librepods-org / librepods-org/librepods

[Linux] --start-minimized still shows "unknown" window in GNOME app switcher

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Dominant language
Kotlin
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Description

Description

When running LibrePods with --start-minimized on GNOME (Wayland), the app correctly starts with only the tray icon visible. However, an "unknown" window still appears in the GNOME app switcher (Alt+Tab).

Environment

  • OS: Fedora 44
  • DE: GNOME (Wayland)
  • GPU: NVIDIA RTX 5070 (proprietary driver 595.80)
  • LibrePods version: v0.1.0 AppImage (linux-v0.1.0 release)
  • Launch command: WGPU_BACKEND=gl librepods-x86_64.AppImage --start-minimized
  • Note: WGPU_BACKEND=gl is required because Vulkan crashes with ERROR_SURFACE_LOST_KHR on this setup

Expected Behavior

When started with --start-minimized, the app should only show the system tray icon with no window in the app switcher.

Actual Behavior

A window labeled "unknown" appears in the GNOME app switcher. The tray icon works correctly.

Possible Cause

The GPU rendering surface (wgpu/EGL window) is likely being created even in minimized mode. On GNOME Wayland, any mapped surface — even hidden — appears in the app switcher unless the appropriate window type hints are set or the surface is not created at all.

Suggested Fix

In --start-minimized mode, either:

  1. Don't create the GPU surface until the user explicitly opens the window from the tray
  2. Set the window role/type so GNOME excludes it from the switcher
  3. Unmap/destroy the surface after initialization if running headless

Contributor guide

No contributing guide indexed for this repository

First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

No source files or tests are named. Start at the --start-minimized handling and window/GPU surface initialization, then reproduce with the provided AppImage command on GNOME Wayland. Done means minimized startup shows only the tray icon and no "unknown" entry in the app switcher.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
kotlin, linux
Domain
desktop, operating-systems
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
4/5
Estimated time
3-5 days
Activity status
Quiet
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
52/100

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