GNOME Bugzilla – Bug 480710
Doesn't change rows on a second workspace-switcher
Last modified: 2020-11-06 20:23:35 UTC
[ From http://bugs.debian.org/443919 ] "If you add a second workspace-switcher, go to preferences, and then try to change the "Show all workspaces in # rows" property, it doesn't do anything."
That's because the layout is owned by only one pager. But it's true it's not really user friendly. Hrm. Will think about it.
This also happens when you have 2 screens. No, not Xinerama, 2 separate screens (:0.0 and :0.1). The workspace switcher on :0.0 behaves normally. That is, when you tell it to arrange 8 workspaces in 2 rows of 4 each, it does so, and the metacity Ctrl+Alt+Arrow popup window reflects that arrangement. However, when you add an additional workspace switcher on :0.1 and you specify that it should arrange 8 workspaces in 2 rows of 4 each, it does so, but the metacity Ctrl+Alt+Arrow popup continues to show your workspaces arranged in 1 row of 8. This is a regression in GNOME 2.20. It worked as expected in GNOME 2.18. I would suggest that this is a libwnck/metacity bug akin to #479959, rather than a panel bug, no?
From bug #479959 it turns out (and I have tested with GNOME 2.20) that, when you add the "Workspace Switcher" to a panel located at the top, it works properly, however, when you add it to a panel located at the bottom, it doesn't work.
As of GNOME 2.22, the workspace switcher bug is still present: 1. Configure X to use 2 screens separately (:0.0 and :0.1) 2. Create a horizontal bottom panel on each screen. 3. Add a workspace switcher to each panel. 4. In each workspace-switcher, set the number of desktops to a total of 8, in 2 rows of 4. 5. Log out. 6. Log in. At this point, both workspace switchers display the status of desktops on :0.0, and neither of them displays the status of :0.1. If you remove the switcher on :0.1 from its panel, and re-add it, it will work again, showing 8 desktops in a row, instead of your pre-login choice of 2 rows of 4. If the panel on :0.1 is a vertical panel, removing and re-adding the switcher doesn't help. Even after re-adding the switcher, it still displays the status of :0.0. Here's hoping GNOME 2.24 will work (again).
The issue is still there in GNOME 2.24 and 2.25. That's reproducible with only one screen. If you add another Workspace switcher applet, changing its number of rows will have no effect. However, changing the number of workspaces works fine.
This problem persists in GNOME 2.26.
*** Bug 568759 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
*** Bug 552744 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
*** Bug 563974 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
*** Bug 558544 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
*** Bug 583244 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
This problem persists in GNOME 2.30 (Debian 'testing')
Created attachment 168644 [details] Screenshot showing where to edit the number of workspaces in gconf-editor
I'm seeing this bug in Gnome 2.30.2, (Ubuntu 10.4) I've found a manual work-around though. cp -pr ~/.gconf/apps/compiz/general/screen0 ~/.gconf/apps/compiz/general/screen1 vim /home/andrew/.gconf/apps/compiz/general/screen1/options/%gconf.xml now .restart your X session. The attached screenshot may make things clearer, but so far as I understand, gconf-editor can't do the job on its own.
(In reply to comment #14) > cp -pr ~/.gconf/apps/compiz/general/screen0 > ~/.gconf/apps/compiz/general/screen1 > vim /home/andrew/.gconf/apps/compiz/general/screen1/options/%gconf.xml Ummm ... compiz? I use metacity ...
(In reply to comment #15) > (In reply to comment #14) > > cp -pr ~/.gconf/apps/compiz/general/screen0 > > ~/.gconf/apps/compiz/general/screen1 > > vim /home/andrew/.gconf/apps/compiz/general/screen1/options/%gconf.xml > > Ummm ... compiz? I use metacity ... I haven't looked, but I expect you'll find an equivalent under .gconf/apps/metacity ?
There's no such thing under apps/metacity. The information is located in apps/panel/applets/applet_1/prefs and apps/panel/applets/applet_3/prefs. Both have a num_row key with value 2. But only one of them actually uses this value. The workspace selector of the other screen shows the workspaces on a single line.
*** Bug 616382 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
I only have one screen, and one workspace switcher, using metacity. But I get the same bug since my last upgrade (to the debian version 2.30.2-2). Is there any way to tell whether a pager owns the layout?
Same problem here as Samuel Hym. Debian + gnome (panel 2.30.2-2) Can't change matrix of workspaces to anything but 1xY (want 2x2)
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