Bug 418836

Summary:	Ability to tell kscreen that system is a desktop and so not be so dynamic with the monitors
Product:	[Plasma] kwin	Reporter:	Eric Mesa <ericsbinaryworld>
Component:	general	Assignee:	KWin default assignee <kwin-bugs-null>
Status:	RESOLVED INTENTIONAL
Severity:	wishlist	CC:	subdiff
Priority:	NOR
Version First Reported In:	5.17.5
Target Milestone:	---
Platform:	Fedora RPMs
OS:	Linux
Latest Commit:		Version Fixed/Implemented In:
Sentry Crash Report:

Description Eric Mesa 2020-03-13 23:54:50 UTC

SUMMARY
I would like the ability to tell kscreen that this is a desktop system, not a laptop. So if monitors are disconnected, turned off, or switched to another input - it should *not* rearrange my screen, move widgets around, move programs around, and cause all kinds of chaos that makes multi-monitor use annoying.

STEPS TO REPRODUCE
1. Turn monitor off or switch to another input
2. Some (not all) programs are shuffled around to remaining monitors (and widgets, etc)
3. Switch back, sometimes this triggers #2, but while widgets often go back where they belong, programs don't.

OBSERVED RESULT
See steps and summary

EXPECTED RESULT
This behavior makes PERFECT sense for a laptop. Does not make sense for a desktop. Switching inputs doesn't mean I'm suddenly going to go minus one monitor.

SOFTWARE/OS VERSIONS
Linux/KDE Plasma: Fedora 31
(available in About System)
KDE Plasma Version: 5.17.5
KDE Frameworks Version: 5.67.0
Qt Version: 5.13.2

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
N/A

Comment 1 Roman Gilg 2020-03-14 02:26:48 UTC

If one of your screens gets disconnected your windows should stay in the now hidden area?

I agree that I feel annoyed at times as well when I connect a screen and suddenly all windows are on the other screen. But today it moved all windows there that used to be before I had shut down the monitor for a moment. And that was really convenient in this case.

In any case it's a KWin bug/feature request. Moving.

Comment 2 Eric Mesa 2020-03-15 21:14:52 UTC

Actually, I *would* like it to behave that way, with a toggle switch for me to say, "ok, that monitor's really gone, do your normal (annoying if you're not on a laptop) routine"

Comment 3 Vlad Zahorodnii 2020-03-17 11:16:43 UTC

> Does not make sense for a desktop.
Why doesn't it make sense for a desktop?

Comment 4 Vlad Zahorodnii 2020-03-19 09:32:58 UTC

> Switching inputs doesn't mean I'm suddenly going to go minus one monitor.
This is not a very convincing argument. Why won't it be the case on a laptop too?

Marking as INTENTIONAL because leaving windows off-screen is not very useful and there is no any way to bring them to the visible area. Also, iirc, we received a few bug reports saying that some windows end up in an off-screen area.