[SOLVED] Cinnamon 19.1 taskbar fonts scale and menu search are changed

[carum carvi]

Why change in LM 19.1 Cinnamon what worked perfectly before in LM19 ?

1. Smaller fonts that suddenly do not scale up when the taskbar gets bigger in the traditional layout. Numerous levels to increase the icons are available in preferences. None for fonts.
2. The menu bar cant be hightened, it becomes a scroll menu instead. This is especially annoying since the search function at the menu bar (left mouse click, start typing any program) for some inexplicable reason has been dumbed down. Now you have to type at least


Really minor complaints, but the way one uses a desktop is what makes it popular and user friendly. 19.1 has changed a few desktop settings that were working great before .

[rambo919]

So they took the one option that everyone usually disables in games (smoothing.... especially mouse smoothing) and applied it to the whole system?

[xenopeek]

I edited your post to make clear you're talking about Cinnamon and about desktop layout set to Traditional instead of the (new) Modern default.

1. I'd suggest you make a feature request for that on https://github.com/linuxmint/Cinnamon.

2. I'm a bit lost what you mean with "menu bar". Do you mean the menu itself or some bar in it? Assuming you mean the menu, I right-clicked the menu button, selected Configure, went to the Menu tab and increased the Minimum height of the favorites section there. I increased it from 300px to 500px and the menu when next opened is taller as expected.

I don't follow what you mean you need to type 3 characters to get a summary of programs. When I type one letter in the menu it immediately shows me matches and description of the first match.

3. Haven't used it long enough or it's something I didn't notice.

[mediclaser]

...
I don't follow what you mean you need to type 3 characters to get a summary of programs. When I type one letter in the menu it immediately shows me matches and description of the first match.
...

The search bar behaves differently from the previous versions of Mint . For example, you start typing fi, it gives you results which should not be there (e.g. Bluetooth, Calculator, Color, etc.). But when you have typed fir, that's the only time it gives you related results (e.g. Firefox, Firewall).

[xenopeek]

I don't think there's some logic difference between 1 or 2, or 3 or more characters typed in the applet. To me it looks like 19.1 menu applet searches the Keyword field in the .desktop files of menu entries. Perhaps 19 menu applet didn't do that (I don't have 19 available here right now to compare).

For your example of searching for 'fi' I see for example the Calculator (file /usr/share/applications/cinnamon-color-panel.desktop) has these Keywords:

Keywords=Color;ICC;Profile;Calibrate;Printer;Display;

Searching for 'fi' matches on "Profile" in that. Other menu entries may match from they Description field, like Accessibility that has "Configure accessibility features" as Description so searching for 'fi' matches on Configure.

Looking at the source for the applet and git history, it looks to have had the same code for searching name, keywords and description on 19 as in 19.1. The difference I found was https://github.com/linuxmint/Cinnamon/c ... a60bc3f128, which adds to not show other matches when an exact match by name is found.

[xenopeek]

I downloaded 19 ISO anew to have a look. Indeed, that seems to only match on names though the code to match also on description and keywords is in both.

I think it was the intended behavior of 19 to also search by keyword and description but it didn't do so because of a bug in the code.

Here is the—I think—relevant bit from /usr/share/cinnamon/applets/menu@cinnamon.org/applet.js on 19:

Code: Select all

                    let app = this._applicationsButtons[i].app;
                    if (Util.latinise(app.get_name().toLowerCase()).indexOf(pattern)!=-1 ||
                        (app.get_keywords() && Util.latinise(app.get_keywords().toLowerCase()).indexOf(pattern)!=-1) ||
                        (app.get_description() && Util.latinise(app.get_description().toLowerCase()).indexOf(pattern)!=-1) ||
                        (app.get_id() && Util.latinise(app.get_id().slice(0, -8).toLowerCase()).indexOf(pattern)!=-1))
                        res.push(app.get_id());

And on 19.1:

Code: Select all

                    let app = this._applicationsButtons[i].app;
                    if (Util.latinise(app.get_name().toLowerCase()).indexOf(pattern)!==-1 ||
                        (app.get_keywords() && Util.latinise(app.get_keywords().toLowerCase()).indexOf(pattern)!==-1) ||
                        (app.get_description() && Util.latinise(app.get_description().toLowerCase()).indexOf(pattern)!==-1) ||
                        (app.get_id() && Util.latinise(app.get_id().slice(0, -8).toLowerCase()).indexOf(pattern)!==-1))
                        res.push(app.get_id());

Notice how the compare operator was changed from != to !==.

That changes was done in this commit: https://github.com/linuxmint/Cinnamon/c ... a5706L3152

It really looks to me 19 had a bug. You preferred the menu search with bug

[Drazil100]

I have noticed the thing with typing to search in the menu applet. Maybe its a bug with mint 19.1 maybe its a bug related to upgrading from mint 19 but I have also noticed needing to type in more characters to bring up what im looking for.

For instance I "so" in the search lists

when that SHOULD be enough to bring Software Manager. Instead I have to type "softw" before its at the top of the list. "soft" has LibreOffice Calc at the top of the list for some reason.

[Drazil100]

It really looks to me 19 had a bug. You preferred the menu search with bug

If it means anything I REALLY preferred the menu search with a bug. I have to type in so many more characters to get what I am looking. "softw" instead of "so" to get to software manager and "power m" instead of "po" to get to power management (which I open when I want to change lid close behavior for when I want to close the lid while listening to podcasts or something).

