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Bug 783719 - Add (hidden) option to configure notification timeout
Add (hidden) option to configure notification timeout
Status: RESOLVED WONTFIX
Product: gnome-shell
Classification: Core
Component: message-tray
unspecified
Other Linux
: Normal normal
: ---
Assigned To: gnome-shell-maint
gnome-shell-maint
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
 
Reported: 2017-06-12 22:50 UTC by 1d28ed33
Modified: 2019-06-25 12:18 UTC
See Also:
GNOME target: ---
GNOME version: ---



Description 1d28ed33 2017-06-12 22:50:27 UTC
IMHO the notifications in GNOME (3) are hidden very quickly. Of course, it depends on the user, how fast he/she can read that notifications or so.

However, I found no way to change how long the notifications are displayed before they are hidden. So maybe add one, at least in dconf, so that advanced users can configure it?

Or, when one wants it to be able for "usual" users to configure, add it to settings->notifications or at least to gnome-tweak-tool.

Ref: https://ask.fedoraproject.org/en/question/106333/how-to-change-the-notification-timeout-in-gnome/
Comment 1 Florian Müllner 2017-06-12 23:47:27 UTC
(In reply to 1d28ed33 from comment #0)
> However, I found no way to change how long the notifications are displayed
> before they are hidden.

You are right that there is no option to configure the timeout, however it's not exactly fixed either - if you move the mouse up towards the notification, the timeout is prolonged, and notifications do not hide when hovered.


> So maybe add one, at least in dconf, so that advanced users can configure it?

That doesn't sound like a good option (pun intended). If there are issues with the current heuristics, then those issues affect *all* users, not just self-declared "advanced" ones. And advanced or not, to make use of an option users will need to know that a) it exists and b) where to look for it (for example they need to know that notifications are implemented in gnome-shell and not in mutter ;-) ).

So before considering an option, I'd be interested in information on where the current heuristics fail, to see whether we can improve them.

(For example by considering horizontal mouse moves towards the banner as well, or by not hiding notifications that have been focused with <super>n)
Comment 2 1d28ed33 2017-06-19 18:04:57 UTC
Thanks for the explanation. Really insightful!

So where the notification system currently fails, is, IMHO, the "personal preference" of the user.

I mean there certainly is some internal value deciding how long the notification is shown "in the average case" or when nothing special happens (i.e. random mouse movements).
So instead of a way to specify exact seconds, why not have different options?

Notification timeout: Fast / Normal / Slow

Fast readers ( ;) ) can choose "fast" and others may choose something else.

This would also fit nicely into the settings GUI.
Comment 3 slseed1969 2018-08-16 21:12:29 UTC
Has any attention been given to this request. I have the same gripe. The banners often clear too quickly for me to read them. In addition, I thought the notifications are supposed to land in the message tray, but for the version of Gnome I'm running (3.22.2-10), this is not the case. I would at least be helpful if the notifications stayed in the message tray until cleared (similar to how Android stores notifications).
Comment 4 Mario Limonciello 2018-09-13 17:11:16 UTC
@Florian

This is leading to some unfortunate behavior at least in gnome-software (https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gnome-software/issues/341).
Gnome-software uses GNotification to show a "reboot required" notification.  If you miss it, there isn't an easy way to reboot the system.

My experience is that it's way too quick to be able to react to, especially if you walked away while other updates were installing.
Example (where only FW update was installing): http://youtu.be/0MWiXbrEFHI

If I had reacted to that quick enough there is a reboot button on the bottom.

Is the timeout affected by the urgency?  If not, would you consider allowing that?  So perhaps the application can declare a highest level urgency and it causes the notification to not timeout.
Comment 5 Florian Müllner 2018-09-13 17:14:44 UTC
(In reply to Mario Limonciello from comment #4)
> Is the timeout affected by the urgency? 

Yes, urgent notifications don't time out at all.
Comment 6 Mario Limonciello 2018-09-13 17:25:48 UTC
Thanks, I guess for gnome-software that's what needs to be set then, appreciated.
Comment 7 Florian Müllner 2018-09-13 17:28:14 UTC
Maybe. As it looks like the installed update appears again in Software, it's also possible that Software withdraws the notification.
Comment 8 Mario Limonciello 2018-09-13 17:30:52 UTC
I double checked the code and it doesn't withdraw the notification.  The update showed back up because of a fwupd bug fixed by this: https://github.com/hughsie/fwupd/commit/fc139357e18b832542f1f3c6819e65d148ae8073
Comment 9 sergei 2018-11-01 07:40:51 UTC
> You are right that there is no option to configure the timeout, however it's not exactly fixed either - if you move the mouse up towards the notification, the timeout is prolonged, and notifications do not hide when hovered.

I often work with keyboard only. So, in order to hold a notification I have to take mouse and move it to the notification. To be honest, it is very rare case I can do it because the notification disappears before pointer gets it. And sometime, if I focused on bottom of the screen when typing, I miss notifications at all.
I think simple slider in configuration app which change time for notification from 1 second to 5 mins would be easy to implement and flexible enough for any user.
Comment 10 André Klapper 2018-11-01 08:05:56 UTC
> I often work with keyboard only. So, in order to hold a notification
> I have to take mouse and move it to the notification. 

You can see notifications by pressing Super+M and then using arrow keys. No mouse needed. (And no need to add uncommon settings to some configuration app.)
Comment 11 Florian Müllner 2018-11-01 09:58:43 UTC
Indeed, issues should be addressed and not worked around with obscure configuration knobs hardly anyone knows about.