Bug 485481 - New overview can't handle virtual desktop grid
Summary: New overview can't handle virtual desktop grid
Status: RESOLVED DUPLICATE of bug 475077
Alias: None
Product: kwin
Classification: Plasma
Component: effects-overview (show other bugs)
Version: 6.0.3
Platform: Arch Linux Linux
: NOR normal
Target Milestone: ---
Assignee: KWin default assignee
URL:
Keywords:
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2024-04-13 12:07 UTC by Katharina Fey
Modified: 2024-04-13 14:27 UTC (History)
2 users (show)

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Description Katharina Fey 2024-04-13 12:07:21 UTC
# SUMMARY

When creating multiple workspaces it's possible to assign them in multiple rows and columns, creating a grid of virtual desktops. In the old overview these were displayed as a grid in the overview to allow easy switching and dragging windows between them.

The new overview only allows linear arrangements, either horizontal at the top of the screen or vertical on the left.


# STEPS TO REPRODUCE

1. Create 4 virtual desktops, arranged in 2 rows (and 2 columns each)
2. Toggle the new (much improved otherwise!) overview
3. Realise in horror that you can't move windows between workspaces anymore because they don't show up


# OBSERVED RESULT

The available workspaces are not displayed at all


# EXPECTED RESULT

Tricky! The old behaviour showed the grid of workspaces (on the left? I can't remember even). But it was always a bit cramped, so I can understand wanting to change this.

An alternative would be to still show the current row and column (both!) at the top and left side of the screen, with some "hinted" workspaces above/below and left/right. This would allow dragging windows there to a) move the window and b) (optionally?) switch to that workspace. At which point the hints would change (to show some above/ to the left of the existing row/column).

Probably needs a bunch of design work and tweaking to figure out how to make it look good, but maybe this is an alternative to be able to support large workspace grids like nobody currently does!

The workspace overview (so the one that zooms out completely, no idea what its name is) would be unaffected by this.

Alternatively-alternatively: please at least show a warning when creating a workspace grid that they will not be visible in the overview. It took me a while to realise this was new intentional behaviour and not just my update having been broken... (but overall I think my second suggestion here is the best way to implement this behaviour again).

SOFTWARE/OS VERSIONS
Linux/KDE Plasma: Arch Linux
KDE Plasma Version: 6.0.3
KDE Frameworks Version: 6.0.0
Qt Version: 6.7.0

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

This was already reported as part of #477942 (and closed), with less info and context.
Comment 1 Nate Graham 2024-04-13 14:27:18 UTC
With a two-dimensional virtual desktop grid, you can indeed move windows between workspaces in grid mode; hit Meta+G.

*** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of bug 475077 ***