GNOME Bugzilla – Bug 255248
Launching Evo when already running shouldn't start second instance
Last modified: 2008-11-19 14:25:14 UTC
Description of Problem: Sometimes, I accidently click on Evolution's launcher while Evolution is already running. I'd like it to show the already running instance instead of opening a new window. Steps to reproduce the problem: 1. Launch Evolution. 2. Minimize the main window. 3. Launch Evolution again. Actual Results: You get 2 main windows. Expected Results: The first main window should be brought up instead of creating a new one. How often does this happen? Always. Additional Information: Tested on Fedora Core 1.
shortening summary
*** Bug 333715 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
This is still occuring for me - running FC5. Furthermore, when I use the original instance of Evo after accidentally launching the second, the first instance crashes (it seems to be when I first access a different mailbox or message). This happens even if I've closed the second instance before going back to using the first. This is especially confusing for novice users who are tempted to run "Run Again" when the first instance crashes, starting the whole cycle again.
Perhaps not a related issue... usually if I run evolution a second time, it exits after telling the original instance to open a new window. However sometimes (if evo has been open for a few days) the new instance can't find/locate/contact the first instance and so a whole new copy of evolution is launched.
*** Bug 433312 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
This still happens with version 2.10.0 The behaviour should be like Gedit's behaviour - which only starts one instance even when clicking on Gedit's launcher again.
This bug is still in Evolution 2.11.3. Following bug describes the same problem: http://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=430149 It is very annoying especially if you click on a date in the clock applet and Evolution is already open... How many bug reports shall be written about that until it gets confirmed? Isn't it possible to check at startup if Evolution is already running? Thanks.
Just to add my own comment - running two instances on the same machine should not be possible, but running two instances of the evolution client (one local, one remote) both talking to the same evolution data server shouldn't be forbidden.
Could GtkUnique be useful to do this? I remember some chatter about it on d-d-l a couple months ago, maybe it would help here.
guys please consider that it is also a feature where you can view two both calendars, mails and contacts without clicking like mad to go back & forth. Imho, it should be possible to be able to choose whether or not starting a component a second time should: 1 - raise the component's view (if started) or start one 2 - switch the running evolution window to this view 3 - create a new view (current behavior). This behavior would be controlled by a gconf setting and most distros would probably want to set it to 1.
Bumping version to a stable release.
Launching Evolution a second time informs the first instance to open a new window. The second instance then terminates. Closing as NOTABUG.