GNOME Bugzilla – Bug 684622
Maximized GNOME 3 apps cannot be closed easily and fast
Last modified: 2014-02-23 16:37:59 UTC
This started as a discussion on #gnome-design IRC channel and ended up with a suggestion to file a bug. The problem is that new GNOME 3 apps like Files, Documents and others are maximized by default, but there is no [x] (close) button. These are methods for closing or quitting that I'm aware of: 1. => Overview => Close button on hover. a) Improper workflow. I want to close my current task and then I would like to take this step back and see the rest of my activities. Going to the overview to quit my current task feels like looking at my book shelf just to close a book I'm reading now. b) Slow, inconvenient. 2. => Application menu => Quit. a) Every application may have that option on different Y position on the screen. b) Slow. c) May close every window on every workspace. 3. => Gear icon => Close. a) As in 2a. b) Slow. 3. Ctrl+W, Alt+F4. a) Fast. b) Advanced users only. I believe that closing/quitting windows/applications *is* very important for users. It is very natural to close, get rid of, remove form sight every thing that we are done with, before we do anything else. I value GNOME 3 for its "single-tasking" approach, clearing the screen from distraction sources. Unfortunately, the lack of easy closing method is in contrary to that design and efficiency. Related stories: 1. https://addons.mozilla.org/en/firefox/addon/last-tab-close-button/ 2. https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/light-themes/+bug/532633 3. http://design.canonical.com/2011/03/quit/
*** Bug 675970 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
*** Bug 686741 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
(In reply to comment #2) > *** Bug 686741 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. *** Just to note that the bug that was marked as a duplicate in comment #2 is mostly about discoverability rather than speed or convenience. While these might have a common solution, they are slightly different problems.
*** Bug 686842 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
*** Bug 696464 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
Another side of this bug is that I may start an application by mistake, and be in a situation where I really don't want its content to be on the screen. Starting some kind of browser or image viewer or other app at work which has some political, personal or other content that you don't want your managers and colleagues to see, for example. The close button has been around since Windows '95 so in such a situation my instinct is to aim for the close button as fast as possible. This is now broken. My second instinct in this situation would be to unmaximize the window to get to the close button or drag it off screen, but it is not clear how to do this either. See https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=686707
The news are that design team proposed new header widget with close button. However, not every window (such as the modal one) will have close button. Now we have to wait for changes in apps and then reconsider this bug report.
(In reply to comment #7) > The news are that design team proposed new header widget with close button. > However, not every window (such as the modal one) will have close button. Now > we have to wait for changes in apps and then reconsider this bug report. Yep. This has now happened for the majority of the applications that hide their titlebars when maximised. Please file bugs against applications that don't use the new HeaderBars once 3.10 is out.
*** Bug 704664 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
*** Bug 724580 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***