BROKEN PROGRAMS

There are plenty broken X programs. Go bug the developers of these broken programs to fix them. Here are some of the main causes of this brokenness:

  • The program assumes a specific window management model, i.e. assumes you are using a WIMP-window manager like those found in KDE or Gnome. This assumption breaks the ICCCM conventions.
  • The application uses a fixed size - this limitation does not fit into the world of tiling window managers very well, and can also be seen as breaking the ICCCM conventions, because a fixed sized window assumes a specific window management model as well (though the ICCCM does not forbid fixed-size windows). In any case, the ICCCM requests that clients accept any size the window manager proposes to them.
  • The program is based on strange non-standard window manager hints that only work properly with a window manager supporting these extensions - this simply breaks the ICCCM as well. E.g. trash icon programs.
  • The program does not conform to ICCCM due to some missing or improperly set hints.

WORKAROUND

If you still need some program which expects a floating WM, use it in floating mode.

The following programs are broken (see cool programs for saner alternatives):

  • beep-media-player
  • Firefox (doesn't set the TRANSIENT_FOR hint correctly on its download dialog)
  • GIMP (GIMP expects a float environment to be useable)
  • gqview
  • gthumb
  • mplayer with GUI (assumes special window management model. It works without the GUI)
  • Xchat
  • xine (same as xmms)
  • XMMS (assumes fixed size, doesn't set transient_for hint properly)