Created attachment 174211 [details] Screenshot showing desktop grid in plasma 6 without option to select number of rows vs in plasma 5.27. SUMMARY In KDE Plasma 5.27, there was an option to specify the number of rows for virtual desktops in the Desktop Grid effect (Settings → Desktop Effects → Desktop Grid). This feature allowed for better use of screen real estate by arranging virtual desktops across multiple rows. In Plasma 6.1, this option has been removed, leading to all virtual desktops being displayed in a single row in Desktop Grid Effect, which is less efficient for window management. STEPS TO REPRODUCE 1. Open Plasma 6.1 system settings. 2. Navigate to Window Management → Virtual Desktops and ensure multiple desktops are enabled. 3. Open Desktop Effects and navigate to Overview (as Desktop Grid effect was merged with Overview). OBSERVED RESULT The option to set the number of rows is missing, and all virtual desktops are displayed in a single row in the Desktop Grid Effect. EXPECTED RESULT There should be an option to specify the number of rows for virtual desktops in the Desktop Grid effect, as it existed in Plasma 5.27, allowing for better use of screen space. SOFTWARE/OS VERSIONS Linux/KDE Plasma: Fedora Linux 40 KDE Plasma Version: 6.1.5 KDE Frameworks Version: 6.6.0 Qt Version: 6.7.2 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION The Desktop rid Effect was merged into Overview so this option should be in Settings → Window Management → Desktop Effects → Overview.
This was an intentional change for Plasma 6, on the logic that we always wanted to preserve the spatiality of the actual arrangement of virtual desktops; if we allowed opting out of it here, it would be odd to not also be able to opt out of it in Overview. However due to overwhelm,overwhelming user feedback, in Plasma 6.2, Overview now adopts a flattened arrangement of two-dimensional virtual desktop grids again, breaking the spatiality anyway. I could see that being used as an argument to do exactly the same thing for Desktop grid: in the same way that we flatten two-dimensional arrangements to fit better on the narrow/tall linear area available on Overview, we could conceivably un-flatten one-dimensional arrangements on the Desktop Grid page to make better use of the large square-ish or rectangular space. I can see arguments for and against doing this, and will turn the matter over to KWin and Overview developers.
(In reply to Nate Graham from comment #1) > This was an intentional change for Plasma 6, on the logic that we always > wanted to preserve the spatiality of the actual arrangement of virtual > desktops; if we allowed opting out of it here, it would be odd to not also > be able to opt out of it in Overview. > > However due to overwhelm,overwhelming user feedback, in Plasma 6.2, Overview > now adopts a flattened arrangement of two-dimensional virtual desktop grids > again, breaking the spatiality anyway. > > I could see that being used as an argument to do exactly the same thing for > Desktop grid: in the same way that we flatten two-dimensional arrangements > to fit better on the narrow/tall linear area available on Overview, we could > conceivably un-flatten one-dimensional arrangements on the Desktop Grid page > to make better use of the large square-ish or rectangular space. > > I can see arguments for and against doing this, and will turn the matter > over to KWin and Overview developers. Thanks for the explanation. While flattening the Overview or offering an option for "best fit" in Desktop Grid Effect would indeed break the spatiality of virtual desktops, it would significantly improve screen real estate usage. There are merits to both approaches—preserving spatiality and optimizing for real estate. Providing users with the choice to prioritize one or the other would be in line with KDE’s flexibility philosophy.
Hey, to add some information and an idea (as a semi-developer and Overview+Desktop Grid enthusiast): The row counter is still here in 6.x, but it's hard to notice in the header of System Settings -> Window Management -> Virtual Desktops. It should definitely be more visible, either in the Overview Settings KCM, or alternatively: This could be handled "smartly" by auto-fitting the Virtual Desktops to fill one's screen in Grid mode. Just an idea on how this could be handled elegantly without having to manually set the Row count (and only in Grid Mode, to preserve the overall Overview spatial left+right): 2 VD take up middle of screen as 1x2, same as now. 3 VD would push the first two up to add the third desktop (either at bottom-center or bottom-left) 4 VD fit to a 2x2 grid 5 VD would arrange them into trapezoid shape 6 VD into 2x3 grid ... 9 VD into 3x3 grid etc. In theory this would work great, haven't even begun to look at what it would take to implement this.
This ticket may be a duplicate of BUG 482418. I've opened https://invent.kde.org/plasma/kwin/-/merge_requests/6922 to re-introduce auto-tiling for that issue, it should address this one as well.