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#1 2012-12-09 15:02:29

Gullible Jones
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Registered: 2004-12-29
Posts: 4,863

What WMs offer scrollable virtual desktops?

Fvwm has this really cool feature where you can scroll through virtual desktops - you move your cursor to the screen edge, and it will scroll into the next desktop by increments, as if your monitor were a movable window into a much larger desktop space. Likewise, you can move windows anywhere on the virtual desktop. This way you can manage large virtual desktops more naturally than with the typical "press C-A-Left to go to the next desktop" method.

However, Fvwm is a real beast to configure. Does any other floating WM offer this feature?

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#2 2012-12-09 15:12:19

Šaran
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From: Bosnia
Registered: 2011-09-03
Posts: 407

Re: What WMs offer scrollable virtual desktops?

Openbox can do it on mouse wheel and you can move windows to other desktops just like with fvwm.

Last edited by Šaran (2012-12-09 15:13:14)

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#3 2012-12-09 15:24:15

Trilby
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Registered: 2011-11-29
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Re: What WMs offer scrollable virtual desktops?

I don't think openbox can scroll in the way described.  It can just use the scroll wheel on the mouse to change workspaces.


"UNIX is simple and coherent..." - Dennis Ritchie, "GNU's Not UNIX" -  Richard Stallman

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#4 2012-12-09 15:25:48

litemotiv
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Registered: 2008-08-01
Posts: 5,026

Re: What WMs offer scrollable virtual desktops?

I believe compiz can do it as well.


ᶘ ᵒᴥᵒᶅ

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#5 2012-12-09 15:31:28

Gullible Jones
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Registered: 2004-12-29
Posts: 4,863

Re: What WMs offer scrollable virtual desktops?

Yeah, I prefer using a (scroll-wheel-less) trackball. Come to think of it, this style of desktop management would probably be painful with a mouse.

Compiz is unfortunately right out.

I suppose I could configure Xorg to give me a 2560x1600 virtual desktop, but then I couldn't have sticky windows and whatnot...

Edit: here is a better description of Fvwm's behavior: http://www.fvwm.org/doc/unstable/comman … croll.html

Last edited by Gullible Jones (2012-12-09 15:37:00)

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#6 2012-12-09 18:32:33

bgc1954
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From: Edmonton, AB, Canada
Registered: 2006-03-14
Posts: 1,160

Re: What WMs offer scrollable virtual desktops?

Enlightenment_17 uses the same type of behavior to move to a new desktop with the mouse moving to the edge of the screen but I've never tried to do it incrementally--not sure it's possible.  Also moving windows requires right-click on window bar and then select move to -> desktop X.  There might be a setting for moving windows like fvwm but I'm not aware of it.


Time is a great teacher, but unfortunately it kills all its pupils ... - Louis Hector Berlioz

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#7 2012-12-09 18:34:58

Gullible Jones
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Registered: 2004-12-29
Posts: 4,863

Re: What WMs offer scrollable virtual desktops?

Darn.

Maybe I'll try doing this through X configuration... Would it be possible to have e.g. taskbar windows stick to the bottom of the physical screen that way?

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#8 2012-12-09 20:09:47

Trilby
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Registered: 2011-11-29
Posts: 29,449
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Re: What WMs offer scrollable virtual desktops?

This idea made me start tinkering with a new WM* - but don't expect it anytime soon, the first prototype is extremely limited.

But you could implement this with something like devilspie.  Just make bindings that move every window to the left/right or up/down by some number of pixels.  You can set this rule to ignore any windows you wish such as "stickied" windows or taskbars.

*note: any interest in this idea can be redirected here to avoid derailing this thread.

Last edited by Trilby (2012-12-09 22:11:16)


"UNIX is simple and coherent..." - Dennis Ritchie, "GNU's Not UNIX" -  Richard Stallman

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#9 2012-12-09 20:57:36

drcouzelis
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From: Connecticut, USA
Registered: 2009-11-09
Posts: 4,092
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Re: What WMs offer scrollable virtual desktops?

Gullible Jones wrote:

However, Fvwm is a real beast to configure.

Oh my gosh that's an understatement.

A person does not learn to configure FVWM. Instead, the person must pray that FVWM will allow the person to understand how it is configured.

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#10 2012-12-09 22:00:20

Unia
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From: Stockholm, Sweden
Registered: 2010-03-30
Posts: 2,486
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Re: What WMs offer scrollable virtual desktops?

Trilby wrote:

This idea made me start tinkering with a new WM* - but don't expect it anytime soon, the first prototype is extremely limited.

But you could implement this with something like devilspie.  Just make bindings that move every window to the left/right or up/down by some number of pixels.  You can set this rule to ignore any windows you wish such as "stickied" windows or taskbars.

Preview for the daring: scrollwm

Just tried that and man, it's an awesome concept! Especially seeing how you came up with it so quickly, amazing.


If you can't sit by a cozy fire with your code in hand enjoying its simplicity and clarity, it needs more work. --Carlos Torres

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#11 2012-12-09 22:40:59

drcouzelis
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From: Connecticut, USA
Registered: 2009-11-09
Posts: 4,092
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Re: What WMs offer scrollable virtual desktops?

Unia wrote:

Just tried that and man, it's an awesome concept! Especially seeing how you came up with it so quickly, amazing.

Arch Linux users pump out new window managers even faster than the rate at which people create new Ubuntu spin-offs.

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