LiveCode Forums

I was able to install Livecode . However, when I run the program, I just get a gray window with the tool box in front. The start center shows briefly when I first click it but then goes to the gray screen again. I can only get around it by hitting the "windows" key on my laptop. This doesn't let me use it, but I can access other parts of my system. Any ideas? Thanks.

Let's start with the basics: Which LC version, which Mint version?

Why do I suspect that gray screen is the backdrop?

Try hitting Ctrl-M . . . the MessageBox should appear . . .

Mind you, when I did this:
- -
LC 9.5.0
MacOS 10.15.3 beta 2

It didn't work.

richmond62 wrote: ↑

Tue Jan 21, 2020 8:26 am

Why do I suspect that gray screen is the backdrop?

Probably for the same reason I suspect you are an intelligent and charming person

His description fits this BR id=17323 perfectly, and I actually arrived at a combination of steps to get rid of the backdrop. The message box won't resolve the problem on 'nix, either with hide backdrop or set backdrop to none, and that is if you can even use the message box when this happens.

1. Backdrop completely takes over the desktop, even covering the MATE top menu bar.
2. Only the tools palette stays above the backdrop and is accessible.
3. Neither the Start Center nor the menubar is able to be brought above the backdrop by any method I tried (alt + tab, and of course can't use the window buttons since you can't get to the menu bars top or bottom).
4. I used (alt + F2) to bring up the 'nix run dialog, this brings the above mentioned parts of the IDE above the backdrop for some reason.
5. I then tried to click on the 'View' menu, the menubar and start center immediately disappear below the backdrop, along with the run dialog.
6. Alt/tabbing to the run dialog brings back the other two stacks to the top.
7. At that point, you can left click on the view menu and, if you don't release the left click, you can drag down to turn off the backdrop.

Video of the steps in action - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W22n9lI ... e=youtu.be

As I posted in the BR, maybe the default setting for the backdrop should be put back to "OFF", having it on at launch is off putting even if you know how to get rid of it, I can't imagine it is doing much for a good first impression to new users, regardless of the OS they are using.

Ultimately this seems to come down to LiveCode central who set
up the backdrop to be visible as the default setting, when it should be the other way round.

Bogs information solved the issue for me. Thank you. For the record, Richmond62 (I'm from RVA originally) I originally included the versions of both software. The forum software interpreted numbers as links for some reason so they were removed. I should have written out nineteen nine point two, et. Thanks everyone.

The forum software interpreted numbers as links for some reason so they were removed.

4 more posts, and you won't have that problem anymore

The pull request to change the backdrop default to 'off' has been in the queue for a while now.
That will solve the mint problem with cinnamon.
Unfortunately the MATE developers choose to ignore the suggestion to change window ordering. I'm hoping to grab someone's attention in a month or so and see if I can unravel the mystery.

mwieder wrote: ↑

Fri Jan 24, 2020 2:44 am

Unfortunately the MATE developers choose to ignore the suggestion to change window ordering. I'm hoping to grab someone's attention in a month or so and see if I can unravel the mystery.

Fisticuffs at SCaLE? Cool.

I'm bringing my can of whoop-ass, but I'm hoping someone's just gonna say "...here's a better way to do that..."

mwieder wrote: ↑

Fri Jan 24, 2020 2:44 am

That will solve the mint problem with cinnamon.

Mint problem with Cinnamon ?! The backdrop issue is far more wide ranging than that, far more.

Dang keyboard must have a mind of its own... I swear I typed "the backdrop problem with cinnamon'.

At any rate, we're making the right call into the gdk to change window display ordering. It's just that the functions we're calling are documented as 'suggesting' the change to the desktop manager. Cinnamon honors the call, MATE doesn't. There may be some reason why the MATE developers did things that way: after all, the desktop manager is supposed to be in charge of managing the desktop, no? There don't appear to be any other calls to force the change, so our options are, in order:

1. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
2. (ノಠ益ಠ)ノ彡┻━┻
3. anything else

Clearly option #2 is our path forward.

Have you tried it on XFCE yet? While not nearly as maddening as MATE , in that you *can* turn the backdrop off relatively easily in XFCE, it is certainly no thrill ride to start up an IDE and see a black screen. The first time I saw that, I was thinking "...did this take my whole box down?" until I noticed the main bar was still showing.

Option #2 just about sums it up, after repeatedly running through option #1 many times over.

Having run RR/LC on XFCE for the last 16 years I can cheerfully state
that I have never had a problem with the backdrop getting in the way.