[FEATURE REQUEST] Custom panel menu clicking styles

[mfreeman72]

Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe.

Interacting with panel applet menus is inconsistent with normal menu interactions (such as menus at the top of most windows). For example, in most windows, I can click to open the File menu, then as I slide the mouse across the menu bar, the File menu closes and the other menus open and close when pointed at with no additional mouse clicks. However, on the panel, I have to click to open a menu, then click to close the menu before being able to click to open another menu. That's too many clicks, in my opinion.

Describe the solution you'd like

I would like an option in the panel settings to change the number of clicks between three different schemes: First is just how it is now. Second is one click to open an applet menu, and it requires another click to open another applet menu, but you don't have to close the first menu with a click - it just automatically closes upon opening the second menu. Third option would be exactly like window menus work -- one click to open the first applet menu, but then all other menus are activated by simply moving the mouse over another applet to open its menu and close the previous applet menu. There might even be a fourth option for accessibility that opens applet menus without any clicks by just hovering over the applet. These options would allow for personal customization of how menu applet menus are accessed.

Describe alternatives you've considered

Until upgrading to Linux Mint 21, I had used an extension that I'd found online to customize the menu clicks (Cinnamon Tweak), but it no longer works with Cinnamon 5.4, and the extension's author doesn't seem to be active in its development anymore. So now I'm stuck with a massive amount of clicking just to interact with the panel menus, which I really don't enjoy.

[mfreeman72]

I suppose this isn't a pressing issue, but I can't be the only one that finds this default menu behavior frustrating.

[rcalixte]

Until upgrading to Linux Mint 21, I had used an extension that I'd found online to customize the menu clicks (Cinnamon Tweak), but it no longer works with Cinnamon 5.4, and the extension's author doesn't seem to be active in its development anymore. So now I'm stuck with a massive amount of clicking just to interact with the panel menus, which I really don't enjoy.

Do you have a link to the extension? It might be reasonable enough to fix what broke after Cinnamon 5.4.

[mfreeman72]

Here's a github link: https://github.com/Odyseus/CinnamonTools

It's contained in a set of code managed by a script that allows you to install any or all of the included applets/extensions/themes. The code is in there under "extensions/CinnamonTweaks". I know enough about coding to do a few things here and there, but not enough about the Cinnamon-specific ecosystem to do anything useful with this code, otherwise I'd have tried messing with it myself.

[rcalixte]

Here's a github link: https://github.com/Odyseus/CinnamonTools

It's contained in a set of code managed by a script that allows you to install any or all of the included applets/extensions/themes. The code is in there under "extensions/CinnamonTweaks". I know enough about coding to do a few things here and there, but not enough about the Cinnamon-specific ecosystem to do anything useful with this code, otherwise I'd have tried messing with it myself.

Fascinating collection. My initial thoughts are that we could port CinnamonTweaks to a new Extension with proper updates. I would love to see this author active again too to contribute the rest. I don't have any idea on a timeline yet but I would hope it could be soon.

[mfreeman72]

That would be great, and I agree! As for the author... He used to have these up on the official Cinnamon Spices site. Apparently, he had some sort of heated argument with Clem and the devs about how these types of things are managed and distributed. Clem wouldn't budge on his position (which is proper, since he is the lead maintainer and manager of Linux Mint), and in retaliation this author removed all of his code from Linux Mint's Spices repository and hosted it this way instead. He eventually grew tired of maintaining it, and I think has since switched DE's altogether. This is what I gather from his comments in forums and such. I honestly don't think he'll be amenable to becoming an active contributor to Cinnamon again, unfortunately.

[rcalixte]

I've finally had a chance to look at the code for the CinnamonTweaks extension. I'm not a huge fan of the coding style but I did find at least one area that needs the improvement. In the utils.js file, the global.screen calls need to be replaced by global.workspace_manager. I haven't tested or tried to run this extension but I suspect the required changes will encompass what is already documented here.

That being said, this will likely need to find a proper maintainer who can independently move it forward if it's going to be updated and moved over to the upstream repository. As someone who doesn't use this or have a need for it, I would not be the appropriate person for that role.