Lazarus IDE Windows "stuck" on top of other applications

[Tony Stone]

I'm revisiting an issue I've mentioned before but can't find my previous posts or bug reports. I'm using Lazarus 2.3.0 (rev e9d296ce8e) with FPC 3.3.1 on Linux Mint 21 (x86_64-linux-gtk2), along with the Anchor Docking package.

The problem is with Lazarus IDE windows remaining on top of other application windows, even when those applications are focused. Normally, clicking or setting focus on another application should raise its window above the Lazarus windows, but this is not happening. Instead, I have to manually move the other application's window by its title bar to bring it to the front. This issue seems to be specific to Lazarus, as I haven't encountered it with any other applications.

It feels like a system-level issue, yet it only occurs in Lazarus. Could this be related to the way Lazarus handles window stacking or interacts with the system's window manager, especially when using Anchor Docking?

I'd appreciate any insights or suggestions on how to troubleshoot this further and pinpoint the root cause.

[Tony Stone]

Still cannot make heads or tails of this "issue" but I found something maybe relevant.  May just be a "feature" after all if I am reading this page right.  But what a horrible feature and why only Lazarus.  It quite honestly makes Lazarus unbearable to use if you cannot quickly bring windows of other applications above it. 

https://github.com/linuxmint/Cinnamon/issues/5450

Does this look like it's a feature and how can we make Lazarus ignore this possible "feature" ?

[nouzi]

I don't have the same problem

OS :
                                       nouzi@king-HP-Pro-3500-Series
 MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMmds+.        OS: Linuxmint 21.2 victoria
 MMm----::-://////////////oymNMd+`     Kernel: x86_64 Linux 6.2.0-37-generic
 MMd      /++                -sNMd:    Uptime: 51m
 MMNso/`  dMM    `.::-. .-::.` .hMN:   Packages: 3243
 ddddMMh  dMM   :hNMNMNhNMNMNh: `NMm   Shell: bash 5.1.16
     NMm  dMM  .NMN/-+MMM+-/NMN` dMM   Resolution: 3520x1080
     NMm  dMM  -MMm  `MMM   dMM. dMM   DE: GNOME
     NMm  dMM  -MMm  `MMM   dMM. dMM   WM: Muffin
     NMm  dMM  .mmd  `mmm   yMM. dMM   WM Theme: Mint-Y-Dark-Aqua (Mint-Y)
     NMm  dMM`  ..`   ...   ydm. dMM   GTK Theme: Mint-Y-Aqua [GTK2/3]
     hMM- +MMd/-------...-:sdds  dMM   Icon Theme: Mint-Y-Sand
     -NMm- :hNMNNNmdddddddddy/`  dMM   Font: Ubuntu 10
      -dMNs-``-::::-------.``    dMM   Disk: 156G / 505G (33%)
       `/dMNmy+/:-------------:/yMMM   CPU: Intel Core i7-3770 @ 8x 3.9GHz [46.0°C]
          ./ydNMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM   GPU: Mesa Intel(R) HD Graphics 4000 (IVB GT2)
             \.MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM     RAM: 3647MiB / 7817MiB

IDE :
Lazarus 3.99 (rev c9e2e06abe) FPC 3.3.1 x86_64-linux-gtk2

[Tony Stone]

Do you use the anchor docking design package?

I don't have the same problem

[nouzi]

Do you use the anchor docking design package?

I don't have the same problem

yes

[Tony Stone]

Do you have multiple monitors?  I am wondering if it has something to do with the way I keep the source editors on one screen and other parts of the IDE on another screen.  I will have to do some tests with keeping it all on a single monitor when I get home.  It is really bizarre behavior and it has been like this for almost 2 years now I think.  It is driving me nuts.  It looks like your DE is gnome where I am using Cinnamon which may be an issue.  I find it really interesting that there was a bug report for Cinnamon where people were asking for this as a feature but I cannot find any documentation describing it as an actual feature for Cinnamon.

[Tony Stone]

I can confirm on my system that this installation of Lazarus is not effected, I can raise windows of any Application above Lazarus windows:
Lazarus 2.2.7 (rev ada7a90f86) FPC 3.2.3 x86_64-linux-gtk2


This version is an issue and I CANNOT raise windows of other applications above Lazarus windows:
Lazarus 2.3.0 (rev e9d296ce8e) FPC 3.3.1 x86_64-linux-gtk2

So I am quite certain it is an issue with Lazarus itself and not my system, however it may be something in the trunk version that is still only effecting my system or a small number of other systems.  I still believe this is a bug in Lazarus.  I am quite sure I reported it last year with animated screen shots showing the issue but unfortunately I cannot find the bug report(or a forum post it may have been... cannot recall).

Either way I think I need to report it as a bug.  Unless someone has suggestions for some other settings I can try changing in Lazarus or even Linux Mint(Cinnamon) settings.

[Tony Stone]

Ok I found the issue.  Under IDE options-->Docking / Anchoring I unchecked "Floating windows on top".  The issue is gone now and I can raise windows from other applications above Lazarus.  So I guess this is a bug in the anchor docking package.  I will have to submit a bug report.  Thinking back I think there was an issue where I needed that option enabled because any code completion would set the focus to an undocked window of lazarus such as the Anchor Editor....