Version: unspecified (using KDE 4.5.1) OS: Linux This is the first of a few activity wish items. I didn't see them already listed. If they are duplicates I apologize. I have three activities. (They're awesome, btw) General is just my normal computer usage. It have 5 virtual desktops: Web browsing, Email, IM, Updates, and Office programs. Then I have a Development activity, where I have 5 desktops: documentation, testing, production, code, and art. My third activity is media. It has 5 desktops as well, but only because it has to. I have one for Music/Video. And then I have one for Games. and then I have 3 more that I wish I could just get rid of. So my wish is for virtual desktops to be configurable on a per activity basis: both number and name would be useful. Currently, I have desktops with names like "Web, Documentation, Music and Video," for example. Reproducible: Always
I currently use 16 desktops each one of it associated to its activity. I have not thought about an activity having a given number of desktops. I currently use the desktop pager (instead of the activity pager which was 9 months ago very unusable) to switch among them. I think one way of implementing what you want to is to add an option to activity: Filter Virtual Desktops. And a field with your choosen virtual desktops. If this option is activated then pager (which will be have to be modified too) will only show you your choosen Virtual Desktops. The only drawback for this implementation (from my point of view, what I am used to) is that you need to add an activity switch in order to switch from one activity to another one.
tim: this is... unlikely to happen, I think; I'm reluctant to muck with how virtual desktops work. it *might* be possible though, if done carefully. if someone's interested in implementing this for 4.7 come talk to me. :)
If having a different number of virtual desktop on each activity is not possible, at least it should be explicit notified to the users specially when you remove desktops. Just think about this simple usecase: - Bob has two activities (A1 and A2) and four virtual desktops (VD1, VD2, VD3, VD4). He is using "different widget on each desktops". - Bob has added an important note widget on the fourth desktop (VD4) in the A1 activity - Now Bob switch on the A2 activity and it opens the "grid desktop effects" from where he can add/remove activities. The fourth desktop is empty, why not delete it? (And Bob press the "minus" icon) - At this point Bob swithc to the A1 activity and the note on the fourth desktop... well... it doesn-t exists anymore. * Playing a bit with VD/Activities I've observed that if you re-add an activity, it is restored with the last settings, but I don't know if it is the wanted behaviour. * What do you think about this? Should a bug opened for adding a warning on delete action? Thanks for the attention.
Me too! :) In my understanding virtual desktops are subordinated to activities. While the activities define the broader topic the VDs "only" provide a way for spacial layout of windows within the topic (or tasks within a topic). And IMO it's likely that the user needs differing numbers of tasks/windows for different activities. So generally activities and virtual desktops should be more decoupled and become orthogonal to each other. I think this would also make the two concepts easier to understand for users new to activities. Another wish in this direction would be to enable the user to assign different names for the same virtual desktop per activity, as the virtual desktop names on one activity most likely don't make sense on others.
*** This bug has been confirmed by popular vote. ***
I didn't type in Comment #5, must have been automatically generated, when I gave this bug 20 more votes to make it 81. Comment number 4 is a good way to think about 'Virtual Desktops' and 'Activities'... https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=251267#c4 Although there could be an option as to which is subordinated (Virtual Desktops, or Activities), I like the "virtual desktops are subordinated to activities" better, but could see a want for the other way. OR add a layer in-between like an 'activity' for an 'individual virtual desktop' that can be added to a 'virtual desktop', (or inserted between 'virtual desktops'?) in an 'activity'. (like replacing (or adding?) a page in a book) These two bugs are duplicates of each other, or at least really close. https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=251267 (the one you're reading now) https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=267848 (another bug report) note: I've switched to using GNOME for my desktop since KDE no longer works with Compiz wallpaper, and GNOME does, and because 'activities' is currently too weird/buggy, especially considering the option 'Different widgets for each desktop' in the 'pager'.
*** Bug 267848 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
*** Bug 282437 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
It's been a year. Let me say I'd definitely be in favor of this too! It was one of the first things I wanted as soon as I discovered activities
I agree that activities are a layer above virtual desktops, and that it should be possible to configure VDs (name, number, layout) independently for each activity. See bug #300919 however : if we decouple VD from activities, we'll need to clearly define how we choose the VD to show when switching activity. If I understand correctly, it used to be "stay on current VD" and is now "remember current VD per activity". I think that both options are desirable (sorry for option creep). I think for the "stay on current VD" case when VD layouts are different, we need something akin to image scaling : > NewPosX = int( CurPosX * (NextMaxX / CurMaxX) ) > NewPosY = int( CurPosY * (NextMaxY / CurMaxY) )
Great idea. But, alas, not implementable in a sane timespan. KWin maintainer said that even if somebody dedicated 6 months to do it, it would be buggy and probably will not make it into master.