[xenopeek]

I've created a patch to restore your menu on 19.1 Cinnamon to the 19 version: viewtopic.php?f=208&t=283906

[mediclaser]

...It really looks to me 19 had a bug. You preferred the menu search with bug

I think if/when people starts relying on a bug, it's no longer a bug... it's a feature.

[mediclaser]

...
Here is the—I think—relevant bit from /usr/share/cinnamon/applets/menu@cinnamon.org/applet.js on 19:

Code: Select all

                    let app = this._applicationsButtons[i].app;
                    if (Util.latinise(app.get_name().toLowerCase()).indexOf(pattern)!=-1 ||
                        (app.get_keywords() && Util.latinise(app.get_keywords().toLowerCase()).indexOf(pattern)!=-1) ||
                        (app.get_description() && Util.latinise(app.get_description().toLowerCase()).indexOf(pattern)!=-1) ||
                        (app.get_id() && Util.latinise(app.get_id().slice(0, -8).toLowerCase()).indexOf(pattern)!=-1))
                        res.push(app.get_id());

And on 19.1:

Code: Select all

                    let app = this._applicationsButtons[i].app;
                    if (Util.latinise(app.get_name().toLowerCase()).indexOf(pattern)!==-1 ||
                        (app.get_keywords() && Util.latinise(app.get_keywords().toLowerCase()).indexOf(pattern)!==-1) ||
                        (app.get_description() && Util.latinise(app.get_description().toLowerCase()).indexOf(pattern)!==-1) ||
                        (app.get_id() && Util.latinise(app.get_id().slice(0, -8).toLowerCase()).indexOf(pattern)!==-1))
                        res.push(app.get_id());

Notice how the compare operator was changed from != to !==.
...

Hey, I tried editing that portion of the applet.js file to reinstate the *bug*, but no change in the behavior of the search bar. What other part of the code should I edit?

[Drazil100]

Hey, I tried editing that portion of the applet.js file to reinstate the *bug*, but no change in the behavior of the search bar. What other part of the code should I edit?

A patch was actually posted! viewtopic.php?f=208&t=283906

[Portreve]

I just installed LM 19.1 Cinnamon last night and I'm really not sure what all the shouting here is about.

I've never been a fan of how Microsoft reconfigured the taskbar from Win Vista/7 onward, though it has had some upsides. However, I think what's now in Cinnamon with LM 19.1 works very well. It's nice to not only get thumbnails of window previews, but be able to hover over those to get a full-screen view of that otherwise hidden window. True, this is a direct feature lift from Windows, but it's one of the few I think is worth it.

It's true that typing the name of the program in the LM menu takes more characters being typed to get the program you're interested in, and my first thought was that perhaps there's something else it's looking at (like how Mac OS X's Spotlight lets you drill down through, amongst other things, the Control Panel to find the appropriate control panel for the setting you're interested in) but I couldn't really find what it might be drawing from. Possibly that's a bug or simply an ill-conceived or ill-executed function, and I would agree it should not work like that.

However, that's it. I really like everything else I'm seeing.

[mediclaser]

Honestly, it's not a big deal for me. I can deal with that search bar change that the OP discovered. If there is anything I would consider annoying, that would be the way grouped windows are not completely restored with one click on the panel (when all are minimized). It requires me to hover the mouse over it (just like items in a menu bar) to restore other windows in the group. That is unnecessary delay for me who work with multiple windows all the time.

But the beauty of Cinnamon is it lets me remove the default Grouped window list from the panel and replace it with the old Window list applet. Problem solved.

[rambo919]

After finally getting 19.1 myself I have to agree, it's not perfect but it's not a disaster either. The only thing missing is multiple line taskbars but that's never been a cinnamon feature anyway.

[carum carvi]

I downloaded 19 ISO anew to have a look. Indeed, that seems to only match on names though the code to match also on description and keywords is in both.
I think it was the intended behavior of 19 to also search by keyword and description but it didn't do so because of a bug in the code. It really looks to me 19 had a bug. You preferred the menu search with bug :wink:

Xenopeek, many thanks for providing a patch, because LM19 (with that particular bug) worked perfectly. :D Really great service of you to come up with a patch!

As you suggested, I will report the following problem on github: the fonts on the taskbar (classic) not being able to be scaled up in size.

My other perceived "problem" with increased smoothness in 19.1. was a total mistake of mine though. I noticed NONE difference in smoothness in desktop menu selection between 19.1 and 19 after comparing them for a second time. Sorry for that mistake of mine. :oops:

[smurphos]

I suggest experimenting with with the Vblank setting. On 2nd generation Intel graphics with it disabled I'm seeing what I think is slightly snappier performance compared to 19 and with it on in 19.1 and slightly lower Cinnamon memory use than recall seeing before and haven't spotted any graphical glitches yet as a result.



Panel font scaling is on the roadmap for 19.2 - https://github.com/linuxmint/Roadmap

[Red Dog]

I have a 4K moinitor and Cinnamon's desktop scaling is woeful.
There is only 2 options, normal - way too small and double - stupidly huge & unusable.

Mint is supposed to be the ideal distro for people moving from Windows.
Having unusable desktop scaling is just laughable.

[xenopeek]

You can fine tune by changing the text scaling factor.

[Red Dog]

I have already changed the text scaling to 1.3, which is readable for me.

What I am referring to is the overall size of the whole user interface, not just text size.