Right side status
We started with a mock up and an idea of how we wanted to redesign the fast-user switching applet. The goal was to integrate in session management and IM status into the applet and put it into a prime location in the default desktop. Now we have code an screenshots to show the work. It's not perfect yet, but we're very happy with where it is. You can grab test versions either for Hardy or Intrepid in my PPA.
We used the old FUSA applet to base our code on as we're using GDM 2.20 in Ubuntu. In this case there isn't much of a reason to merge upstream but to make things easier if upstream wanted our patch, or for other people to use the code, I've split out the various functionality into a set of Bazaar branches. Each one represents a patch that we're including. The patches are:
- ltsp_client is an older patch that we've had in Ubuntu for a while, but now updated. It disables switching to the login screen on LTSP clients.
- guest_account is a patch that connects to the GDM patches that are currently in Intrepid to add a guest account. This is an unprivileged account that you can switch to when you hand your laptop to a friend.
- session_management adds all of the session management commands to user switching menu.
- fusa_menu_changes includes the changes to the basic user switching menu items. This includes removing the check boxes and the icons and also includes the 'conflict mode' where if two names that are the same adds the username.
- status_icons is a theft of the Empathy icons. But since we're not making Empathy the default IM client, I had to steal them. They're uuencoded so that this can be a patch.
- show_status is the code that connects to and shows the status information from an IM client whether it is Empathy and Pidgin. It also allows for setting status in those clients.
Keeping track all of these is a little bit of a trick. But, if you want to generate the patches from Bazaar branches you can use this little shell script that I wrote.
posted on Thu, 18 Sep 2008 at 09:54 | permanent link | 5 Comments
Nice!!
Thinking on the computers having more than one user, but barely changing the sesion, it could be a good idea to allow to switch off the "user switch option" of the applet.
I know it is strange to put off the main feature of fusa, but now it is more than a user-switch applet, and having a long list of users could make it not very useful to shutdown the system, i.e.
An gcong-key could be a good option.
Thank you any way for your work!! (hope to see that on upstream gnome soon)
Yes. This is /the/ new hotness.
Can't wait to see it merged upstream!
/Mike
I don't like it. It is getting so large, users on a netbook probably can't even see the whole list at once! And it seems strange that I have to click on my name to shutdown, it looks like you have a function to suspend and shut down ted gould now!
Great work, one thing which would be great with this though would be a simple people applet for gnome panel. so you could place it next to system. Gimmie had something like this but it was too cluttered. Just a simple applet with a list of online buddies and on right click of the applet have view all contacts which would open soylent people browser. Without that applet this applet seems sort of redundant as you need empathy open which clutters up your task bar regardless and shows you the status. This means that your status is shown twice atm which kinda sucks. If that people applet was made it would make this one make allot more sense. Great applet though, keep up the great work.
I have installed and tried the applet, and i like how easy is to change the IM status. It works very well with empathy, but i miss the option to set a message: right now it's only posible to set the status busy, away, available or offline, but no message!
I don't know how hard it will to change the "status message" on pidgin, but at least with Empathy (that will go as the default IM client in the future) it is a must!
I agree with John McHugh that the "People Menu" will be a very usefull addition too!
Keep up with the goog work!