Enable Tracker's single window navigation option by default

[danboid]

One of the first options I always have to change on a new Haiku install is to enable single window navigation in the tracker.

I would like to see this enabled by default because opening a new Tracker window every time you enter a directory just causes a clutter of unneeded Tracker windows quickly of you're browsing for a file.

I can't think of any good, practical advantage in Tracker working like this. Why should it be the preferred mode?

[vidrep]

I agree

[bipolar]

+1 from me as well, FWIW.

I have to change most of Tracker defaults to suit my taste, and that's fine, not everyone will agree with my choices... but "Single window navigation" being off by default feels really weird/off-putting. Not only for newcomers, but specially for them, as they might not even find that it can be changed.

[augiedoggie]

This has already been discussed on the mailing lists and here on trac(in #7837 for example).

[danboid]

After reading #7837 it seems the main reason Tracker uses spatial by default is because thats what most of the Haiku devs prefer, which I find disappointing. There are several users in that ticket that feel the same as I do and this ticket has already had two users agreeing with me less 24 hours after I opened it. It really seems this is what most users would prefer, not in the least because its how Windows Explorer, modern Finder and nautilus etc etc all work.

The advantage to spatial seems to be that it can potentially make accessing previous directories faster, if you have kept them open. I'm one of those people who reliogiously closes browser tabs and programs I'm not using because I hate clutter so I'd prefer just to use the back/up button to access parent directories.

One of the main advantages Haiku has over over available open source OSs is that the devs actually respond to and fix most valid bug reports in a timely manner, as opposed to say the famously arrogant GNOME devs. Don't turn GNOME on us please!

[bitigchi]

Replying to danboid:

After reading #7837 it seems the main reason Tracker uses spatial by default is because thats what most of the Haiku devs prefer, which I find disappointing. There are several users in that ticket that feel the same as I do and this ticket has already had two users agreeing with me less 24 hours after I opened it. It really seems this is what most users would prefer, not in the least because it’s how Windows Explorer, modern Finder and nautilus etc etc all work.

Why would what other systems’ defaults should matter for Haiku? By that logic Haiku should strive to match every other default to other systems. There is a reason there are hordes of macOS users that long the Classic Mac OS Finder.

The advantage to spatial seems to be that it can potentially make accessing previous directories faster, if you have kept them open. I'm one of those people who reliogiously closes browser tabs and programs I'm not using because I hate clutter so I'd prefer just to use the back/up button to access parent directories.

Okay, so the browser mode is available to use. It’s not like spatial mode is the only way to deal with files and folders.

One of the main advantages Haiku has over over available open source OSs is that the devs actually respond to and fix most valid bug reports in a timely manner, as opposed to say the famously arrogant GNOME devs. Don't turn GNOME on us please!

This is not a bug. Spatial mode is the native desktop metaphor way to deal with folders and better represents how humans perceive objects and it helps following a drag-n-drop based workflow.

I’m sorry if I sound arrogant and dismissing but please don’t try changing Haiku into other generic systems. Historically and scientifically there is good reason that the spatial mode is superior, and there are alternatives for those who don’t like it, either use the browser mode or use other file browsers that are available on HaikuDepot. And please don’t compare the project to GNOME, it’s not like the GNOME devs that actively remove support for stuff. Haiku is good as-is, leave it like that.

[pulkomandy]

Please, can we not immediately get into an aggressive debate?

Thereare two equally valid options and no one is going to change their mind in which one is better. Some people can't understand spatial navigation and some can't understand single window mode. That's why there's an option.

We have to make a choice for the default value, whichever we pick, one half of the users will disagree. Maybe we can make it random to make everyone unhappy.

There is no solution here and no need for discussion. The default is indeed "what the developers prefer" and thereis no reason to change this. There are a few other settings that don't match my taste that I change each time I install Haiku too. We can't make a config that fits everyone. Imagine what this bugtracker would look like if everyone asked for their personal preferences to be made the default for every setting in the OS?

[bruno]

There is no solution here and no need for discussion. The default is indeed "what the developers prefer" and there is no reason to change this. +1

I don't like the windows_10 behavior of not opening a folder by double-clicking it! It is confusing and still I have to find out which shortcut to use! In Haiku it is very easy for Haiku user to change that behavior!