[Davmail-users] "systray" and Linux

[Mickaël Guessant]

While we are at it, I would like your point of view on the systray /
appindicator mess:

- native java systray poor implementation is the only reason to have SWT
in DavMail
- systray is no longer available on Ubuntu, except with the "Indicator
Systemtray Unity" package
- looks like systray is not available either on standard Ubuntu with
Gnome setup
- I already implemented a -notray option to force Window mode
- most Linux users will run DavMail as a daemon anyway...

I found the dorkbox SystemTray project that tries to implement a
portable systray / appindicator API, however this would add another
dependency to DavMail... and the code to detect all cases is a nightmare:
https://github.com/dorkbox/SystemTray/blob/master/src/dorkbox/systemTray/SystemTray.java



Should we completely drop system tray on Linux ?
Do you see any other way ?

[Geert Stappers]

Post by Mickaël Guessant
While we are at it, I would like your point of view on the systray /
- native java systray poor implementation is the only reason to have SWT
in DavMail
- systray is no longer available on Ubuntu, except with the "Indicator
Systemtray Unity" package
- looks like systray is not available either on standard Ubuntu with
Gnome setup
- I already implemented a -notray option to force Window mode
- most Linux users will run DavMail as a daemon anyway...
I found the dorkbox SystemTray project that tries to implement a
portable systray / appindicator API, however this would add another
https://github.com/dorkbox/SystemTray/blob/master/src/dorkbox/systemTray/SystemTray.java
Should we completely drop system tray on Linux ?

I think that would be a good thing.

Post by Mickaël Guessant
Do you see any other way ?

Don't worry about the systray stuff.
Davmail is about SMTP, POP, IMAP, LDAP, CardDAV and CalDAV.


Wishing you a nice mid winter fest
Geert Stappers

[Jonathan Groll]

Post by Mickaël Guessant
While we are at it, I would like your point of view on the systray /
- native java systray poor implementation is the only reason to have
SWT in DavMail
- systray is no longer available on Ubuntu, except with the "Indicator
Systemtray Unity" package
- looks like systray is not available either on standard Ubuntu with
Gnome setup
- I already implemented a -notray option to force Window mode
- most Linux users will run DavMail as a daemon anyway...
I found the dorkbox SystemTray project that tries to implement a
portable systray / appindicator API, however this would add another
dependency to DavMail... and the code to detect all cases is a
https://github.com/dorkbox/SystemTray/blob/master/src/dorkbox/systemTray/SystemTray.java
Should we completely drop system tray on Linux ?
Do you see any other way ?

On my (Debian) XFCE desktop I find the systray icon useful for knowing
if I need to enable/disable proxy settings (icon indicates failures by
changing to 'no-entry'). If we drop the systray icon, is the thinking
that we would have alert messages?

Cheers,
Jonathan

[Geert Stappers]

Happy New Year,

Post by Jonathan Groll

Post by Mickaël Guessant
While we are at it, I would like your point of view on the systray /

[ ..... ]

Post by Jonathan Groll

Post by Mickaël Guessant
Should we completely drop system tray on Linux ?
Do you see any other way ?

On my (Debian) XFCE desktop I find the systray icon useful for knowing
if I need to enable/disable proxy settings (icon indicates failures by
changing to 'no-entry').

Seems to me usage of Davmail on a laptop that is travelling a lot
and visits places where a web proxy is needed to access Internet.

Post by Jonathan Groll
If we drop the systray icon, is the thinking that we would have
alert messages?

That im my words:

} I understand the wish to drop the systray icon.
}
} Could Davmail still provide an indicator that my laptop
} is at a network where a web proxy is needed?


That "creative use" of Davmails systray icon
is _almost_ "abuse" of it. :-)


My advice:
* Set 'davmail.useSystemProxies=true' in davmail properties.
* Let other software ("Network Manager"??) do webproxies detection.



Groeten
Geert Stappers

[Mickaël Guessant]

Post by Geert Stappers
Happy New Year,

Post by Jonathan Groll

Post by Mickaël Guessant
While we are at it, I would like your point of view on the systray /

[ ..... ]

Post by Jonathan Groll

Post by Mickaël Guessant
Should we completely drop system tray on Linux ?
Do you see any other way ?

On my (Debian) XFCE desktop I find the systray icon useful for knowing
if I need to enable/disable proxy settings (icon indicates failures by
changing to 'no-entry').

Seems to me usage of Davmail on a laptop that is travelling a lot
and visits places where a web proxy is needed to access Internet.

Post by Jonathan Groll
If we drop the systray icon, is the thinking that we would have
alert messages?

} I understand the wish to drop the systray icon.
}
} Could Davmail still provide an indicator that my laptop
} is at a network where a web proxy is needed?
That "creative use" of Davmails systray icon
is_almost_ "abuse" of it.:-)
* Set 'davmail.useSystemProxies=true' in davmail properties.
* Let other software ("Network Manager"??) do webproxies detection.

Well, there is another reason to use gui mode: Caldav edit notification
feature. As there is no way over Caldav to tell meeting owner *why* you
don't accept a meeting, DavMail provides a dialog to let end user edit
Caldav notification.

On windows, I use systray to:
- detect connection failure
- monitor progress on a slow connection
- edit settings

[Mickaël Guessant]

Post by Jonathan Groll

Post by Mickaël Guessant
While we are at it, I would like your point of view on the systray /
- native java systray poor implementation is the only reason to have
SWT in DavMail
- systray is no longer available on Ubuntu, except with the "Indicator
Systemtray Unity" package
- looks like systray is not available either on standard Ubuntu with
Gnome setup
- I already implemented a -notray option to force Window mode
- most Linux users will run DavMail as a daemon anyway...
I found the dorkbox SystemTray project that tries to implement a
portable systray / appindicator API, however this would add another
https://github.com/dorkbox/SystemTray/blob/master/src/dorkbox/systemTray/SystemTray.java
Should we completely drop system tray on Linux ?
Do you see any other way ?

On my (Debian) XFCE desktop I find the systray icon useful for knowing
if I need to enable/disable proxy settings (icon indicates failures by
changing to 'no-entry'). If we drop the systray icon, is the thinking
that we would have alert messages?

Thanks for your feedback, my current approach is:
- if davmail.server is true => obviously no GUI at all
- notray option on command line => Frame mode, no tray
- default: try to create tray, but try to detect missing tray support,
and then switch to Frame mode
=> this happens with Ubuntu Unity, and many other recent distributions

I may eventually have to make Frame mode the default, and offer -tray
option to users that really want the tray icon, and have a distribution
that supports it.