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Bug 732824 - It is impossible to force a new window to steal focus.
It is impossible to force a new window to steal focus.
Status: RESOLVED DUPLICATE of bug 732762
Product: gnome-shell
Classification: Core
Component: window-management
3.24.x
Other Linux
: Normal enhancement
: ---
Assigned To: gnome-shell-maint
gnome-shell-maint
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
 
Reported: 2014-07-07 07:31 UTC by Anand
Modified: 2018-04-13 14:55 UTC
See Also:
GNOME target: ---
GNOME version: ---


Description Anand 2014-07-07 07:31:41 UTC 
It is impossible to force a new window to steal focus.

Newly launched GUI application windows open in background. GUI is the most popular way a user interacts with an application. GUI should not be automatically hidden from user when the user intentionally launches it.

For example, opening a file with Archive Manager launches Archive Manager in the background.
Comment 1 André Klapper 2014-07-07 09:36:12 UTC 
This is a bit unclear. If I'm in the gnome-shell overview and start an application, it does not start in the background. 
What is the exact situation plus usecase that you are facing?
Comment 2 Anand 2014-07-09 02:33:06 UTC 
Experiment 1:

Let's say there are two images in a folder.

Step 1: Right click the first image and open it with Gimp and gimp will open in the foreground.

Step 2: Go back to the folder (Nautilus) and right click on the second image and open it with Gimp. THIS TIME THE IMAGE WILL OPEN IN BACKGROUND.

Experiment 2:

Let's say there are two zip files in a folder.

Step 1: Right click the first zip file and open it with Archive Manager. It will open in the foreground.

Step 2: Go back to the folder (Nautilus) and right click and open the second zip file with Archive Manager. THIS TIME THE ZIP FILE WILL OPEN IN THE BACKGROUND.

I understand that this behavior is deliberate and consistent across Gnome (I'm using Gnome Ubuntu); it is annoying that a secondary application window does not steal focus. If I have to open multiple images or zip files, I can select them all and open them together. 

It is a fundamental and naturally expected behavior that every new window should always open in the foreground, just like a newly fallen leaf covers the older leaves on the heap. The option to enforce this natural and intuitive behavior should not be taken away from the users.
Comment 3 Anand 2014-07-09 02:45:57 UTC 
Here's a similar problem a user is having on Mate. Although the link below is about Mate but it is applicable also for Gnome:

http://www.webmasterworld.com/linux/4608806.htm
Comment 4 Daniel Boles 2018-04-13 14:55:20 UTC 

*** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of bug 732762 ***