It's remarkably hard to find or configure an OS to not steal focus. Everything I've tried for my whole life has failed, with the exception of not using a GUI and just staying on the linux command line without letting startx run.
iOS? Steals focus all the time.
Android? Steals focus all the time.
Windows? Steals focus all the time.
Mac OS X? Steals focus all the time.
Ubuntu? Steals focus all the time.
It's outrageous and annoying. Does anyone have a simple OS configuration that will prevent all focus-stealing system dialogs from actually interrupting focus?
Edit: To continue the rant, Windows used to pop OS update dialogs that interrupted keyboard focus, took keystrokes like spacebar and enter to mean "lose all work and reboot". I remember a long time ago, typing and looking away from the screen, only to find that my computer had turned off. Infuriating.
When was the last time you used windows? ME? Nowadays the worst thing that can happen is that the task bar icon starts blinking or a non focus stealing balloon popup. (not balloons anymore but don't know the new term)
*Win32 does expose functions to enumerate applications and to give arbitrary handles focus. So an app could theoretically use this to give itself focus but that is far from the default for requesting dialogs or attention and no serious application would do such a thing. Such sleazy applications shouldn't be installed in the first place. Unless that application is designed to be a window manager.
I'm with you on this. I'd love to have such a configuration too.
RE your edit: I feel your pain, had that happen to me many times. Ubuntu does this too with "hey, there are updates ready to be installed!", but at least this doesn't cause a reboot.
iOS? Steals focus all the time.
Android? Steals focus all the time.
Windows? Steals focus all the time.
Mac OS X? Steals focus all the time.
Ubuntu? Steals focus all the time.
It's outrageous and annoying. Does anyone have a simple OS configuration that will prevent all focus-stealing system dialogs from actually interrupting focus?
Edit: To continue the rant, Windows used to pop OS update dialogs that interrupted keyboard focus, took keystrokes like spacebar and enter to mean "lose all work and reboot". I remember a long time ago, typing and looking away from the screen, only to find that my computer had turned off. Infuriating.