Bugs :
K-Meleon Web Browser Forum
I do a lot of research with my browser. I also am a "linear worker" in that when I open various programs to browse, copy and paste, manage files, and write, I expect programs to remain in the same position in the task bar. By doing so, I establish a rhythm in my work environment because I know where each program is located in the task bar. But K-M, because of its layer mode of operation, violates this principle.
Open K-M. Next open another program, say the File Explorer. Then open another program, say your word processor. The program position in the task bar will be K-M and then the other two programs.
Return to K-M. Open a web page with more than two links, say a Google search. Using the link context menu, open any link as a background layer. Notice that K-M does not shift its position in the task bar.
Using the link context menu, next open a link in a foreground layer. Watch the task bar as you release the mouse button. K-M opens a new layer, which momentarily emerges to the far right of all the programs in the task bar, and when the page fully loads, that layer receives the K-M focus and the previous K-M layer disappears from the task bar. The effect is that K-M appears to shift its position in the task bar.
Because K-M uses layers rather than true tabs or a MDI, I understand technologically why K-M shifts its position along the task bar. But functionally, I find this behavior frustrating because when I am in a rhythm and moving among programs while working, suddenly K-M is not in the same position in the task bar. So frustrating is this behavior that today I had to use Firefox in order to maintain any rhythm in my work flow.
Other than limiting myself to opening pages only in a background layer (terribly unproductive in some modes of working), is there a way to prohibit this shifting behavior?
There's really no way around that one.
You can, of course, use the experimental build that uses real tabs; search the forum for "CCF".
I do not understand why, when opening a new layer in the background, K-M does not shift position in the task bar but shifts when opening the new page in the active foreground layer. Essentially, this hopping all over the task bar is unacceptable. I want to embrace K-M whole-heartedly, but this quirk frustrates me.
I also have noticed that K-M sometimes breaks the Back button when opening new layers. I have not tried to duplicate this bug with any repeatability, but the bug occurs often enough to frustrate me.
It does that every time you switch layers. That's because K-Meleon hides the old window and shows the new one (the one you switched to). You're not seeing a different tab; you're seeing a different window. To the best of my knowledge, there is no way to specify to Windows where you want a window in the taskbar.
Not that I know of. The K-MeleonCCF versions have been the place to try out some very interesting ideas (e.g. tabs, full-Lua extensions, and non-XUL builds), but they are still experimental. I had thought that 1.1 would focus on integrating tabs, but it seems that the more important issue of profile updates came up and became the focus of 1.1. Maybe in 1.2. Hao, if you're reading this, any comments?
Maybe the best "solution" for now is to make a very small change in one's personal habits and accept that K-M will always have the last place in the task bar. I hadn't noticed that until now, I am not used to using the taskbar. It was not present for the last few years because I used an alternative shell. My new computer has less resource problems, making that less needful... I am now debating whether or not to continue changing my habits *chuckles to self*
It is annoying when things shuffle around. I had to find out how to make Windwoes stop grouping and animating (ack! ack!) taskbar buttons, and now I find that I have a "leaping lizard" - LOL.
You can talk about issues with k-meleon here.
K-M Shifts Its Position in the Task Bar
Posted by:
Peabody
Date: December 05, 2006 06:12AM
I do a lot of research with my browser. I also am a "linear worker" in that when I open various programs to browse, copy and paste, manage files, and write, I expect programs to remain in the same position in the task bar. By doing so, I establish a rhythm in my work environment because I know where each program is located in the task bar. But K-M, because of its layer mode of operation, violates this principle.
Open K-M. Next open another program, say the File Explorer. Then open another program, say your word processor. The program position in the task bar will be K-M and then the other two programs.
Return to K-M. Open a web page with more than two links, say a Google search. Using the link context menu, open any link as a background layer. Notice that K-M does not shift its position in the task bar.
