Virtual desktops and a new screen layout highlight 0.4 release

Finally we have virtual desktops and other great features in this FyneDesk release!

The 0.4 branch of releases marks the end of X11 native implementations as we will begin the move to Wayland (and XWayland) for 0.5.

Added

• Virtual desktops and pager widget
• Add support for permissions requests in apps
• Add systray module
• Support launching xscreenaver for screen lock
• Include a "Quake mode" terminal module using +` key

Changed

• New "thin bars" layout of desktop by default
• Show a dialog to confirm before logging out
• Move to abstract light/dark backgrounds from Jost Grant
• Update to Fyne 2.4 theme with rounded corners
• Add app search to app bar
• Dim iconified windows in switcher

Fixed

• Performance improvements in border painting
• Date widget could move behind clock in some configurations

A new menu and compton support smooth FyneDesk design

Various feature additions alongside support for the compton compositor and a new menu make this FyneDesk feel much smoother :).
We hope you like this update which also contains many speed and stability improvements.

Added

• Basic compositor support using compton backend
• Support brightnessctl support to brightness module
• Add a helper menu to each window
• Add network status module that uses connman-gtk to configure
• Add support for starting the Fyne Calculator (if installed) using the "calc" button on supported keyboards

Changed

• Default terminal is now fyneterm (if installed) :)
• Update Fyne to 2.1 and refresh UI to match
• Improved switcher UI
• Re-designed the main menu to include links to standard apps

Fixed

• Show 1.0 as default scale in Advanced settings page if none set
• Closing windows could leak resources to invisible windows
• Don't drag the window if tap starts on a button
• Global shortcuts did not work in some windows and menus
• Improved stability when switching apps or showing many windows
• Compilation on FreeBSD 13 failed due to dbus issue
• Removed FreeBSD requirement on installed glfw library dependency

Notifications, Modules and multi-monitor scaling

This is the second major release of FyneDesk in which we added lots of new APIs for modules, keyboard shortcuts and general window management. There are a lot of new features like notifications, sound management and print screen, for the full list see below!

Added

• Support for desktop notifications
• Created API for writing modules that plug in to FyneDesk
• Add keyboard shortcut support for modules
• Add volume control using pulseaudio
• Print screen support for desktop and window capture
• Crash logs are now saved before runner restarts the desktop
• Add urls, calculations and sound/brightness to launcher
• Add support for XPM icon format
• Double tap title bar to maximise
• Hover effects for window borders
• Add option to use 24h time
• Add support for "fake" transparency in X apps
• Drag border to exit un-maximize
• Support choosing between Alt and Win key for shortcuts
• Add AC power indicator to battery module
• Add option to change border button position

Changed

• Updated to latest Fyne theme
• Updated multi-monitor support
• Bar icons can be added and removed from a new right-click menu
• Move to makefile for system installation
• Search user's local directory for applications
• New Swedish Pine wallpaper by @Jacalz
• Better support for running in virtual machines
• Improved background selection for settings
• Account menu now appears over windows

Fixed

• Communicate the desktop DPI for better support in apps not using GTK, Qt or EFL
• When starting with multiple screens that are not configured they overlap strangely (#129)
• Update scaling per-screen for Qt apps
• Drag and drop in Chrome browser (#156)
• Firefox does not enter Fullscreen (#110)
• Icon bar flicker when hovering
• Add BSD support for all status modules
• Fix 12h time format (#145)
• Killing Xorg with fynedesk_runner will not exit cleanly (#137)
• Menu opens with 0 height (#114)
• Allow resize from top corners (#113)
• Windows can be slow to move around (#165)
• Crash on fast alt-tab (#122)
• alt-space not reliable (#160)
• Moving windows on external screens shows screen tearing (#161)
• Applications can push other ones off the screen (#163)
• Reduce load/reload time by around 50%

Fixes for various applications and window types

The 0.1.3 release brings many window related bug fixes and graphical tweaks to the 0.1 release.

Added

• Initial support for BSD systems

Changed

• Improved wording for account menu in embedded mode
• Simpler app bar configuration screen
• Updated default background for a winter scene
• Renamed package to fyne.io/fynedesk and repository to github.com/fyne-io/fynedesk

Fixed

• GoLand editor loses focus on mouse click (#69)
• Fix a flicker on window borders when uncovered (#83)
• Respect the min and max hints of windows (#85)
• Update to latest Fyne release to match new scale calculations
• Drag and drop targets not found for many applications (#49)
• VLC opens a lot of windows (#70)
• Graphical glitches when Qt apps when scale < 1.0
• Improve loading of macOS apps and icons in embedded mode on darwin

Improvements to 0.1 release following feedback

Bug fix release on 0.1

Features

• Added key bindings for app launcher (open with Alt-Space)
• Add an about screen for FyneDesk

Fixed

• Issue where application menus may not be aligned in maximised or full screen
• Fix crash if right clicking app launcher input field
• Correct issue where icon list may not be saved from settings

FyneDesk reaches first release!

This first release introduces the FyneDesk project to the Linux community.
FyneDesk is a full X11 window manager that can be used in place of software like
Gnome or KDE. Using the Fyne project means that it uses scalable vector graphics
throughout whilst providing excellent performance and stability.

Features

• X11 window management and window borders
• Alt-Tab stack cycling for switching applications
• Application launcher
• Task and launch icon bar
• Battery and screen brightness controls
• Light and Dark themes
• Multiple monitor support

First desktop alpha release is ready for testing and contributions

This is the first (pre-)release of our desktop project, it is a functional and usable, but simple, desktop environment.
We're looking for feedback and contributions to get to 0.1 release which should be highly robust and performant as well :)

Features

• X11 window management features (move, resize, iconify, maximize, fullscreen)
• App launcher and task manager icon bar
• Widget bar with date, time, brightness controls and battery indicator
• App launcher
• Theme switcher

Development tools

To help with development the desktop can also run in "embedded mode" to test and run all features that are not window management - just run it like a normal app :)

Any bugs, suggestions or feedback welcome as issues in the 0.1 milestone.