Desktop client on Linux should set "demands_attention" flag or change the icon on unread messages

[mvintila]

Description

On Ubuntu Linux 16.04 with Unity, using the Desktop client, there is no indication of unread messages, neither in the top "Systray" icon nor on the left (by default) Launcher icon.

It would be ideal if Riot would at least set "demands_attention" window flag on new messages or maybe change the icon to include the number of unread messages.

If you miss the initial desktop notification or the notification sound, there's no way of knowing that you have unread messages unless you periodically check in the app window itself.

Version information

• Platform: Desktop
• OS: Ubuntu Linux 16.04 using stock Unity
• Version: 0.9.7

[mvintila]

I see that the feature is called "notification badges" and it seems to be present. However, this does not work at all on Ubuntu 16.04 with default Unity.

Probably the scope of this bug is just Ubuntu/Unity.

[TheLastProject]

The scope definitely is not just Unity. On i3 I also notice that this flag is not set (when it is, the desktop the app is on becomes red. Gajim does this, Telegram and Riot do not)

…

On 15 March 2017 11:01:39 CET, Marin Vintila ***@***.***> wrote: I see that the feature is called "notification badges" and it seems to be present. However, this does not work at all on Ubuntu 16.04 with default Unity. Probably the scope of this bug is just Ubuntu/Unity. -- You are receiving this because you are subscribed to this thread. Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub: https://github.com/vector-im/riot-web/issues/3435#issuecomment-286695359

-- Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity.

[xavierzwirtz]

This would be nice on Windows as well. At this point, if you are away from your computer when a message is received there is no indication that you should check Riot for new messages.

[kykc]

I second this, there's no notification of unread messages if I've missed Desktop Notification popup for some reason. No blinking for attention and no unread message count badge on taskbar

• Platform: Desktop
• OS: Windows 10
• Version: 0.9.7 as chrome app in separate window

[croulibri]

On Debian 8 with KDE dekstop, there is no notification of unread message either with the Riot desktop app (from I start using Riot in 6 months ago until the current 0.9.10).

The icon of systray is not displaying properly, we can only see the top left corner of the Riot icon, leaving a kind of "blurred pink and green square" as icon :-(

[t3chguy]

@croulibri the broken tray icon is an issue with libappindicator and electron

[t3chguy]

Though with the latest version there is now a notifications count in the tray icon, so I believe this may be able to be closed.

[TheLastProject]

I'd still much prefer the demand_attention flag. I constantly miss the tray icon thing for Telegram as well, and I'd prefer to go back to completely disabling tray icons.

[t3chguy]

@TheLastProject I do not see a way to do this with Electron, nothing in the docs seems to mention it

[TheLastProject]

https://github.com/electron/electron/blob/master/docs/tutorial/desktop-environment-integration.md#flash-frame-windows seems to be what you're looking for

[t3chguy]

@TheLastProject That is Windows only and already in use in the latest version.

[syhe]

@t3chguy mattermost/desktop#200 makes me believe that this is not Windows-only.

[t3chguy]

The previous link no longer includes flash frame (which mentioned it as Windows specific) and it is now in https://github.com/electron/electron/blob/a67c992c3699a60c1bec3e2b23b3033591d8bcf3/docs/api/browser-window.md#winflashframeflag and seems to no longer be windows specific

[syhe]

Seems like a documentation error.

The page you referenced was copied from the Wiki in 2013 and never included a hint that this function was Windows-only.

The tutorial that was referenced earlier got the flashFrame(true) section in 2016 and said it was Windows-only from the start.

Then there ist electron/electron#10258 from 2017 where someone found out it was not supported under OS X.

I tried searching the Electron / Chromium code bases but could not find the platform specific implementations of flashFrame() and since when they have been there.

It's confusing that there is a PR in Mattermost from July 2016 that says it support Linux, whereas the Tutorial, saying it's Windows-only, was added in October 2016.

I guess one is supposed to just test it and hope it works at this point?

[Pointedstick]

It would be nice to have this feature because when your unread notification count appears as a badge on the app icon itself, then you could disable the System Tray icon without losing any functionality (once element-hq/element-web#8904 is implemented, that is!).

Telegram now supports this and it's really nice. I have Telegram pinned to my KDE Plasma Task Manager and the pinned app icon itself shows the notification unread count. And I don't have an unnecessary tray icon cluttering up my system tray.

Here's how Telegram does it:

• https://github.com/telegramdesktop/tdesktop/blob/4416dab6c1a555ffe77469a50fe6206d1598053f/Telegram/SourceFiles/platform/linux/linux_desktop_environment.cpp#L123

[HammyHavoc]

Is there anybody currently working on this?