Bug 183380

Summary: Forcing one activity per monitor harms desktop usability
Product: [Plasma] plasma4 Reporter: Stephan Sokolow <kde_bugzilla_2>
Component: multiscreenAssignee: Plasma Bugs List <plasma-bugs>
Status: RESOLVED NOT A BUG    
Severity: normal CC: aseigo
Priority: NOR    
Version: unspecified   
Target Milestone: ---   
Platform: unspecified   
OS: Linux   
Latest Commit: Version Fixed In:

Description Stephan Sokolow 2009-02-06 02:27:14 UTC 
Version:           unknown (using 4.2.00 (KDE 4.2.0), Gentoo)
Compiler:          x86_64-pc-linux-gnu-gcc
OS:                Linux (x86_64) release 2.6.25-gentoo-r7-20080501

Forcing one activity per monitor harms desktop usability in two ways I can think of so far:

1. It prevents the use of single-image, multi-monitor wallpapers
2. It forces the user to decide between using multiple monitors effectively and using activities effectively. I know I prefer multiple monitors to multiple activities... though I do wish I had the option.

I'm not sure if it's related (being able to be in multiple activities simultaneously?) but whenever I try to experiment with the Activity Bar plasmoid, it freezes up Plasma. I think I reported it in another bug.
Comment 1 Stephan Sokolow 2009-04-26 04:48:01 UTC 
If you don't mind my asking, why RESO INVALID?

I see nothing invalid about wanting multi-monitor activities if you've paid for two identical monitors, have no dead space, and have used xorg.conf to prevent resolution changes. I'd disable TwinView's Xinerama reporting to force the issue if KWin wouldn't also get caught in the crossfire.

Maybe an "Extend one activity across all screens" option which is disabled if dead space is present?

...or perhaps a "Merge activities when screen resolutions are uniform" option which behaves similarly, but degrades to two activities when resolutions change so that the chances of lost widget positioning are minimized.
Comment 2 Stephan Sokolow 2009-05-07 01:38:07 UTC 
If Plasma is capable of gracefully supporting resolution changes within a screen (something I'm sure you'll agree is an essential feature for a polished XRandR experience), what's the problem in offering an option to, in my example case, de-select the right-hand monitor's activity and expand the left-hand monitor's activity whenever there's no dead space?