Subject: FVWM: How many dekstops and pages are you using?

From: Gert Brinkmann <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 12 Mar 2003 22:08:39 +0100

Hello,

as configuring fvwm I ask myself which way the desktops and pages are 
set up best:

1) One desktop with multiple pages
2) Multiple desktops with only one page each
3) Multiple desktops with multiple pages each

How are *you* using these and why?
Where are the advantages or disadvantages of these possibilities?

Thanks,

Gert

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From: Marcus Lundblad <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 12 Mar 2003 22:22:58 +0100 (CET)

> 3) Multiple desktops with multiple pages each

I use 2)
I would say the advantage of 1) is that you can have windows that are
bigger than the physical screen-resolution.
3) might be confusing (mixing of concepts) for novice users.

I'm thinking about whether to switch to 1).
I think I will write a system to set this on the fly (maybe with a simple
GUI...)

//Marcus

---

From: [email-masked]
Date: Wed, 12 Mar 2003 23:36:58 +0100

> How are *you* using these and why?

One desktop with 2x2 pages (home) and 3x2 pages (work).  I don't
like desktops.  They are less flexible and consume more space in
the pager.  Top left page: shells and emacs; programming.  Top
right page occupied by my email client.  Bottom left page used by
browser windows.  All other pages are spares.

I don't need more pages because I like to close windows that I do
not need at the moment.  I can start applications quickly with
keyboard shortcuts from the root menu (e.g. mozilla:
alt-space z), so there is little point in keeping windows open all
the time.  I rarely use icons.

For testing purposes I have a four desk pager as an FvwmButtons
panel and two buttons for 'next' and 'prev' desk beside my normal
pager.

> Where are the advantages or disadvantages of these possibilities?

Bye

Dominik ^_^  ^_^

 --
Dominik Vogt, [email-masked]
Reply-To: [email-masked]
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From: parv <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 12 Mar 2003 22:04:13 -0500

in message <[email-masked]>,
wrote Gert Brinkmann thusly...
>
> as configuring fvwm I ask myself which way the desktops and pages
> are set up best:
> 

I use (1).  Instead of multiple desktops, i would rather prefer
multiple pages.  It is much easier to move windows around,
especially when a window is partially out of sight (on the
another page).

I suppose, if the key bindings are configured right using (1) would
be quite same as (2).  But (3) would be complicated/hard-to-use as
i would run out of key bindings easily.  I am already almost out of
modifier key combinations which can be easily pressed by a single
hand.

Other problem(s) Dominick had addressed elsewhere.

  - parv

--

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From: David Koo <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 13 Mar 2003 08:54:46 +0530

> One desktop with 2x2 pages (home) and 3x2 pages (work).

    Pretty much what I've got too - 3x2 pages. But I've started
getting used to not having the pager anymore. I get to know which
page I'm on depending on the context:

      +---------------+---------------+
      | mail/personal | mozilla       |
      +---------------+---------------+
      | work          | freeciv ;)?   |
      +---------------+---------------+
      | free          | free          |
      +---------------+---------------+

    Don't have much window clutter because I use gnu-screen (and most
of my windows are (x|E)terms). Its typically 1 window in each page.
For those pages where I happen to have more than one window I use
FvwmTabs (thanks Scott :)).

    And yes ... I rarely need to iconize. Most people here use windoze
and have no clue as to what I'm using (other than the fact that I'm
using Linux). So if at all I have to hide a window I just switch
desktops (if its not on an xterm). If its on an xterm, I just switch
to another screen ;))  Those who happen to run linux ask, "Hey, how
come my screen doesn't look like that on RedHat?" heh!

    Hmm, ... must be my longest post to the fvwm list ;).

Koo
--
Windows - just another pane.

---

From: Mark Krenz <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 13 Mar 2003 10:23:55 -0500

When I first started using FVWM, I only had 1 desktop and 4 or 9
pages.  When I moved to having 9 pages, I would almost always put my web
browser in the center page, my mail term window (160x60 characters)
would go in the top center square and then other things would go on
other pages.  Usually I would fit 4 aterms in a page in a quad fashion.

  When I moved from fvwm to sawmill a few years ago, I kept the same
desktop configuration, then one day I experimented with having multiple
desktops.  I then had two desktops of 3x3 pages.  I kept my work stuff
on the first desktop and my home stuff on the second desktop.  Around
the time and tabbed browsing (in galeon) became popular, I used
sawfish's feature to keep a window sticky between desktops, but not
pages.  So that way I could have the same browser window in the center
square of both desktops.   After moving to RedHat 8.0 and becoming
frustrated with the modified sawfish and metacity, I moved back to fvwm
and discovered a way to make galeon moved between desktops.  It's still
not the same as the way sawfish did it, but I'm satisfied for now.

-- 
 mark.krenz
 [email-masked]
_______________________________________________________________________________
This isn't the planet I signed up for.
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From: Dominik Vogt <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 13 Mar 2003 16:51:39 +0100

> not the same as the way sawfish did it, but I'm satisfied for now.

The unstable versions 2.5.5 and above have the styles
StickAcrossDesks and StickAcrossPages, so no more hack is needed
to get windows sticky only on a single desk or page.

Bye

Dominik ^_^  ^_^

---

From: Mark Krenz <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 13 Mar 2003 10:54:56 -0500

> to get windows sticky only on a single desk or page.

  THANK YOU!!  I thought nobody was listening when I suggested that.
;-)

Would you like to see my dynamic pre-forked multi-threading virtual filter?

