[pknoll]

I did a search here and on the web, but didn't really find anything useful. =)

So! Is there a hidden setting or hack that will let OS X use XWindows-style focus behaviour like click-to-raise, focus follows mouse, and that sort of thing?

I love OS X but I miss being able to type into background windows and other sorts of oddness XWindows lets you do.

[Tsilou B.]

CodeTek VirtualDesktop Pro can do that. It only works with Cocoa and X11 windows, however.

[pknoll]

Thanks, Tsilou, I'll check that out. Cocoa and X -might- be enough, depending on what's Carbon and what isn't. =)

For instance, Terminal.app? Carbon or no?

[stew]

Won't that collide with the global menu bar? Say, I have an open terminal and want to select a menu item - how do I move the mouse up to the menu bar without hovering over the Desktop and with it activating the Finder's menu?

[suthercd]

If you use Terminal windows, entering

Code:
defaults write com.apple.Terminal FocusFollowsMouse -string YES

will implement that capability. To reset back to default values

Code:
 defaults delete com.apple.Terminal FocusFollowsMouse

Craig

[Tsilou B.]

Originally posted by pknoll:
Thanks, Tsilou, I'll check that out. Cocoa and X -might- be enough, depending on what's Carbon and what isn't. =)

For instance, Terminal.app? Carbon or no?

Terminal.app is Cocoa. To check if something is Cocoa or Carbon, drag the title bar of a window below the dock. If that is possible (the windows jumps back upwards only after you release the mouse button), it's a Cocoa application. Otherwise, it's Carbon

[Developer]

Originally posted by Tsilou B.:
Terminal.app is Cocoa. To check if something is Cocoa or Carbon, drag the title bar of a window below the dock. If that is possible (the windows jumps back upwards only after you release the mouse button), it's a Cocoa application. Otherwise, it's Carbon

In Panther Carbon windows can have asynchronous window dragging so that's not a valid test.

Focus follows mouse is a bad thing in general and very bad on the Mac especially. If you mouse over the window of one application, and another one is in front with its menubar showing, and you press command-q which app is going to quit?

[P]

As a guide, the Finder, the Dock and any app ported from Classic are Carbon. Most new apps are Cocoa. The border is also getting more fluid with every new system version.

[ghotirking]

Originally posted by suthercd:
If you use Terminal windows, entering

Code:
defaults write com.apple.Terminal FocusFollowsMouse -string YES

will implement that capability. To reset back to default values

Code:
 defaults delete com.apple.Terminal FocusFollowsMouse

Craig

Is there a resource (online or otherwise) that lists all the settings like this (all across the board, not just mouse/focus behavior).
I wouldn't know where to begin googling with what terminology...

[Oneota]

PKnoll -

You didn't, by any chance, graduate from a college in St. Peter with a degree in CS, didja? You seem awfully familiar.