GNOME Goal: Remove deprecated GTK+ symbols

Summary

The goal is to remove the deprecated GTK+, GDK and gdk-pixbuf symbols (functions, structs, macros, etc.) and replace them with something that fits better (usually a newer symbol). This has to be done for each GNOME module (application or library).

Guidelines

Compile your application with :

make CFLAGS+="-DGDK_PIXBUF_DISABLE_DEPRECATED -DGDK_DISABLE_DEPRECATED -DGTK_DISABLE_DEPRECATED"

For help on these symbols, you may give a look to the lists of deprecated symbols in gdk-pixbuf, GDK 2 and GTK+ 2. Those lists are generated automatically and always up-to-date.

Guidelines for modules written in C/C++

Step 1: Detect if the module uses deprecated symbols

You don't need to compile the module for that. Just get its source code, a file that contains the deprecated symbols to look for, and use the git grep command to look for deprecated symbols in the module source code.

For example, the following command uses a file that contains the name of the deprecated symbols, and looks for them in each source file:

git grep -w -f deprecated-gtk-2.24-symbols.txt

You may download files that lists those deprecated symbols for use with the above command:

Module	Version	Deprecated symbols file
GTK+	2.24	deprecated-gtk-2.24-symbols.txt
GDK	2.24	deprecated-gdk-2.24-symbols.txt
gdk-pixbuf	2.24	deprecated-gdk-pixbuf-2.24-symbols.txt

Step 2: Compile the module

Compile the module without doing any modifications, just to make sure you're able to compile it without errors. You should be able to compile it alone.

Step 3: Compile the module with the deprecated symbols disabled

Compile the module again, but this time, define the GDK_PIXBUF_DISABLE_DEPRECATED, GDK_DISABLE_DEPRECATED and GTK_DISABLE_DEPRECATED symbol, which will disable deprecated GTK+, gdk-pixbuf and gdk symbols. There's more than one way to do it. You can for example use :

make CFLAGS+="-DGDK_PIXBUF_DISABLE_DEPRECATED -DGDK_DISABLE_DEPRECATED -DGTK_DISABLE_DEPRECATED"

If you're using Jhbuild, you can make him use this setting by adding the following line to your .jhbuildrc (and putting the right module name)

module_makeargs['name-of-the-module'] = makeargs + 'CFLAGS+="-DGDK_PIXBUF_DISABLE_DEPRECATED -DGDK_DISABLE_DEPRECATED -DGTK_DISABLE_DEPRECATED"'

If your module uses the GNOME autoconf macros, you can ensure GNOME_MAINTAINER_MODE_DEFINES is used in your configure.in, and that $(DISABLE_DEPRECATED) is included in the *_CPPFLAGS variables for all your compilation targets. $(DISABLE_DEPRECATED) is defined by GNOME_MAINTAINER_MODE_DEFINES, and has *_DISABLE_DEPRECATED flags for GTK+, GDK+ and GLib, amongst others.

To enable compilation with GDK_PIXBUF_DISABLE_DEPRECATED, GDK_DISABLE_DEPRECATED and GTK_DISABLE_DEPRECATED defined, simply pass the --enable-maintainer-mode argument when calling the configure script. If using jhbuild, you can put it in the module_autogenargs string for your module in your .jhbuildrc:

module_autogenargs['name-of-the-module'] = autogenargs + ' --enable-maintainer-mode'

Step 4: Replace the obsolete symbols by something that works and that is not deprecated

This is where most of the work takes place. There are several different deprecated symbols, so there's no single answer on how to do it. Sometimes the API documentation will give you the answer, or an hint, and sometimes you'll have to think by yourself.

Status of this goal

Tip: If you choose to work on a module, create the bug report on the GNOME bugzilla and mark it as blocking this tracker bug.

State	Markup
todo	`<: #ff8080> todo`
patch	`<: #ffc849> [GnomeBug:xxxxx patch]`
done	`<: #80ff80> [GnomeBug:xxxxx done]`
not needed	`<: #80ff80> not needed`

Above are the states and corresponding markup to update the modules state table below.

