This capplet allows you configure application launch feedback,
i.e. indicators which tell you that a program is being
loaded. Such indicators, which can take a number of forms (i.e.,
an hourglass icon next to mouse cursor or a blinking star) come
to life the moment you click on the application launch button or
select it in the menu and stay on until the application actually
starts or until specified time has passed. These indicators can
be very useful in cases when an application takes a long time to
start: without them, you would never know whether the
application is just taking a long time to start, or something
went wrong (e.g., it has crashed at startup, or you maybe you
didn't click on that button at all).
In this section, you can select what launch indicators should be
enabled. You can select more than one; you can also disable all
of them if you want to.
Tasklist (invisible window)
This is the default selection. This option adds to the
list of windows in your taskbar the window with the name
of the application being started and with hourglass icon
next to it. (This will only work if your taskbar is
configured to show normal. i.e. non-iconified
applications.)
Hourglass mouse cursor
This option will put an hourglass icon next to the mouse
cursor. It doesn't affect mouse opertaions: you can still
use the mouse for clicking and dragging.
Splashscreen
This option puts a small window saying Starting
(Application Name) in the middle of your screen
Animated star
This option put a small yellow blinking star in the upper
left corner of your screen.
This parameter specifies maximal time the
indicators can be on; after this, the indicators will
disappear even if the application has not yet started.
Do not distinguish between windows
(compatibility mode)
This option controls the behavior of the indicators when
you are launching several applications simultaneosly (or
in quick succession). Since this is not a very common
situation, new users may skip this section.
If this section is disabled (which is the default), the
indicators will track each of the applications you are
launching separately, and the indicators will stay on
until all the applications have started. This is
"the right thing to do". Unfortunately, in
some (rare) cases it can also cause problems, sometimes
even leading to system crash. In such situations, you
should enable this option.
If this option is enabled, the indicators will work
in a more primitive (but safer) way. Namely, they will
go away as soon as the first of the applications you are
launching starts.