Dual head, independently choose from same desktops?

[Don Christensen]

Ben Tilly wrote:
> I am trying to figure out what
> http://www.xfce.org/index.php?page=overview&lang=en means when it says
> that xfwm4 to natively support multi-head and multi-screen.  In
> particular I want to see whether it will allow xfce to do what I want.
>  (It well may not.)
> 
> Here is what I want.  Imagine a system with 2 identical monitors.  I
> would like them to be able to independently choose virtual desktops
> from the same list.  For instance if I had 4 desktops, then while
> desktop 2 is up on the first monitor, I'd like to be able to look at
> any of 1-4 on the second.  (Looking at desktop 2 on both would be
> useless but doable.)
> 
> I know that I can have 2 X servers running, and then have independent
> sets of desktops on the two monitors.  This isn't what I want because
> it doesn't let a given desktop sometimes be on my right, and sometimes
> on my left.  I'd like to not tie the desktop to the monitor.
> 
> I know that I can have one X server running and switch things in
> tandem.  This isn't what I want either because I'll often want to
> leave what I have on my left alone while I change what is on my right.
> 
> I don't currently have the two monitors set up, but expect to within a
> few weeks.  I also don't currently use xfce, but would gladly switch
> if it can do what I want.  (Conversely I don't want to spend time
> figuring it out if it doesn't do what I want in the end.)
> 
> Thanks,
> Ben
> 
> PS Why would I want such a bizarre thing?  Because I put different
> projects on different virtual desktops.  But often while working on
> one project I'll need to refer to stuff from another, and I can't
> predict what combination of things I'll want to look at.  Right now I
> handle this by switching desktops back and forth, but it would be much
> nicer to just have an arbitrary combination of them up to look at.

I second this request.  I work in a very similar fashion.  I'm
currently using two independent heads (no Xinerama), so tasks
started on one side stay on that side, but I can see where it
would be realy nice to have the mechanism you propose.

I don't know how easy it would be (or if it's even possible)
to move windows from :0.0 to :0.1.  Perhaps another possible
solution would be to use Xinerama, but to have each monitor
show a specific grouping of windows.  The UI would basically
look like virtual desktops for each monitor, but all monitors
could select from the same set of desktops.

It could get a little difficult in my situation where I have
one monitor at 1920x1440 and the other at 1600x1200.  If necessary,
I could drop to 1600x1200 or find another monitor capable of
1920x1440.

-Don

-- 
Don Christensen       Senior Software Development Engineer
djc at cisco.com         Cisco Systems, Santa Cruz, CA
   "It was a new day yesterday, but it's an old day now."