KDE Now Has Virtual Desktop Support On Wayland

[phoronix]

Phoronix: KDE Now Has Virtual Desktop Support On Wayland

Thanks to a new dedicated protocol for KWayland/KWin around virtual desktops, that support is finally in place. This stems from a two and a half year old bug report for said support...

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=KDE-Wayland-Virtual-Desktop

[cybertraveler]

I remember using Enlightenment window manager ages ago and it had this nice virtual desktop feature where you could pan about on a giant virtual desktop. It was like your monitor was just a window that shows part of a huge desktop. That worked really well. I'm surprised none of the window managers I've used since have that feature. It's especially surprising considering, it's quite intuitive for anyone who has played many video games. RTS games, for instance, have this exact behaviour. You could even make a mini-map for your virtual desktop just like RTS games have so you can find your way around quicker.

[aaahaaap]

So every compositor/window manager needs to implement this themselves? That seems like a bit of a waste. Is this also the case for X11?

[Berniyh]

I remember using Enlightenment window manager ages ago and it had this nice virtual desktop feature where you could pan about on a giant virtual desktop. It was like your monitor was just a window that shows part of a huge desktop. That worked really well. I'm surprised none of the window managers I've used since have that feature. It's especially surprising considering, it's quite intuitive for anyone who has played many video games. RTS games, for instance, have this exact behaviour. You could even make a mini-map for your virtual desktop just like RTS games have so you can find your way around quicker.

kwin has had such stuff since years or possibly decades.

[dkasak]

So every compositor/window manager needs to implement this themselves? That seems like a bit of a waste. Is this also the case for X11?

<ugh> ... newsflash ... window managers don't write themselves

[cybertraveler]

kwin has had such stuff since years or possibly decades.

I might try KDE again at some point. Whenever I've tried it in the past, it has been ugly and buggy. The uglyness has been the main issue for me. It might just be my own taste. I've always preferred the look of GTK+ apps.

Another thing is that I really don't like C++. I use plenty of apps that use it, but I tend towards apps that use a language I prefer so that I can patch them myself if I want. Gnome, Enlightenment and many other window managers I've used are written in C, sometimes with parts written in other languages (like Python). Much nicer IMO.

[skeevy420]

well, when you login and give up because you don't like how the defaults appear it's your fault

my KDE desktop has nothing in common with what the developers find beauty
but other then GNOME it's configureable

Yep. That's the beauty with KDE. It has so many customization options it isn't funny. Add in QTCurve and Kvantum for themes...maybe a tiling script for KWin for tiling weirdos...and the possibilities are endless. Any desktop look and feel from Gnome 3 to Windows 95 to OSX can be emulated with various KDE settings and addons like Latte Dock.

[juno]

maybe a tiling script for KWin for tiling weirdos...

How dare you!
kwin tiling scripts are not the same. Fortunately, the Plasma desktop can run with other WMs as well. Not on wayland obviously and we're missing the benefits of kwin compositing in this case. But it's something.

[kpedersen]

I remember using Enlightenment window manager ages ago and it had this nice virtual desktop feature where you could pan about on a giant virtual desktop.

Many of the older WMs have this feature such as Fvwm.

Remember that "modern" stuff is often much more limited (to copy off Windows or macOS to cater for casual / unskilled computer users) so that could be why you haven't seen it for a while.

If you have time, try out Fvwm, vtwm, etc.

[kpedersen]

Another thing is that I really don't like C++..

Unfortunately I learned pretty early on that it isn't always about what you "enjoy" writing in. You have to use the right tool for the job. Having and maintaining a massive Python -> X11 binding layer just to use a specific language is not a good use of anyone's time. Thus C is still *the* first class language for most things. Not even C++ seems to have overtaken it for a number of technical reasons.

I recommend learn enough C so that you can do what you want. Yes, everyone walks away feeling a little violated but at least something has been done XD.