[plug] Tiled window managers

[Brad Campbell]

On 16/09/10 21:49, Scott Middleton wrote:
> Hi
>
> I use ubuntu 10.04 (gnome). All I do is enable the other monitor (in preferences) and I can drag
> between desktops. They are separate and in my case different geometries.  I use a netbook when I am
> on site and often commandeer another monitor.  I can even move the smaller monitor to match the
> physical location of the bigger monitor so the mouse moves seamlessly from 1 monitor to the other.
>

Yes, Xinerama has been around for years now. I had 3 monitors on my PC back in the 90's.

I use my virtual desktops heavily. For example right now I have 6 virtual desktops.
1 - Firefox / Evince / xterm
2 - rdesktop into an XP VM
3 - rdesktop into a server 2008 VM
4 - Thunderbird
5 - vnc session to a linux VM
6 - xchat / xterm

Now, in gnome I can switch to any of these workspaces using hotkeys or the pager. The problem is the 
entire monitor canvas (both monitors) is one workspace.

Using xmonad I can put workspace 1 on the left desktop and workspace 2 on the right desktop, or any 
other combination. So I can be working in Firefox on my left monitor, while switching between my 
rdesktop sessions and thunderbird on the right monitor. When I switch the workspaces on the right 
monitor, the left monitor stays where it is.

So it's kinda a hybrid between "hydra mode" (which is like 2 separate X desktops) and Xinerama 
(which is like one BIG X desktop).