[ubuntu-x] gnome-settings-daemon: the new Xserver?

[Bryce Harrington]

Perhaps best to directly ask seb128 as to the rationale of the change.
CCing him.

On Thu, Sep 30, 2010 at 11:41:35PM +0200, Tormod Volden wrote:
> Hi,
> Over the last years the autodetection abilities of the Xserver has
> been improved to the point that in most cases X detects all screen
> connected and chooses the best resolution available, with no
> configuration needed. However, on the Ubuntu desktop another friend
> increasingly wants to have a say: The gnome-settings-daemon and its
> magic use of xrandr. g-s-d has been useful to let the user choose his
> own screen settings and let them be remembered over sessions. But now
> it wants to overrule the Xserver even in the default configuration,
> before the user even gets a chance to configure anything.
> 
> One of the latest changes (gnome_settings_daemon 2.31.91-0ubuntu3)
> introduced more xrandr manipulation ("turn on external screens by
> default") and caused a family of regressions like 643118 and 640807. I
> have a couple of issues with this change:
> 1) It was pushed into Maverick just before Final Freeze, without
> explanation, without reference to any bug it may fix. I know that
> gnome packages are exempted from upload freeze rules, but I think that
> is to allow upstream bug fixes to flow in, and not to lightly add
> Ubuntu changes.
> 2) If external screens need to be enabled for some reason, why
> shouldn't the Xserver do it instead? This smells of plastering and
> workarounds to me. And do for example Xubuntu and Kubuntu users not
> want the same display modes by default?
> 
> Note that although (2) reveals my personal opinion, it is not meant
> rhetorically, I have not been following closely lately and have missed
> out on much information. A changelog bug reference would probably have
> helped :) What is exactly the way we want this to work, both as in
> user experience and in the strategics of distributing logic between
> Xserver and g-s-d? Also, is this well coordinated and communicated
> between X team and gnome/desktop team?
> 
> I am sure some of the reported bugs boil down to bugs in the graphic
> drivers and that the above g-s-d changes would otherwise have been
> fine, but this is a minefield to be treaded carefully, especially in
> these days of KMS migration.
> 
> Tormod
> 
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