Specifically, I want to be able to click around on directories to choose where to save a file, type the file name, then press enter. This should save the file, not filter the directory listing.
Also, I don’t want it to default to overwriting some file I saved last week.
I was able to download the debian source for a couple gtk applications (ie, gedit/pluma) and apply community sourced patches to them to get back the text/file path entry box. But there's no way I am going to be able to fix Gtk itself. And fixing every application on my system by compiling from source and making new debian packages, well, I might as well linux from scratch.
I'd be willing to donate a good chunk of money just to support "basic UX" improvements to FOSS software and toolkits like Gtk.
Should we start a "Fix the Gtk file chooser" Gofundme?
Probably redesigning the entire interface. "For your convenience".
UI designers are probably limited and there is just a lot of drama about the filechooser so it's easy to find other things to work on.
They are busy working on various things, this is certain, and these things are apparently more important for them. Like, well, GTK4.
I suppose most Red Hat customers are corporate, and when they ask for featureful Linux desktop, they likely mean playing nice with corporate systems. This is why Evince is such a good PDF viewer, compared to a lot of others; it can even fill in forms. This is why the file chooser without image preview is fine as is for corporate use, because I suppose that 0% of graphic designers choose a Linux machine in a corporate setting.
jwz was not talking about the age, he was talking about the issue of ignoring bugs to the point where they reach decades old, and often even then persist and go unfixed. Some bugs live multiple decades, across three different issue trackers, having to be reopened each time.
The fun fact is that he wrote this in 2003, about the GNOME developers. Not much has changed in 20 years, it seems.
Thing about it is, it's the responsibility of the GNOME project. It's the responsibility of the developers that sign up to it. Each time GNOME has been improved, old problems still persist. It says something about a project and the integrity of the developers when they claim to increase usability and yet do not bother with longstanding problems.
The root of the problem is a certain mindset to development. One that is numerous and yet flawed.
"Move fast, break things! No time to fix them we have other concerns like- checks notes- revising every system menu to look slightly different. Hell yeah!! Wooh!"
Does anyone know of an issue in their tracker with an official stance on it?
Both Google Chrome and Firefox use GTK's file picker (at least when "saving link as..." at least on Fedora 34 Prerelease) so what would you do for a web browser?
If your environment has a xdg portal port (KDE does), you can use the relevant portal. Set GTK_USE_PORTAL=1 , and then firefox uses the native file picker.
Because of the release of GNOME $next, and the lack of interest in maintainership of GNOME $prev, the gnome-core product is being closed. If you feel your bug is still of relevance to GNOME $next, please reopen it and refile it against a more appropriate component. Thanks...
[1] adapted from: https://www.jwz.org/doc/cadt.html
The save dialog can be expanded by default by tweaking it though: https://github.com/mathiasbynens/dotfiles/blob/master/.macos...
The workaround is that I must remember to hit Alt+N to focus on the filename box before typing. Usually I forget though.
Or maybe I'm misunderstanding.