Using "-regtest" for the first time shows silly progress widget

[ciyam]

Not overly important but it looks a bit silly to see the progress widget saying it is years behind when you are using "-regtest" for the first time.

[maflcko]

The (time of the) first block is hard-coded:

bitcoin/src/chainparams.cpp

Line 239 in be9a9a3

genesis = CreateGenesisBlock(1296688602, 2, 0x207fffff, 1, 50 * COIN);

[ciyam]

Understood - but it seems to know to hide the progress widget as soon as you generate even one block so why show the widget at all if it is known that you are using "regtest"?
(i.e. it just looks ugly for no good reason IMO)

[maflcko]

know to hide the progress widget as soon as you generate even one block

Normally, the time of the second block is the time you create the second block. As long as the time of the last block is less than 90 minutes in the past, there will be no progress bar:

bitcoin/src/qt/bitcoingui.cpp

Line 719 in be9a9a3

if(secs < 90*60)

[ciyam]

Again - I understand - but if it knows it is running with "-regtest" then why not just hide the progress widget "full stop"?
(it is just an aesthetic thing really - but it does look ugly that if you start a blank regtest you see the stupid progress widget)

[maflcko]

Regtest is for development only and I don't see how this information could harm.

[ciyam]

Sure - as I stated it is just "ugly" (it doesn't "harm") so I fully understand if no-one cares to change it - just was reporting (as it is confusing to see that at first).

[jonasschnelli]

Agree that it could be confusing. But because this is a dev's/researchers only feature, I think it's not worth changing it / keeping an issue open for it. @ciyam: If you agree, please close the issue.

[laanwj]

Regtest is not meant for normal users. It's even hidden in --help without --help-debug. So minor UI issues that could confuse novice users are not relevant enough to keep open an issue, IMO.
(though I'm not against fixing this if it can be done in a general, non-ugly way)