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2 Displays and 2 Workspaces With Linux and X?
Borov writes "I'm planning to buy a second monitor in near future and I was searching for ways to configure it under Linux. It seems there are two main ways: 1) to have one 'big' desktop, which means I have single workspace — changing virtual desktop switches both monitors or 2) to have separate X sessions for each display — which means I have separate workspaces, but I can't move applications between them. I need something in the middle — a separate workspace for each screen, so that I can have independent virtual desktops on each screen, but still have the ability to move applications between monitors (no need to strech one app across both of them). I've read that some tiling window managers can do this kind of thing, but I'd rather go with 'classical' window managers, like Openbox/Gnome/KDE or similar."
Offensive, but he's right. A simple google search would have revealed this.
Most people want mirrored or spanned. What you're looking for lies somewhere in between. The trick being to enable spaces control on individual displays, while still allowing drag between displays.
Good luck, haven't seen it. What you want is sufficiently unusual that there may not be anything that provides it. I suggest looking for someone else that's made their own variation of spaces support themselves, that offers the option to switch spaces per-display, as the odds of finding someone that's hacked an existing spaces to be per-monitor is probably going to be low.
The other route would be to find a different variation on spanning, such that the separate monitors aren't necessarily spanned, but are simply adjacent, and if you try to drag a window, it can't exist partly on one display and partly on the other, but you can still drag a window from one display to the other. That may still allow you individual spaces control perhaps? I think that's the reason you're having problems, is that most spanning allows a window to overlap off one display onto another, so for one display to change space it requires the others to change also. If you look at it that way I think you'll realize what you're initially asking for doesn't make sense. (if the displays are truly spanned (attached) and not simply adjacent)
I work for the Department of Redundancy Department.
I need something in the middle — a separate workspace for each screen, so that I can have independent virtual desktops on each screen, but still have the ability to move applications between monitors
Use windows. Seriously. It solves all of the problems you are discussing. There is really no reason not to. blahblahblahblahblah
Sounds like every response to every article that poses a windows problem and someone says "why arent you using linux?"
You know what? I'm glad that the submitter did not investigate any of these before asking /.. If he had, then I wouldn't have had the opportunity to read his question, ponder the answer myself, and then read your informative (but surly) response.
Mon chien, il n'a pas du nez. Comment scent-il? TrÃs mauvais!
You didn't understand the question.
Here's a simple car analogy: a Linux user asking for tips on advanced uses of virtual desktops is like an off-road rally racer asking for tips on configuring the differentials on a 4x4. Your answer is "use a Ford Taurus".
Has anyone noticed the OP never actually asked a question?
I don't think that actually answers the OPs question. Xinerama or XRandR allow you to set up dual head (which the OP presumably already knows about - he talks about having "one big desktop," which is what Xinerama and XRandR give you), but virtual desktops are handled by the window manager, not by Xinerama or XRandR. A Xinerama or XRandR aware window manager could do what the OP wants, giving separate virtual desktops on each monitor, but simply using Xinerama or XRandR won't get that effect unless you use a specific window manager which offers that option.
The two setups the OP is talking about have disadvantages. With the one large desktop when you maximize a window it fills both monitors and things might size oddly if your monitors aren't the same size/resolution. If you run two xsessions you can't move applications between the separate monitors since they are different sessions.
In Windows 7 multiple monitors were made extremely easy to setup, and a simple press of win-p will pop up a display which allows the mode to switch which makes connecting your laptop to a project so much easier than the old way of pressing the func-f(x) which didn't always work correctly. Windows multiple monitors also supports having separate monitors where you can maximize a window on a single display, but you can move windows between the monitors or even span multiple monitors. Is this setup possible to do under Linux? If it is you should point the OP to some information on getting it setup as it's the answer to their question.
Finally how do you have putty run an x session? You can use it to do an ssh tunnel, but you'll need something else to handle connection to the xserver.
He's not really right, AFAICS. A solution might include Xinerama and xrandr but they're not a solution in themselves. Most window managers will switch desktops on all displays simultaneously if you use Xinerama, whereas he wants desktop switching independently on different monitors. You also can't do it easily with separate X screens because it's apparently not possible to move windows between them, which he also would like to do.
except that they do manage windows. You never manually resize or shift a window a little to see something behind it, for example.
It's stacking window managers that don't do the managing.
What happens when you go to a virtual desktop? Do all the windows on both screens change? If yes, then you just failed to read the summary.
SJW n. One who posts facts.