JDK-7192269 : Fullscreen mode hiding modal dialogs in new GNOME 3 gnome-shell.
  • Type: Bug
  • Component: client-libs
  • Sub-Component: javax.swing
  • Affected Version: 7,8
  • Priority: P2
  • Status: Resolved
  • Resolution: Not an Issue
  • OS: linux_ubuntu
  • CPU: x86
  • Submitted: 2012-08-17
  • Updated: 2013-01-15
  • Resolved: 2013-01-15
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JDK 8
8Resolved
Description
FULL PRODUCT VERSION :
jdk7 update 3, jdk7 update 6 from hg repo (see URL provided below)

ADDITIONAL OS VERSION INFORMATION :
Linux hp6730b 3.2.0-29-generic #46-Ubuntu SMP Fri Jul 27 17:03:23 UTC 2012 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux


EXTRA RELEVANT SYSTEM CONFIGURATION :
dual-screen setup. Gnome 3 desktop without effects.

A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM :
Modal dialog positioned behind window in fullscreen mode (swing).

The problem is described at:

http://netbeans.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=206802

REGRESSION.  Last worked in version 6u31

STEPS TO FOLLOW TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM :
See:

http://netbeans.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=206802

there is a simple swing app for testing.

EXPECTED VERSUS ACTUAL BEHAVIOR :
EXPECTED -
The modal dialog should appear in front.
ACTUAL -
Modal dialog does not appear at all and cannot be brought to front. It gets the focus and hitting ESC removed the "go to line" window in NetBeans.

REPRODUCIBILITY :
This bug can be reproduced always.

---------- BEGIN SOURCE ----------
See URL mentioned above.
---------- END SOURCE ----------

CUSTOMER SUBMITTED WORKAROUND :
Downgrade JDK to version 6.
Comments
I suspect that on earlier versions of Gnome, AWT/Java2D might not be able to enter exclusive full-screen mode and used simulated mode (maximized, undecorated, always-on-top window). In such case showing dialogs for full-screen windows may be possible, but not guaranteed as well.
15-01-2013
Quote from GraphicsDevice#setFullScreenWindow: Windows cannot overlap the full-screen window. All other application windows will always appear beneath the full-screen window in the Z-order. So the current behavior conforms to the specification. It is also observed on the Windows platform.
15-01-2013
Worked as expected not only on older versions of Gnome, but works also on Gnome 3 with Java 6. "all other application windows" in specification can be understood also as "windows of other applications". Otherwise the full-screen mode does not seem to make much sense for any nontrivial apps which do have dialog boxes. We will try workarounding on our side using an emulated full-screen mode.
15-01-2013
Raising priority to P2. The problem is becoming more urgent for NetBeans with more and more users on Gnome 3. Also note that the problem is not specific only to "dual-screen setup" mentioned above. It appears also with a single screen setup where a dialog box (e.g. Help / About in NetBeans) shows-up behind the main window and blocks the UI for the user.
14-01-2013