Comments on: How Many Virtual Destktops do You Use? http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2007/08/31/how-many-virtual-destktops-do-you-use/ Utterly random, incoherent and disjointed rants and ramblings... Thu, 28 Aug 2008 20:12:40 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.5 by: Sam Jones http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2007/08/31/how-many-virtual-destktops-do-you-use/#comment-6676 Wed, 24 Oct 2007 14:05:54 +0000 http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2007/08/31/how-many-virtual-destktops-do-you-use/#comment-6676 I generally run XFCE with 4 Beryl cube faces. One for an IDE and some terminals, one for Firefox/Evolution/xChat, one for a Windows VM (I do a lot of Flex development), and one for my package manager/other miscellaneous stuff. I find Beryl itself makes virtual desktops a lot easier for me to use - somehow the physical layout metaphor greatly increases my ability to remember which desktop is which. Plus it increases the options for ways to switch desktops, and the expose analog is wonderful. Can you tell I like Beryl? :-) As far as performance, I'm running this on a 2-3 year old Dell laptop with no real issues. It crashes my OS about once a day, but that's been tracked down to a bug in the ATI drivers. Only time I see any slowdown is when I spin the cube while I'm compiling something big. I generally run XFCE with 4 Beryl cube faces. One for an IDE and some terminals, one for Firefox/Evolution/xChat, one for a Windows VM (I do a lot of Flex development), and one for my package manager/other miscellaneous stuff. I find Beryl itself makes virtual desktops a lot easier for me to use - somehow the physical layout metaphor greatly increases my ability to remember which desktop is which. Plus it increases the options for ways to switch desktops, and the expose analog is wonderful. Can you tell I like Beryl? -)

As far as performance, I’m running this on a 2-3 year old Dell laptop with no real issues. It crashes my OS about once a day, but that’s been tracked down to a bug in the ATI drivers. Only time I see any slowdown is when I spin the cube while I’m compiling something big.

]]> by: Mark http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2007/08/31/how-many-virtual-destktops-do-you-use/#comment-6069 Thu, 06 Sep 2007 01:26:18 +0000 http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2007/08/31/how-many-virtual-destktops-do-you-use/#comment-6069 Well, lets see. I have 3 monitors, and 4 desktops on each one, so that's 12 virtual desktops. I have 3 instances of firefox, each with unique bookmarks, toolbars, plugins, etc based on usage. I have one that contains my monitoring tools for all my various systems. I have one that has my screen session to my mutt windows, and my IRSSI windows. I have another one that has my tkabber windows, particularly long-running chat rooms. Then the rest vary based on what I'm working on. They're all shell windows to different environments and different projects. They run opposite screens with browsers that have related content, so I can look at a browser on one screen while doing work on the other. (They're all independent, no Xinerama) Well, lets see. I have 3 monitors, and 4 desktops on each one, so that’s 12 virtual desktops. I have 3 instances of firefox, each with unique bookmarks, toolbars, plugins, etc based on usage. I have one that contains my monitoring tools for all my various systems. I have one that has my screen session to my mutt windows, and my IRSSI windows. I have another one that has my tkabber windows, particularly long-running chat rooms. Then the rest vary based on what I’m working on. They’re all shell windows to different environments and different projects. They run opposite screens with browsers that have related content, so I can look at a browser on one screen while doing work on the other. (They’re all independent, no Xinerama)

]]> by: Daniel McNair http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2007/08/31/how-many-virtual-destktops-do-you-use/#comment-6020 Sun, 02 Sep 2007 04:38:53 +0000 http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2007/08/31/how-many-virtual-destktops-do-you-use/#comment-6020 I always had virtual desktops and never used them. Here lately I've been using <a href="http://dwm.suckless.org" rel="nofollow">dwm</a>, one of those full-screen tiling window managers a la ion or ratpoison. And loving it. I suppose it has a concept of virtual desktops with its tags, but dwm's tags allow slightly more complex setups and to be honest I don't really use them anyway. So I have a two screen setup. One screen has a maximized browser window, and the other screen (a wide aspect LCD) has a browser window filling 2/3 of the screen and a couple terminals in a column on one side. This setup works very well for me. When I go to write code I generally switch out the second browser window (on the LCD) for an emacs window. I also occasionally browse my filesystem with rox, watch movies, or the like, that's generally on the other screen, and I'll go to a virtual desktop there. So, to answer the question... approximately 4, I suppose. But mostly 1. I always had virtual desktops and never used them. Here lately I’ve been using dwm, one of those full-screen tiling window managers a la ion or ratpoison. And loving it. I suppose it has a concept of virtual desktops with its tags, but dwm’s tags allow slightly more complex setups and to be honest I don’t really use them anyway.

So I have a two screen setup. One screen has a maximized browser window, and the other screen (a wide aspect LCD) has a browser window filling 2/3 of the screen and a couple terminals in a column on one side. This setup works very well for me.

When I go to write code I generally switch out the second browser window (on the LCD) for an emacs window. I also occasionally browse my filesystem with rox, watch movies, or the like, that’s generally on the other screen, and I’ll go to a virtual desktop there.

So, to answer the question… approximately 4, I suppose. But mostly 1.

