Sakura

Reconsider launching a new window...

Asked by Craig Oakes

First off, my thanks for creating a simple, lightweight terminal emulator. Sakura has been my primary terminal emulator for nearly two years. However with the version 3 feature changes, I have defected to LXTerminal - a similar VTE application.

With the transition from version 2 in Debian Squeeze to version 3 in Debian Wheezy, I miss the Ctrl+Shift+N function to launch a new window enough to change to another application. Ctrl+N (and related Ctrl+Shift+N) are well established sequences to launch a new instance in a new window, probably originating with WordPerfect under CP/M in the 1980's. Other applications, including Chromium, Firefox, LibreOffice, OpenOffice. AbiWord, Nautilus, Thunar, PCmanFM, Gimp and hundreds of others use this convention. As Sakura is managing command shell instances, I would like it to do the same and offer a key sequence for a new instance in a new window as in version 2.

I understand the suggestion to use Ctrl-Alt-T as a hotkey, but consider this as a work-around solution. If every application expected me to create a hotkey to launch a new window, this would create an unmanageable mess. I am grateful that the Mozilla, Chrome, OpenOffice and Thunar developers don't expect me to create and remember different hotkeys to get new instances of their primary feature. A single context dependent key that means "a new one" makes more sense than tens of user defined context independent ones.

Please consider reinstating this feature. I'd like to come back. Thanks for your consideration.

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David Gómez (dabisu) said : 		#1

Yes, if you have to create a hotkey for every application, it'd be a mess. But my opinion is that Mozilla, Chrome, Openoffice "new window" option shouldn't be there. First, i think it's an artificial necessity to have more that one instance of these applications; there's a reason they have tabs. Maybe OO is different, but i still think you don't need a new window option; I never use it, just double click in the document i want to open. And second, i think the ability to launch new instances should be in the window manager/desktop launcher, not within any given application.

It was an error on my side to add support for new windows in sakura 2.x. I accepted that patch without much thinking. But i consider the changes in 3.x were for the better.

I'm sorry that you use sakura no more, but we have different opinions about the necessity of a new window option.

Thanks

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Craig Oakes (cpoakes) said : 		#2

Thanks for your reply. I am sorry your design philosophy mandates an application should never open a new instance in anything but a tab. As pointed out, this is counter to conventional user interface design, user expectations, and actual user practice. A file manager that couldn't open folders to new windows would be far less functional.

Enforcing an unconventional design philosophy restricts Sakura to those people willing to comply with your philosophy. This same notion of deciding what's best for the user and eliminating alternatives has crippled the adoption of the Gnome Shell.

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David Gómez (dabisu) said : 		#3

It doesn't mandate anything. You can open all the instances you wish. But launching an application within that application is the wrong approach in my opinion. There are launchers and window managers for a reason.

Sometimes conventions are wrong. Sometimes I'm wrong, but i take my chances.

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