GNOME Bugzilla – Bug 766081
Close All Terminals only closes the active window
Last modified: 2017-10-31 08:33:35 UTC
Found at https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-terminal/+bug/1579174 "Close All Terminals" (Shift+Ctrl+Q) closes the current window (all its tabs), but leaves all other windows open. Reporter expects it to close all g-t windows. The "Quit" application menu (not sure where it appears in gnome-shell, in Unity it appears under the first "Terminal" menu) also only closes the window, does not entirely quit g-t. There _could_ be three different actions: Close Terminal (a.k.a. Close Tab); Close Window; and Close All Windows (a.k.a. Quit in its usual meaning). Maybe we should have all three? And maybe let users assign shortcuts the way they want? I believe the ancient legacy desktop behavior, before tabbed UIs became mainstream, was to have Ctrl+Q _q_uit the app, and Ctrl+W close the _w_indow. At least I guess that's where these shortcuts came from and it'd make sense to keep them somehow resemble their original intent. However, tabbed UI makes it more complicated. Apps with tabs (but single window) tend to use Ctrl+W to close a tab (which is already counter-intuitive; carries something we're already used to to a new era, just like the floppy icon we still use for saving). The story becomes even more complicated and even less intuitive with apps that allow tabs _and_ windows at the same time for the same purpose. There aren't too many apps like this. Terminal emulators and web browsers – anything else? We could take a look at what they do. Web browsers I believe distinguish all three actions using shortcuts Ctrl+W, Ctrl+Q, and Ctrl+Shift+Q which we cannot really do since we require Shift to be pressed anyways. Also they don't advertise all these three different actions in their menus. Or, if we stick to the current behavior (no way to close all windows at once), IMO at least the labels "Close All Terminals" and "Quit" should be renamed to "Close Window". (I'm wondering... there was a GMenu port a while ago, causing the removal of the "Window" menu, with a reasoning along the lines that the menu belongs to the window and not the application – do I recall correctly, or am I totally mixing up everything? Is this also the philosophy behind not having a proper "Quit" action?) Any advice from a UI expert?
My opinion on this has always been that the gnome-terminal-server process is simply an implementation detail, and that UI wise, each window should be treated as if really was its own g-t process. Also closing all windows has no use case, and the "App menu" that you get while g-t window A is focused should only operate on window A, not on any other windows that just for technical reasons happen to be in the same g-t-s process.
Also, I don't see a "Close all terminals" string anywhere? The app menu says "Quit". "Close all terminals" would refer to all the terminals in that window, if it were used. If it clarifies thing, the Quit could be renamed to "Close window" just like the File menu entry.
File -> Close All Terminals
(In reply to Christian Persch from comment #1) > and that UI wise, each window should be > treated as if really was its own g-t process. With apps like xterm probably this is the notion users have. With g-t that (1) has a menu and shortcut to open a new terminal, and (2) allows DND between windows, I'm not that sure. > Also closing all windows has no use case, We just had one user looking for this. It's not too much so far, sure. > and the "App menu" that you get while g-t window A is focused > should only operate on window A, not on any other windows that just for > technical reasons happen to be in the same g-t-s process. That's one way to think about it, I see your point, and I don't have a clue how the average user thinks :( We might leave it as-is. How about just clarifying the label, then? s/All Terminals/Window/
Hmm. Seems I renamed it from "Close Window" in commit 53ef0accb8899f2696aa0637ccfc1722cf1cf87d via bug 707846. Renaming back to "Close window" is probably best.
Sure. And I guess s/Quit/Close Window/ too.
Well "Quit" is sort of standard for the app menu, so I guess it would be best to keep it there as-is.
"Close terminal" and "Close all terminals" do the same thing. I see no way to open tabs in gnome-terminal.
Which release includes the fix? This bug persists in terminal 3.26.2.
(In reply to Christian Persch from comment #5) > Hmm. Seems I renamed it from "Close Window" in commit > 53ef0accb8899f2696aa0637ccfc1722cf1cf87d via bug 707846. Renaming back to > "Close window" is probably best. This is what's done on master; everything else is WONTFIX.