Tarball	Status
Desktop
alacarte	not needed
brasero	done
bug-buddy	not needed
cheese	done
control-center	done
dasher	done
deskbar-applet	done
ekiga	done
empathy	not needed
eog	not needed
epiphany	done
evince	done
evolution-data-server	done
evolution	done
evolution-exchange	done
evolution-mapi	done
evolution-webcal	done
file-roller	done
gcalctool	done
gconf-editor	done
gdm	done
gedit	done
gnome-applets	done
gnome-backgrounds	not needed
gnome-desktop	not needed
gnome-doc-utils	not needed
gnome-games	done
gnome-icon-theme	not needed
gnome-keyring	done
gnome-netstatus	done
gnome-nettool	done
gnome-mag	done
gnome-media	done
gnome-menus	not needed
gnome-panel	done
gnome-power-manager	done
gnome-python-desktop	done
gnome-screensaver	done
gnome-session	done
gnome-settings-daemon	done
gnome-speech	not needed
gnome-system-monitor	done
gnome-system-tools	done
gnome-terminal	done
gnome-themes	not needed
gnome-user-docs	not needed
gnome-user-share	done
gnome-utils	done
gok	done
gstreamer	done
gst-plugins-base	done
gst-plugins-good	done
gtk-engines	done	fixed in 2.90
gtkhtml	done
gtksourceview	not needed
gucharmap	not needed
gvfs	not needed
hamster	done
libgail-gnome	done
libgnomekbd	done
libgtop	not needed
libgweather	done
liboobs	done
librsvg	done
libsoup	not needed
libwnck	done
metacity	done
mousetweaks	done
nautilus	done
orca	done
pygtksourceview	done
seahorse	done
seahorse-plugins	done
sound-juicer	done
swfdec-gnome	done
tomboy	done
totem-pl-parser	not needed
totem	done
vinagre	done
vino	done
vte	not needed
yelp	done
zenity	done
Desktop (to be deprecated)
libgnomeprint	not needed	not used in 2.27 anymore
libgnomeprintui	not needed	not used in 2.27 anymore
Platform
GConf	done
at-spi	done
atk	not needed
gail	not needed	merged into GTK+
glib	not needed
gnome-vfs	not needed	not used in 2.27 anymore
gtk+	not needed
gtk-doc	not needed
intltool	not needed
libglade	to do
libxml2	not needed
libxslt	not needed
pango	done
pkgconfig	not needed
Platform (to be deprecated)
ORBit2	not needed
audiofile	not needed
esound	not needed
libIDL	not needed
libart_lgpl	not needed
libbonobo	not needed
libbonoboui	to do
libgnome	to do
libgnomecanvas	done
libgnomeui	to do
Admin
pessulus	to do
sabayon	to do
Development Tools
accerciser	done
anjuta	done
devhelp	done
gdl	done
glade3	done
gnome-devel-docs	not needed
Mobile
gconf-dbus	to do
evolution-data-server-dbus	to do
Bindings (C++)
glibmm	to do
gtkmm	to do
libglademm	to do
gconfmm	to do
libgnomecanvasmm	to do
libgnome-vfsmm	to do
libgnomemm	to do
libgnomeuimm	to do
libxml++	to do
Bindings (java)
glib-java (jg-common)	to do
libgtk-java	to do
libgnome-java	to do
libgconf-java	to do
libglade-java	to do
Bindings (perl)
Glib	not needed
Gtk2	to do
Gtk2-GladeXML	Patch
Gnome2-GConf	to do
Gnome2-Canvas	to do
Gnome2-VFS	to do
Gnome2	to do
Bindings (python)
pygobject	not needed
pygtk	Patch
gnome-python	not needed
Bindings (mono)
gtk-sharp	to do
External dependencies
PolicyKit-gnome	done
libcanberra	done
Other
abiword	to do
atomix	to do
balsa	done
banshee	not needed
banter	to do
beagle	to do
contact-lookup-applet	to do
dia	patch
eggcups	to do
f-spot	done
gegl	done
gimp	to do
glom	done
gnome-blog	to do
gnome-bluetooth	to do
gnome-cups-manager	not needed
gnome-main-menu	to do
gnome-mud	to do
goocanvas	not needed	only in commented code
GParted	not needed
GNOME Phone Manager	to do
gnome-pilot	done
Gnumeric	done
gossip	to do
gtetrinet	to do
gthumb	to do
gtranslator	done
krb5-auth-dialog	to do
leafpad	to do
libbtctl	to do
libgda	done
libgnomekbd	done
libgoffice	to do
libgsf	to do
libslab	patch
modest	done
mutter	done
nautilus-sendto	done
nautilus-vcs	to do
nemiver	not needed
NetworkManager	done
network-manager-applet	done
ontv	done
planner	to do
rhythmbox	done
tinymail	done
tracker	done
Transmission	not needed
webkit	done
xchat-gnome	done

CategoryOptimization