---

From: Mikhael Goikhman <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 13 Mar 2003 21:39:45 +0000

> Where are the advantages or disadvantages of these possibilities?

I have been using one desk with 2x2 pages for years although fvwm-themes
always offered 4 desks as an option.

But then I got a persistent internet connection and a pretty big uptime
of my home machine, so I often have about 40 open windows at once.
There is a strong need for more pages. Now I want to actually have several
pages for one subject (like my work).

For several months now I use 4 desks, with 2x2 pages each, very handy.
Desk labels in the pager are helpful. A persistent 4-desk pager is not
so space consuming for a 1280x1024 screen.

  http://fvwm-themes.sf.net/screenshots/full/migo.png

Having a lot of windows (mainly terminals) is not trivial to handle.
WindowList SortByResource (this usually also sorts by a mini icon) may
help to find a window quickly. In case you can't spot it in the pager.

Regards,
Mikhael.

---

From: Cameron Simpson <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 14 Mar 2003 10:13:13 +1100

On 22:08 12 Mar 2003, Gert Brinkmann <[email-masked]> wrote:
| 1) One desktop with multiple pages
| 2) Multiple desktops with only one page each
| 3) Multiple desktops with multiple pages each
| 
| How are *you* using these and why?
| Where are the advantages or disadvantages of these possibilities?

I use (2) myself. I never have a use for a "desktop" that's a different size
to my screen. So I just deal in desks because it's easy.

I have 12 notional desks accessed by Alt-Fn keys, of which I have
standard uses for about 5. And I have a table of "named" desks for
arbitrary tasks, made on the fly at need< access via a menu (Alt-D).

I have key bindings to push a window to another desk: Shift-Fn for the
12 numbers desks and a menu matching the Alt-D one, attached to Alt-P,
to push to the named desks.

Cheers,
-- 
Cameron Simpson, DoD#743        [email-masked]    http://www.zip.com.au/~cs/

There is no justification for taking away individuals' freedom in the guise
of public safety.	- Thomas Jefferson
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From: Cameron Simpson <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 14 Mar 2003 10:23:13 +1100

On 10:13 14 Mar 2003, IPM Return requested <[email-masked]> wrote:
| On 22:08 12 Mar 2003, Gert Brinkmann <[email-masked]> wrote:
| | 1) One desktop with multiple pages
| | 2) Multiple desktops with only one page each
| | 3) Multiple desktops with multiple pages each
| 
| I use (2) myself. I never have a use for a "desktop" that's a different size
| to my screen. So I just deal in desks because it's easy.
|
| I have 12 notional desks accessed by Alt-Fn keys, of which I have
| standard uses for about 5. And I have a table of "named" desks for
| arbitrary tasks, made on the fly at need< access via a menu (Alt-D).

And oh yes: I don't use the pager. Clutter.

Details here if you care:

	http://www.cskk.ezoshosting.com/cs/fvwm/

Cheers,

ep0: 3c509 in test mode. Erase pencil mark!
   This means that someone has scribbled with pencil in the test area
   on the card. Erase the pencil mark and reboot. (This is not a joke).
	- OpenBSD 2.3 ep(4) ethernet drive manual entry
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From: Ben Winslow <[email-masked]>
Date: 13 Mar 2003 18:36:16 -0500

> Where are the advantages or disadvantages of these possibilities?

I use a single 3x3 desktop at the moment, although I'm meaning to
configure more desktops in a useful fashion and at that point I'd
probably drop to 3x2.  I have a short attention span, and as a result I
often have many things strewn about my desktop that I switch between
frequently: xlsclients lists 70 programs right now, some of which have
multiple windows (but most of them are xterms.)

In cases where I'm reading a lot of text at once (www browsing, email,
nntp, openoffice), I like to devote an entire page to an application at
full screen size.  I also usually devote an entire page for the gimp,
since it's easiest to keep its windows separate from all the others in
my alt-tab windowlist.

I'm eventually intending to use multiple desktops to help organize what
I'm doing in relation to my trains of thought, e.g. graphic editing on
one desktop, programming on another, and games on another.  The only
reason I haven't is because I whipped up a quick configuration about 6
months ago when I switched back to fvwm, and it's been Good Enough that
I haven't taken the time to finish the details.

-- 
Ben Winslow <[email-masked]>

---

From: Shao Zhang <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 14 Mar 2003 10:39:32 +1100

>   http://fvwm-themes.sf.net/screenshots/full/migo.png

Wow, the font and menu looks beautiful. What font are you using? Looks
like it is anti aliased too.

Regards,

Shao.

---

From: Mikhael Goikhman <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 14 Mar 2003 11:55:14 +0000

> like it is anti aliased too.

You can get the same look if you use the tips on the screenshot itself
(you need a cvs version of fvwm-themes, not 0.6.2). Briefly a menu is:

  Colorset 5 fg rgb:f8/f8/f3, bg average, CGradient 50 rgb:50/50/78 rgb:40/40/5a
  Colorset 6 fg rgb:f8/f8/f3, bg rgb:40/5a/40
  MenuStyle * MenuColorset 5, ActiveColorset 6
  MenuStyle * Font "Shadow=0:xft:Verdana:Medium:pixelsize=13:minspace=True"

You may set a non zero shadow, but it looks nice without a shadow too.
As for the rest of fonts used I suggest to take a look at fvwm-themes.
Of course these xft fonts only work in fvwm-2.5.x.

Regards,
Mikhael.