A new release is just around the corner. I've made a lot of changes so it now
works with gtk3 and I'd like to call it version 2 with gtk3 as the default
build. However, I may have to make gtk2 the default build and use that in
packages because of https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=649680. I expect roxterm and xfwm4 are
quite a popular combination.

However, I don't expect The GTK developers to be in much of a hurry to fix a
bug that only bites if you don't use metacity and I don't want to be stuck
with "legacy" gtk2 for years. Another possibility is to add an option to turn
the geometry hints off as a workaround (I haven't managed to work out exactly
what's wrong and find a way to counteract it while still using geometry hnts).

I hope enough people read this that I can get some useful feedback, especially
from people who use the debian packages. xfwm4 users who build roxterm from
source can easily make it use gtk2, but defaulting to gtk3 could be much more
inconvenient for Debian users.

I don't want to be stuck with "legacy" gtk2 for years

If you build for gtk2, I presume it'll still run under gtk3? (Or that gtk2
libraries are typically installed in parallel.)

What is the advantage to switching to gtk3 in the short term?

Is there a direct correlation between GNOME3 and gtk3?

especially from people who use the debian packages

I'm using Ubuntu packages...or at least I was until the version packaged for
my ancient Ubuntu version became too obsolete, and I switched to a locally
built package.

I'm likely upgrading to Ubuntu 11.4 and will be using the "classic" desktop
with the default WM (still Metacity, I'd assume).

They do work together but it's already been the case for some time that the
GTK developers are more focused on GTK3 so that they can't be bothered to fix
minor bugs in GTK2. When I complain about how difficult it is to prevent
terminals from resizing themselves when changing other contents in the window
the response is usually that GTK2 is known to have problems in this regard and
GTK3 is better. It does have a different way of managing size requests, so I'm
hoping I can stop using that horrible full width single tab needed because of
<https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=636470>, but I haven't got around to experimenting with
that yet.

...GTK developers are more focused on GTK3 so that they can't be

bothered to fix minor bugs in GTK2.

Much the way Ubuntu developers focus all their effort on current-release + 1
or + 2, making bugs reported against current-release almost pointless.

GTK2 is known to have problems in this regard and GTK3 is better...

I see.

I guess the only meaningful feedback I can give is that as long as RoxTerm
supports Ubuntu current-release (w/classic desktop) and current-release - 1,
I'm good. (The further back the backports go, the better, as I'm often lagging
by one or more releases.)

My heart says use gtk3 because then I can call it version 2 with the obvious
difference that v1 = gtk2 and v2 = gtk3. But my head says gtk3 isn't really
ready yet and I was going to carry on maintenance for both anyway so there's
no good reason not to use gtk2. I think I should go with my head. Then later I
can use the excuse that roxterm "2" is out of sync with gtk "3" and bump the
version again to 3 even though it will be no more than changing a configure
option and the debian dependencies :).