Window isn't shown when the application is launched

[allanday]

Expected behaviour

The expectation is that the app's main window will be displayed when the client is launched.

Actual behaviour

When the client is launched, no window is shown. This is an issue for two reasons:

1. It's inconsistent with the way most apps work, and could therefore be confusing. The GNOME design guidelines recommend always showing a window, for this reason.
2. A status icon (also known as a system tray icon) might not be available, either because status icons have been disabled, or because the platform doesn't support them (from the upcoming version 3.26, status icons won't be displayed by default in GNOME). In this case there's no way to get to the main client window.

Steps to reproduce

1. In GNOME, go to the Activities Overview, find the launcher and click it.

Client configuration

• Client version: 2.3.2
• Operating system: Fedora 26
• Qt version used by client package (Linux only, see also Settings dialog): 5.7.1
• Client package (From ownCloud or distro) (Linux only): nextcloud-client-2.3.2-1.fc26.src.rpm

[hodyroff]

The ownCloud Desktop Client goal is to be as frictionless as possible. The client is therefor supposed to be running like a daemon, just hidden away and do his task - sync. I think the ownCloud team is doing a great job assuring this works - even for forks who just rebrand our client. Hope to see you at the ownCloud Conference where we can discuss such and other things in person: https://occon17.owncloud.org/
Looking at the guidelines you quote they seem not to make sense to me for the client: "Your application should cease to run when all its primary windows have been closed."
Do you have a reference to the display of status icons in 3.26+? This sounds like a bad idea, indeed.

[michaelstingl]

On Windows, the client settings window opens if you execute the client again.

[allanday]

On Windows, the client settings window opens if you execute the client again.

I can't be 100% sure, but I think that it used to do this on Linux as well, and that the behaviour changed at some point.

[hodyroff]

It is that way. "again" is the important word. Start once - run silent. Start a second time and if already running = show configuration window. That is the ideal ownCloud experience, IMHO.
Hope to see you at the conference @allanday

[allanday]

The ownCloud Desktop Client goal is to be as frictionless as possible. The client is therefor supposed to be running like a daemon, just hidden away and do his task - sync.

This makes great sense and is behaviour that GNOME wants to support and encourage. It's actually one of the reasons for the issue - when a user launches the app it is likely that the client will already be running, which means that the launcher won't do anything. In these situations users will expect that launching the app will raise its window.

I think the ownCloud team is doing a great job assuring this works - even for forks who just rebrand our client. Hope to see you at the ownCloud Conference where we can discuss such and other things in person: https://occon17.owncloud.org/

My travel schedule looks a bit busy around then, so it's unlikely that I'll be able to attend, but thanks for the invitation!

Looking at the guidelines you quote they seem not to make sense to me for the client: "Your application should cease to run when all its primary windows have been closed."

Really sorry, that's an old piece of advice. I've removed it from the guidelines.

Do you have a reference to the display of status icons in 3.26+? This sounds like a bad idea, indeed.

There's documentation on the GNOME wiki, including guidelines for application developers. However, I want to stress that the issue that's being discussed here would be an improvement irrespective of the changes in GNOME.

[allanday]

It is that way. "again" is the important word. Start once - run silent. Start a second time and if already running = show configuration window.

I don't see that behaviour in 2.3.2 - is it in a more recent version? Here the window never appears when I launch the app, even if it is already running. A colleague of mine also sees this behaviour.

[hodyroff]

ownCloud 2.3.2 and ownCloud 2.3.3 soon to be release version. Are you sure you are running an ownCloud Client? Your original description mentions a non-official release. Please reproduce, best is oC 2.3.3 RC2 https://central.owncloud.org/t/desktop-sync-client-2-3-3-rc2-release-candidate-released-linux-users-please-try/8967

[allanday]

Please reproduce, best is oC 2.3.3 RC2 https://central.owncloud.org/t/desktop-sync-client-2-3-3-rc2-release-candidate-released-linux-users-please-try/8967

I've tried the ownCloud 2.3.3 RC2 and the issue isn't present there - the window launching behaviour is as you described above. I don't suppose you know whether it has changed since 2.3.2, do you?

[hodyroff]

Perfect. This area of the code was not touched and works as expected. Have fun using ownCloud - the original, open file sync and share solution!

[hodyroff]

@allanday please be welcome to let us know about any other Gnome or otherwise issues you do find with 2.3.3+ or the soon to be release 2.4.0. Alpha/Beta which will have new features like the long awaited "private link with right click" without goint into the web frontend to chat with your coworkers about a file!

[allanday]

After further investigation, this appears to be a downstream issue with the Fedora package - the issue I originally reported is present with Fedora's packages, but doesn't appear in upstream packages, or those on Ubuntu or Arch.

I'll report back if anything else turns up.