XsaveStateBeforeCrash
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Summary
Enable a save state of X running all applications and of tehir opened files when restarting X by pressing ctrl+alt+backspace to prompt the user to recover the applications/files he wants to when he logs back.
Allow this tool to monitor certains applications to perform auto save state at an user specified frequency to prevent data loss upon crashes
Release Note
This package should provide the end-user the ability to restore the state of any application that were launched before an X restart (ctrl+alt+backspace) and the files opended by the application. It should also enable a temporary save of user selected applications so that he might be able to recover his work after crash
Rationale
Sometimes, there are bugs that force you to restart X and you may not be able to properly close all the applications you were running. This could result in unacceptable data loss.
So utililty should provide two things :
- The insurrance for the user to be able to recover everything if he has to restart X but the computer is still responding enough (save state of all X running apps while pressing ctrl+alt+backspace before actually sending the restart signal)
- The insurrance of proper monitoring of certain 'vital application' that the user may sepcify (such as word processors, data sheets or anythingthing the user is working with and cannot afford data loss), that would perform a regular savestate at an user specified frequency to save the work in case of a crash.
In both cases, on reloggin to the session, the user should get a list of the recoverable applications and files, and be able to choose those he wants to recover.
Use Cases
This utility should run as a daemon that prevent data loss on crashes
Assumptions
- Saving the files openened by applications shoul not be a big matter, but properly saving the state of each application might be quite impossible.
Design
The differents part should be :
- A background daemon that performing the save states at specified intervall and waits for the save state in case of restart X signal.
- A control pannel that allow the user to select the applications he wants to be monitored and the frequency of the states.
- Maybe an applet to give some useful information about the monitored applications, and that prompt the user to recover the recoverable thing at session startup
Implementation
This section should describe a plan of action (the "how") to implement the changes discussed. Could include subsections like:
UI Changes
Should cover changes required to the UI, or specific UI that is required to implement this
Code Changes
Code changes should include an overview of what needs to change, and in some cases even the specific details.
Migration
Include:
- data migration, if any
- redirects from old URLs to new ones, if any
- how users will be pointed to the new way of doing things, if necessary.
Test/Demo Plan
It's important that we are able to test new features, and demonstrate them to users. Use this section to describe a short plan that anybody can follow that demonstrates the feature is working. This can then be used during CD testing, and to show off after release.
This need not be added or completed until the specification is nearing beta.
Outstanding Issues
This should highlight any issues that should be addressed in further specifications, and not problems with the specification itself; since any specification with problems cannot be approved.
BoF agenda and discussion
Use this section to take notes during the BoF; if you keep it in the approved spec, use it for summarising what was discussed and note any options that were rejected.