Bug: Acme: Multiple running programs fight each other for visible area

[spektrokalter]

Expected behavior

Acme automatically allocates enough space to make the tip of running commands' output visible.

The allocation must happen deterministically or more predictably, so that multiple programs do not fight each other for visible area.

Unexpected behavior

Unfortunately, they do fight with each other, especially if there is a dozen of them.

Steps to reproduce the problem

Run the following in any three distinct directories:

while () {
	sleep 1
	fortune
}

Three +Errors windows open in the right column.

Make sure there is at least two windows above them. Expand the first in the column, so that all windows below it collapse. Now watch three last windows fighting each other for available space.

If you're still confused, you could watch the demo:

acme-30-demo.mov

plan9port version

a2567fc

OS version

macOS 14.5 (23F79)