Does DockBarX support GNOME 3?

I don't work at a gnome3 port at the moment. I've uploaded my initial code for a gtk3 port since there was aDamian Ivanov who has a project going to get gnome3 classic to be a first class desktop experience. I don't know if they have done anything with the code yet.

I you mean porting DockbarX to gnome-shell, that won't probably happen since it would mean rewriting most of the code from python to javascript. DockbarX can run as a standalone dock in gnome3.

> I don't work at a gnome3 port at the moment.

Ah, good to know.

> [If] you mean porting DockbarX to gnome-shell...

I think so.

Even as a developer myself, I find it rather confusing how all the components (GNOME 3, GTK+ 3, gnome-shell) fit together with the various alternate desktops, like Cinnamon, and where the depedencies lie. Unltimately I'd like to be able to use DockBarX with Cinnamon, so whatever that entails.

> DockbarX can run as a standalone dock in gnome3.

Yes, I downloaded your tarball distribution, followed the manual install instructions, and ran dockx. It seems to be running fine as a stand-alone dock at the bottom of my screen. Of course what I'd like is to have it reside on the panel at the top of my screen, as it did when I was using GNOME 2.

> that won't probably happen since it would mean rewriting most of the code from python to javascript.

That's certaibly the obvious approach.

Surely at some point someone will write a Python interface library that permits accessing the GNOME 3 APIs.

But before that happens, I can think of a couple of other possible hacks:

1. Create a GNOME 3 panel applet (gnome-shell extension?) that is merely a wrapper that sets up an empty region on the panel and then passes the necessary handles to a DockBarX child process, which then renders itself in that region.

2. Modify DockBarX so when running as a stand-alone dock, and a config option is enabled, it's window attributes cause it to be above all other windows, including the GNOME panel. Now, when the user specifies to place the dock in the same location as the panel, the panel won't cover up the dock. (This approach may still necessitate creating a simple GNOME 3 panel applet that "reserves" a chunk of space on the panel so other panel apps don't flow into the area and get covered up.) The obvious down side to this option is that DockBarX will have no direct communication with the panel, and as the dock grows in size, it'll exceed the reserved space and cover up other applets. But if this is the easy short term fix, manually reserving enough space for typical uasage would be an acceptable compromise.

Not being a Linux desktop GUI developer, I don't know if either of those options are technically possible, but it seems like one of them ought to be.

> ...there was a Damian Ivanov who has a project going to get gnome3 classic to be a first class desktop experience.

That would be this guy?

http://permalink.gmane.org/gmane.comp.desktop.xfce.devel.version4/20619

> 1. Create a GNOME 3 panel applet (gnome-shell extension?) that is merely a wrapper that sets up an empty region on the panel and then passes the necessary handles to a DockBarX child process, which then renders itself in that region.

This might be possible. I don't know if gnomeshell has anything like gtkplug - gtksocket, but if it has this should be doable. That ofcourse would most probably mean that dockbarx needs to be ported to gtk3 first. I failed at that but let's hope Damian does a better job.

> 2. Modify DockBarX so when running as a stand-alone dock, and a config option is enabled, it's window attributes cause it to be above all other windows, including the GNOME panel. Now, when the user specifies to place the dock in the same location as the panel, the panel won't cover up the dock.

 I've tried this (briefly). Sadly there was no obvious way to get DockX on top of gnome-shell.

Option three would be forking the panel-Docklet extension and making it more DockbarX like and add support for DockbarX themes. I've played with that thought but I'm not ready to commit at this moment. Let's see how other stuff plays out first. DockbarX is taking it's first steps as a fully independent panel with applets, Damian is working on his gnome3-panel port (I hope), panel-Docklet seems to be under heavy development and all DE:s are trying to find their place in this new changed Linux landscape. Until the dust clears a bit I'm not ready to do any really drastic changes to the development direction of DockbarX.

> That would be this guy?
Yes.