rawhide report: 20041001 changes

[Bryan Clark]

> gnome-panel-2.8.0.1-2
> ---------------------
> * Fri Oct 01 2004 Mark McLoughlin <markmc at redhat.com> 2.8.0.1-1
> 
> - New panel layout from Bryan and Seth

Hey ~

We've changed the default panel layout to adapt it more towards the
default GNOME panel layout.  This layout is a dual panel system, I have
a screenshot [1] of the new layout which will explain it much faster
than me trying to describe it.

We realize that not everyone likes a dual panel layout and I'm not
really interested in seeing a thread starting on how people hate dual
panel layouts ;-)  In the future I would like to work towards a system
of 'canned configurations'  which Havoc has talked about before, where
we have pre-configured single and dual layout system which can be easily
switched between.

Let me explain it a little bit about the dual panel system before the
flames start.  The two panels take up the exact same amount of space in
terms of pixels as the old style layout.  The dual panel design is based
off the GNOME design which has had quite a bit of thought put into it.
With the panel occupying all the corners of the screen we can take full
advantage of things like Fitts Law, where when you want to change the
volume quickly you can throw your mouse up to the upper right hand
corner of the screen without aiming and hit the volume applet.  Likewise
with the Applications and Show Desktop button.  This also leave you more
room to add your own launchers to the top panel, while gaining more room
for the task bar at the bottom.

Note:  	This does not effect the KDE panel layout
	This does not effect current panel configurations, only new accounts
without panel configurations.

-- To Test --

Unless you haven't changed your default panel configuration you'll
probably want to test this on a "test user" and not your actual account
since in the test you'll lose all your launcher/applet settings.

Here are the simple instructions:
	log out of GNOME
	do 'gconftool-2 --recursive-unset /apps/panel' from console
	do 'gconftool-2 --shutdown' from the console for good measure
	log back in again

File bugs in redhat bugzilla [2] under gnome-panel and put "default
layout" somewhere in the Summary.  I'd also appreciate if you'd cc me on
any of these bugs.

Thanks,
~ Bryan

[1] http://people.redhat.com/bclark/screenshots/new_panel_layout.png
[2] http://bugzilla.redhat.com/bugzilla/enter_bug.cgi?product=Fedora%20Core&