id=218444 Originator: NO

Good news: Simon's patch seems to work =)) I just compiled a new version for Ubuntu Edgy with his patch applied and, so far, our Java apps don't show any uncontrollable desire to iconify ;-) (and I can tell that these problems used to surface pretty soon with the unpatched version).

So, I ask the developers: since support for modal state isn't complete and/or properly implemented (according to Simon), wouldn't it be safer to disable it for the time being? If you don't agree, would you mind me proposing this patch to Ubuntu and Fedora package maintainers? (I use Ubuntu at work and Fedora at home)

BTW: thks Simon for pinpointing and solving the problem =)

Original comment by: blueser