The OSX Focus-Follows-Mouse Debate(steve-yegge.blogspot.com)
steve-yegge.blogspot.com
The OSX Focus-Follows-Mouse Debate
http://steve-yegge.blogspot.com/2008/04/settling-osx-focus-follows-mouse-debate.html
7 comments
One of the commenters points this out, but bringing the under-the-mouse application into focus isn't strictly speaking a problem, assuming it doesn't fuck up the window stacking (although it might be a little slow).
An approach that might work would be to bring the application under the mouse to the logical "front" (i.e. it's menu bar shows up), but suppress the re-ordering of windows that normally occurs.
This would probably be an OS-level thing that Apple would have to do, however, rather than something SteveY could hack together in two days.
FFM does work within any one application, since Terminal supports it:
An approach that might work would be to bring the application under the mouse to the logical "front" (i.e. it's menu bar shows up), but suppress the re-ordering of windows that normally occurs.
This would probably be an OS-level thing that Apple would have to do, however, rather than something SteveY could hack together in two days.
FFM does work within any one application, since Terminal supports it:
defaults write com.apple.Terminal FocusFollowsMouse -string YES
No way could I live without focus follows mouse. His description of the annoyance is perfect.
It's also a good example of why open source matters, even for low level stuff. To make his computer work like he wants, all he can do is ask Apple nicely and hope. Maybe he'll even get his wish because he's famous, but I'd much rather have the source code.
It's also a good example of why open source matters, even for low level stuff. To make his computer work like he wants, all he can do is ask Apple nicely and hope. Maybe he'll even get his wish because he's famous, but I'd much rather have the source code.
I love the micro world of Hackers where Steve Yegge is considered famous. (for me too - I anticipate his essays more than most $100,000,000 budget movies). I'd be surprised if Jobs knows who Yegge is and caters to his personal requests :)
I've played with KDE 4 a bit, and it looks like it steals Apple's font antialiasing algorithm... at least for Konqueror. It's really pretty.
The nice part is that it works fine with xmonad, which is something I couldn't give up. I used to take great pride in perfectly arranging my windows. Complete waste of time, it's much nicer to have the computer do it for you.
The nice part is that it works fine with xmonad, which is something I couldn't give up. I used to take great pride in perfectly arranging my windows. Complete waste of time, it's much nicer to have the computer do it for you.
Ubuntu starting with version 7.10 kicks OSX butt when it comes to font rendering. The default setting is not-so-awesome (I suspect to cater to folks transitioning from Windows, since it's a bit Windows-like) but if you configure it to slight hinting + subpixel smoothing (I suspect this is what KDE does), it destroys everything else. My few Mac-loving friends (and even wife) agree.
Linux font superiority isn't as noticeable on English alphabet, but with other languages it especially shines. That's the power of free software for you: people in those countries made sure their language is getting premium treatment so they worked with FreeType guys, while Apple had to deal with "priorities".
Linux font superiority isn't as noticeable on English alphabet, but with other languages it especially shines. That's the power of free software for you: people in those countries made sure their language is getting premium treatment so they worked with FreeType guys, while Apple had to deal with "priorities".
I think that's because they both use WebKit for rendering. Am I wrong?
Webkit is a fork of Konqueror. Konqueror may have merged in some nice stuff from Webkit by now... :)
I haven't read the source or followed along with development... but I think it's a coincidence. Everything on OS X uses the same font rendering engine, and everything in KDE 4 uses the same font rendering engine, but those same font rendering engines are different. So I think the algorithm was borrowed from OS X to Qt 4.
I could be completely wrong though. Konq is the only KDE 4 app I use, and I'm using the super-experimental Debian pacakges. I also don't use it heavily. (Too many firefox extensions :( )
I could be completely wrong though. Konq is the only KDE 4 app I use, and I'm using the super-experimental Debian pacakges. I also don't use it heavily. (Too many firefox extensions :( )
I used to be a big f-f-m fan, but it doesn't make sense in the Mac UI at all, due to the menubar (as he notes). So I got over it.
But the big missing feature that doesn't contradict the UI at all is the ability to lower a window. It would solve his "I want to type 'make' over there but then end up with the terminal window on the bottom", too.
But the big missing feature that doesn't contradict the UI at all is the ability to lower a window. It would solve his "I want to type 'make' over there but then end up with the terminal window on the bottom", too.
Is OS X font rendering that much nicer? I use Ubuntu with hinting turned off and no subpixel rendering (just gray) and it looks beautiful.
Could anyone who has access to both OS X and GNU/Linux post side-by-side screenshots to compare the two?
Could anyone who has access to both OS X and GNU/Linux post side-by-side screenshots to compare the two?
I guess I'm in an even smaller minority.
I use OS X, but I wish I could have the old sawfish behavior, where clicking on a window gave it focus but did not raise it, and clicking on a window's title-bar gave it focus and raised it.
I use OS X, but I wish I could have the old sawfish behavior, where clicking on a window gave it focus but did not raise it, and clicking on a window's title-bar gave it focus and raised it.
The other thing that bugs me is, of course, the completely useless green "+" button, which seems to mean "randomize the size and position of this window" :-/
(other than those two, OS X is without a doubt the most enjoyable OS I've ever used).
(other than those two, OS X is without a doubt the most enjoyable OS I've ever used).
There's a third flavor of FFM: http://glyphobet.net/blog/essay/234
When you keydown and your mouse isn't within the current window:
1. Store the z-positions of all windows (if you haven't already)
2. raise the window you're hovering over to the front and focus it
3. re-send the event
4. set a timer to reset the z-positions of all windows, refocusing the old window
5. if you happen to click anywhere, simply kill the timer and throw away the z-stack.
Hopefully, any animations associated with window refocusing could temporarily be turned off for both z-shuffling events, and in the interstice there could be some smooth "fade-decay" effect that shows that the window is indeed receiving input behind it, but only temporarily. Feels Apple-y already.