GtkWidget::set_sensitive
void set_sensitive(bool sensitive); 
    
     Use this function to toggle whether or not the user can interact
     with a widget.  Setting it to false sets the
     widget's state to GTK_STATE_INSENSITIVE, which
     'greys out' the widget.
    
    
     You might use this if, for instance, you wanted to prevent a button
     from being pressed in certain situations.
    
    
      Setting a container as 'insensitive' will make all that container's
      children insensitive too.