Using the link context menu, next open a link in a foreground layer. Watch the task bar as you release the mouse button. K-M opens a new layer, which momentarily emerges to the far right of all the programs in the task bar, and when the page fully loads, that layer receives the K-M focus and the previous K-M layer disappears from the task bar. The effect is that K-M appears to shift its position in the task bar.
Because K-M uses layers rather than true tabs or a MDI, I understand technologically why K-M shifts its position along the task bar. But functionally, I find this behavior frustrating because when I am in a rhythm and moving among programs while working, suddenly K-M is not in the same position in the task bar. So frustrating is this behavior that today I had to use Firefox in order to maintain any rhythm in my work flow.
Other than limiting myself to opening pages only in a background layer (terribly unproductive in some modes of working), is there a way to prohibit this shifting behavior?
Re: K-M Shifts Its Position in the Task Bar
Posted by:
rmn
Date: December 05, 2006 08:51AM
Quote
Peabody
is there a way to prohibit this shifting behavior?
There's really no way around that one.
You can, of course, use the experimental build that uses real tabs; search the forum for "CCF".
Re: K-M Shifts Its Position in the Task Bar
Posted by:
Peabody
Date: December 07, 2006 09:41PM
I have been using K-M exclusively for the past couple of weeks, trying to wean myself from Firefox. During that period I was not performing any work as I normally do with my computer and in that respect K-M satisfies my basic web browsing needs. But recently I had need to perform some work as I normally do and this shifting in the task bar wreaked psychological havoc with my mind with how I work on my computer.Quote
There's really no way around that one.
I do not understand why, when opening a new layer in the background, K-M does not shift position in the task bar but shifts when opening the new page in the active foreground layer. Essentially, this hopping all over the task bar is unacceptable. I want to embrace K-M whole-heartedly, but this quirk frustrates me.
I also have noticed that K-M sometimes breaks the Back button when opening new layers. I have not tried to duplicate this bug with any repeatability, but the bug occurs often enough to frustrate me.
I have looked at CCF but my gut feeling with this version is that development is slow and not well supported. There seems to be little support in this forum for that version and I do not speak or write Chinese. Are there any other true tab versions of K-M (1.02) that are supported in this forum and the maintainer actively participates in this forum?Quote
You can, of course, use the experimental build that uses real tabs; search the forum for "CCF".
[attn. Hao] Re: K-M Shifts Its Position in the Task Bar
Posted by:
rmn
Date: December 08, 2006 06:32AM
Quote
Peabody
I do not understand why, when opening a new layer in the background, K-M does not shift position in the task bar but shifts when opening the new page in the active foreground layer.
It does that every time you switch layers. That's because K-Meleon hides the old window and shows the new one (the one you switched to). You're not seeing a different tab; you're seeing a different window. To the best of my knowledge, there is no way to specify to Windows where you want a window in the taskbar.
Quote
I have looked at CCF but my gut feeling with this version is that development is slow and not well supported. There seems to be little support in this forum for that version and I do not speak or write Chinese. Are there any other true tab versions of K-M (1.02) that are supported in this forum and the maintainer actively participates in this forum?
Not that I know of. The K-MeleonCCF versions have been the place to try out some very interesting ideas (e.g. tabs, full-Lua extensions, and non-XUL builds), but they are still experimental. I had thought that 1.1 would focus on integrating tabs, but it seems that the more important issue of profile updates came up and became the focus of 1.1. Maybe in 1.2. Hao, if you're reading this, any comments?
Re: K-M Shifts Its Position in the Task Bar
Posted by:
Arual the Wyrd
Date: December 24, 2006 01:59PM
Maybe the best "solution" for now is to make a very small change in one's personal habits and accept that K-M will always have the last place in the task bar. I hadn't noticed that until now, I am not used to using the taskbar. It was not present for the last few years because I used an alternative shell. My new computer has less resource problems, making that less needful... I am now debating whether or not to continue changing my habits *chuckles to self*
It is annoying when things shuffle around. I had to find out how to make Windwoes stop grouping and animating (ack! ack!) taskbar buttons, and now I find that I have a "leaping lizard" - LOL.
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