[xmonad] darcs patch: Config.hs: rm "Toggle the status bar gap... (and 3 more)

[gwern0 at gmail.com]

On 2008.01.07 11:45:27 -0600, Spencer Janssen <sjanssen at cse.unl.edu> scribbled 2.1K characters:
> On Mon, Jan 07, 2008 at 11:25:14AM -0500, gwern0 at gmail.com wrote:
> > Mon Jan  7 11:17:16 EST 2008  gwern0 at gmail.com
> >   * Config.hs: rm "Toggle the status bar gap" binding
> >   Per  my discussion with Roundy in the thread '[xmonad] automatically generating template xmonad.hs if it doesn't exist'. Not very useful: " I'm not too sure about this one. If you're using an uncustomized totally standard XMonad, are you also going to be using a status bar? More to the point, would you be using a statusbar *and* also be wanting to toggle on/off the status bar? (Which is what this does if I understand it.)"
>
> It is true that mod-b is a no-op in the default configuration.  However, once a
> user sets some status gaps, they'll immediately want to use this feature.
> Requiring the user to copy this keybinding makes configuration needlessly
> difficult.

Hm. I'm not sure; a status bar requires a fair bit of configuration already. This seems to be a feature on top of the feature of status bar already - you can happily use a status bar without being able to toggle it (right?), so this is for a subset of a subset of users already...

> > Mon Jan  7 11:19:36 EST 2008  gwern0 at gmail.com
> >   * Config.hs: rm dmenu and gmrun default bindings
> >   See previous patch: "I'm not too sure about this one. If you're using an uncustomized totally standard XMonad, are you also going to be using a status bar? More to the point, would you be using a statusbar *and* also be wanting to toggle on/off the status bar? (Which is what this does if I understand it.)"
>
> The dmenu binding will stay -- users must be able to launch programs out of the
> box.  Perhaps we can remove the gmrun binding, does anyone actually use it?

I don't think I've seen anyone use it. There *is* one recent config on the Haskell wiki which uses it - <http://haskell.org/haskellwiki/Xmonad/Config_archive/loupgaroublonds_xmonad.hs> - but I don't know if loupgaroublond actually uses it or whether it was just part of the copy-paste.

As for dmenu: there's no more reason to think dmenu is installed than, say, gmrun or XMC's ShellPrompt. This is still an external dependency for what you seem to think is core functionality. Replacing it with some call to ShellPrompt would actually be better because it'd avoid runtime problems (User A hears about XMonad, compiles and installs it, and wonders why she can't launch programs - what's this 'dmenu' thing she sees on the terminal prompt - assuming User A even looks there), and it'd be eating our own dogfood.

I don't really see any palatable choices here. Either: we have an external runtime dependency on something we can't assume the user has installed; or, we use ShellPrompt/the Prompt framework in general, and have a compile-time dependency on the previously optional XMC; or, we include bare-bones prompt functionality in the core.

> > Mon Jan  7 11:21:00 EST 2008  gwern0 at gmail.com
> >   * Config.hs: rm 'refresh' keybinding
> >   See previous patches: "And how often does one need to manually refresh? We recommend using a good terminal emulator like urxvt, so that's that, and I can't think of any others that'd benefit. Does anyone actually use this often? Then it might be better for them to add refresh to a hook."
>
> I'm ambivalent on this one.  It is rarely needed, but it is important when you
> do need it.
>
> > Mon Jan  7 11:23:57 EST 2008  gwern0 at gmail.com
> >   * Config.hs: implement my suggestion to make 'n' bind to next window
>
> We already have several bindings for this -- it seems counter to your "war on
> keybindings" to add a third binding to the same action :P
>
> Cheers,
> Spencer Janssen

Well, would you like it better if I removed the second binding instead? :) I like Tab personally...

(But of course, for me, it isn't a third binding at all, since I already have such an entry in my config.hs.)

--
gwern
5926 Belknap VIA rail DSNET3 FSB erco imagery William BOP
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