]]> by: Luke Maciak http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2007/08/31/how-many-virtual-destktops-do-you-use/#comment-6019 Sat, 01 Sep 2007 18:29:42 +0000 http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2007/08/31/how-many-virtual-destktops-do-you-use/#comment-6019 I used Synergy before. It was cool. But it's kinda like reverse virtual desktop. Instead of using virtual desktops you re using real ones. :mrgreen: It's kinda like a cross between dual screen setup and a KVM, or something like that. Heh. I used Synergy before. It was cool. But it’s kinda like reverse virtual desktop. Instead of using virtual desktops you re using real ones. mrgreen

It’s kinda like a cross between dual screen setup and a KVM, or something like that. Heh.

]]> by: Fr3d http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2007/08/31/how-many-virtual-destktops-do-you-use/#comment-6016 Sat, 01 Sep 2007 13:48:17 +0000 http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2007/08/31/how-many-virtual-destktops-do-you-use/#comment-6016 I always turn off all the virtual desktop stuff whenever I use Linux... I use <a href="http://synergy2.sf.net/" title="Synergy on SourceForge.net" rel="nofollow">Synergy</a> to share one mouse and keyboard between my PC and Mac Mini, so it's like a combination of virtual desktops and real desktops :) I always turn off all the virtual desktop stuff whenever I use Linux…

I use Synergy to share one mouse and keyboard between my PC and Mac Mini, so it’s like a combination of virtual desktops and real desktops )

]]> by: Tobias http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2007/08/31/how-many-virtual-destktops-do-you-use/#comment-6015 Sat, 01 Sep 2007 13:26:19 +0000 http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2007/08/31/how-many-virtual-destktops-do-you-use/#comment-6015 I've tried virtual desktops on Linux, Windows and Mac, but I've never been able to stand the things. Having to take an extra step and figure out which desktop the application I want is on seems like too much to pay for the promise of decluttering; and I've never found it easy to break up the things I do with my computer into discrete categories. I’ve tried virtual desktops on Linux, Windows and Mac, but I’ve never been able to stand the things. Having to take an extra step and figure out which desktop the application I want is on seems like too much to pay for the promise of decluttering; and I’ve never found it easy to break up the things I do with my computer into discrete categories.

]]> by: Jake http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2007/08/31/how-many-virtual-destktops-do-you-use/#comment-6009 Sat, 01 Sep 2007 01:41:42 +0000 http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2007/08/31/how-many-virtual-destktops-do-you-use/#comment-6009 Here's my usual setup on KDE: 1. Firefox 2. Kontact 3. Kopete 4. Kate 5. Songbird 6. Various, lately has Dolphin or KWord 7. A blank desktop for when I lock my computer. Sometimes this one is in use too, in which case I usually up my number quickly. Here’s my usual setup on KDE:
1. Firefox
2. Kontact
3. Kopete
4. Kate
5. Songbird
6. Various, lately has Dolphin or KWord
7. A blank desktop for when I lock my computer. Sometimes this one is in use too, in which case I usually up my number quickly.

]]> by: Starhawk http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2007/08/31/how-many-virtual-destktops-do-you-use/#comment-6008 Sat, 01 Sep 2007 01:08:49 +0000 http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2007/08/31/how-many-virtual-destktops-do-you-use/#comment-6008 I played around with Lisp some back in the day when <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%B6del,_Escher,_Bach" rel="nofollow">GEB</a> came out. that book probably influenced all programmers my age definitely worth reading. Lisp has changed some tho and so have I lol plus that was a long time ago for me. I played around with Lisp some back in the day when GEB came out. that book probably influenced all programmers my age definitely worth reading. Lisp has changed some tho and so have I lol plus that was a long time ago for me.

]]> by: Luke Maciak http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2007/08/31/how-many-virtual-destktops-do-you-use/#comment-6007 Sat, 01 Sep 2007 00:05:54 +0000 http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2007/08/31/how-many-virtual-destktops-do-you-use/#comment-6007 [quote comment="6004"]these days i'm learning more about Lisp and actually using emacs with SLIME :)[/quote] LISP is awesome. :mrgreen: [quote comment="6005"]Answering the question: 2*6*4*8 = 384 distributed over 4 levels[/quote] Oh man... You win. [quote comment="6002"]I also use Beryl as my windows manager on the system.[/quote] Beryl is pretty. How is it on system resources though? What kind of system do you need to keep it running smoothly? Starhawk said:

these days i’m learning more about Lisp and actually using emacs with SLIME )

LISP is awesome. mrgreen

Matt Doar said:

Answering the question: 2*6*4*8 = 384 distributed over 4 levels

Oh man… You win.

ZeWrestler said:

I also use Beryl as my windows manager on the system.

Beryl is pretty. How is it on system resources though? What kind of system do you need to keep it running smoothly?

]]> by: Matt Doar http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2007/08/31/how-many-virtual-destktops-do-you-use/#comment-6005 Fri, 31 Aug 2007 23:41:57 +0000 http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2007/08/31/how-many-virtual-destktops-do-you-use/#comment-6005 I like AltDesk for Windows with 6 horizontal windows, and then in the 3 or 4 VNC windows I'll have the usual 4 to 8 unix windows. Sometimes I have a RemoteDesktop connection to a Windows machine that has a similar set up as my laptop. It can get a bit confusing then, but the colors and locations of the minimized icons give me enough context. Answering the question: 2*6*4*8 = 384 distributed over 4 levels I like AltDesk for Windows with 6 horizontal windows, and then in the 3 or 4 VNC windows I’ll have the usual 4 to 8 unix windows. Sometimes I have a RemoteDesktop connection to a Windows machine that has a similar set up as my laptop. It can get a bit confusing then, but the colors and locations of the minimized icons give me enough context.

Answering the question: 2*6*4*8 = 384 distributed over 4 levels

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