"Multiwindow" support, pretty please? #1398
Description
Is your feature request related to a problem:
This is probably going to be a bit long-winded, since I'm trying to avoid the traps that this discussion has fallen into several times in the past.
I have tried wslg a few times now, being disappointed at the same blocker each and every time. The main feature that I need is what other Windows X servers call "multiwindow": render the X application inside a plain windows window. From what I've seen, there are MANY people who want that, but the discussions that I've seen are always derailed to some irrelevant points about full screens (#1286) or intellij (#530) and a few others that are even less focused.
So I'm hoping to make this a very clear point: the feature that we're asking for, is to just use plain windows for X11 programs. Again, this is easy to find in other windows X11 servers. It seems like wslg is headed in a direction of proper support for wayland / whatever to support "real linux experience", which is a very noble goal IMO, but it misses a big usability point time and again. If this direction continues -- and even if it becomes completely operational -- it won't make me happy. The reason is that this direction inherently leads my machine into having two separate GUIs: one for windows, and one for WSL.
Yes, I could work hard and get them kinda closer to each other: configure to death one side so it visually resembles the other, and more importantly, configure it to have similar behaviors (eg, drag a titlebar to the top to get a window maximized). But that would be faking something that I shouldn't be faking since I want all windows to behave in the same consistent way.
Reasons the current direction doesn't make me happy:
- If it happens, I'd need to install a ton of gui stuff on WSL to get stuff working. This offends my sensible software smell: it's stuff that is equivalent to windows, running inside windows.
- I'm currently forced to use vcxsrv / x410 / xming / whatever -- all work mostly fine, with a few annoyances from time to time. If the wsl project would take on this direction, I'm sure that the result would be more stable + usable.
- It could be nice if my goal was to use only linux guis, but I know where to find a proper vm / dual boot / etc to get that setup done better.
Again, the current direction is certainly something with an audience, just not the same audience that is asking for a consistent experience -- and that kind of a consistent experience will (AFAICT) never happen if going in this direction. I'm guessing that a very likely answer here is "this is not what we're working on" -- but if that's the case, then: (a) I'd like that answer to be very clear, and (b) highlight this feature as something that I'm sure many people would be happy to have -- and one that I think would be easier to achieve.
Note: please don't ask me how I ran wslg or another X server -- that should be obvious, since it's usually the preferred mode in these. Please also don't derail this into a discussion about full screen windows, or tweaking wayland or gnome or kde. Also, please don't derail this into linux applications (like modern editors and browsers) that can sometime draw their own title + menu -- they usually do that to avoid the inconsistent problems that can happen on linux because there are so many ways to handle window decoration & management. And finally, don't ask me for screenshots -- they won't help, since (a) it's a very popular mode of work with other x servers, and (b) it looks just like a regular windows window, just with X11 stuff inside it.
(And another sidenote: this is coming from a dinosaur that still uses things like xterm and plain emacs. No need to educate me about the glorious advancements that wayland will bring into my life.)
Describe the solution you'd like:
A simple mode to "run X apps inside plain windows" -- where "plain" is what a Windows user calls plain. If it mentions wayland, weston, kde, gnome, or gtk, then it misses the point.
Describe alternatives you've considered:
vcxsrv, xming, x410, mobaxterm.
Additional context:
No response