Like if I got libreoffice open and active on the left of my screen and safari open on the right then go from my active window being libreoffice to now safari where the browser is on lemmy.world and I go and click the search icon it doesn’t automatically recognize that I hit the search icon or any post on a single click. Instead it activates that window requiring me to click again. Essentially turning it into a two part process of double clicking or alt + Command then click. Same for if I go to YouTube.com then go to another opened program then move the cursor over to click the search input field for the first time or click a video.

But, then if I go from an active window like LibreOffice straight to the address bar that’s just one click required of me which made it apparent this is a program issue/decision, since some programs don’t require that click to focus then click again to recognize user inputs but instead initiates them the first time.

Would be nice if this type of behavior could be adjusted system wide, since when it happens it makes things feel unresponsive with actions not being accept the first time. I’m guessing this might be a remnant of when side by side or multiple monitor multitasking wasn’t as widespread, and more switching between programs that are taking the entire focus of the screen?

  • SpunkyBarnes@geddit.social
    1·
    1 year ago

    I experience the same behavior and have found no system setting to alter it either. Maybe there’s a terminal or plist hack, but thru the UI, no.

    Here’s my work around.

    Non-dominant hand toggles window from the keyboard, dominant hand clicks.

    Wish I had better news.

    • ImaginaryFox@kbin.socialOP
      1·
      1 year ago

      I posted on the firefox community too hoping someone has a solution whether it is about:config or an addon to change the behavior, since the active interaction requirement doesn’t apply to the address bar. So at least changing the behavior of Firefox would be huge, since returning to the browser is such a huge part of my multitasking.

        • ImaginaryFox@kbin.socialOP
          2·
          1 year ago

          No responses but did find this thread that’s gone years back.

          https://stackoverflow.com/questions/98310/focus-follows-mouse-plus-auto-raise-on-mac-os-x

          Haven’t tried it yet, but solution someone posted there was

          I’ve been coming back to this question periodically for about 10 years and I finally found a simple solution: AutoRaise https://github.com/sbmpost/AutoRaise

          By default it enables focus-follows-mouse AND autoraise. You can delay the autoraise with a config option.

          It also has what they call “warp” function that centers the mouse pointer in a window when you Command-Tab to the window. I never knew I needed this until I tried it, but once I tried it, I can’t live without it!

          There is also a fork I found through Macports
          https://github.com/lhaeger/AutoRaise

          While AutoRaise is concerned with GUI window and mouse behaviour, as a command line application it lacks a GUI itself.

          Here’s where the Launcher app bundle comes into play: a menubar application that allows to control and configure the AutoRaise binary. A mouse click on it’s menubar icon will start/stop AutoRaise, preferences can be configured from it’s context menu and will be saved between sessions.

          Current issue seems to be that it doesn’t work on MacOS 14 yet, which I’m not on.

          • SpunkyBarnes@geddit.social
            1·
            1 year ago

            Ooo… thanks!

            The only window management software I run is Windowmizer, which both shows my age and disdain for Job’s design prejudices. I used Unsanity’s haxie before that.

            My main’s on X.13.06, so that won’t be an issue, will give them a whirl. 👍🏻

            Again, thanks for the info!

  • weedwhacking@lemmy.world
    1·
    1 year ago

    Funny, I had to use windows for the first time in a while for work recently and the first thing that annoyed me was clicking a window to make it the active one actually pressed the button too, so now I have to aim and be extra careful when putting a window in the forefront that I don’t click anything I don’t want to. It’s like a minefield! I mostly “overlap” my windows so I can see pieces of them all at once and rarely use things side-by-side, so I can see your frustration and why it works for my flow. I think the only solution for you is to make your side-by-side windows full screen so they are on the same z level