[Bf-docboard] Page Update (Doc:2.6/Manual/Introduction/Installing Blender/Linux)

[Jason van Gumster]

Tibor Futo <tiborfuto at gmail.com> wrote:

> But please note my advice: if the Blender developers create a mouse/key
> hook that processes Alt-Click and does not allow it to propagate to the OS,
> then this discussion does not need more attention.

I could be wrong, but I don't think it works that way. In fact, it's the
reverse. AFAIK, the Alt key is intercepted by the window manager before it even
makes it to Blender. Plenty of other applications run into Alt key collisions
as well (hence the reason for the option to switch to Super in a lot of window
managers). This isn't something that can be fixed from Blender's end (and it's
not likely to be changed from the end of the various window managers because
not every keyboard has a Super key).

Probably the best solution for documentation issues like these is a compromise.
The general solution exists (e.g. remap the window manager's Alt to Super), but
each WM does it a bit differently. As such, we should provide the generic
solution and point to the documentation (if easily found) of various window
managers that show specifically how to do it... perhaps as footnotes. When the
window manager changes, we need but change the link or remove it. For the
window managers that aren't mentioned, at least the reader will know what to
look/ask for.

Blender users don't always use the typical window manager options... In fact,
it's been my experience that we avoid the likes of Gnome and KDE in favor of
XFCE, Openbox, and (for weirdos like me) Enlightenment in an effort have
improved workflow or performance. Documenting each of them in-page is going to
end up being difficult to maintain and potentially confusing to read (or at
the very least, the relatively small nuggets of relevant information will be
accidentally skimmed over).

Just my 2 cents...

  -Jason