What does GTK do in the Linux viewer (was: [sldev] gtk Q)

[Alissa Sabre]

Glen:
> what is gtk actually used for in the Linux version
> of the viewer?

Tofu:
> Right now, file dialogs, color-picker, warning dialogs,
> mozilla+gstreamer event queues, and copy-and-paste.

Three things on the point.

(1) Yes, there is a GTK-based color picker, but is is not usually
used.  The default behaviour in today's viewer is to use LLUI-based
SL's own color picker.  "Edit > Preferences > General > Use default
system color picker" controls it.  I guess you can simply disable the
GTK-based color picker.

(2) I believe clipbard operations are currently handled through Xlib
and GTK is not used for the purpose.  See VWR-7036.  Note that the
code that Tofu referred to as "The rewritten clipboard code by Alissa
Sabre" in his comment on VWR-7036 *is* based on GTK...

(3) The warning dialog (OSMessageBox) is currently based on GTK, and
it is not straightforward to replace with LLUI, because OSMessageBox()
may be called before OpenGL initialization (to notify some unexpected
events, e.g., lack of some critical feature in the underlying OpenGL
implementation...)

> But gtk is GPLd like the viewer is - so it would be OK to port those 
> widgets into SL's codebase and use SL's UI engine to draw them.

If you are planning to create your own viewer distribution, that's
fine.  However, I believe LL would never receive your patch if you put
copies of GTK codes into the patch, because LL is selling the viewer
source to third parties under no GPL terms, and _importing_ external
GPL/LGPL codes into the viewer source will prevent LL from doing so.

> Though, if it were to be done, would it be a welcome thing?

Some people welcomes it, and some other doesn't.  You are free to do
so if you believe it is good.  Nobody can stop you.  That's the great
feature of free software.  Programming freedom.  (Is RMS reading this? :-)

My own opinion is just opposite.  I've been trying to remove SDL
dependency from the viewer code, replacing it with a GTK-based
alternative.  In other words, I'm _increasing_ GTK dependency.  The
original reason I started it is to improve the input method handling.
Clipboard improvement is just a (good) side effect.  See VWR-2261 for
details on this issue.

    Alissa Sabre

P.S., I recently restarted working on VWR-2261 (after 1/2 year blank),
and I'm uploading a revised patch soon, hopefully within this weekend.
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