unity-design team mailing list archive

[Gregory Merchan <gregory.merchan@xxxxxxxxx>]

On Sat, May 5, 2012 at 5:37 PM, Daniel Hollocher <danielhollocher@xxxxxxxxx>
 wrote:

> Hey folks,
> So Im getting used to unity.  One thing I noticed is that I would
> really prefer each workspace to have its own set of icons.  I try to
> be task oriented, and I use the desktop to place icons there
> representing different tasks, or trains of thought that I have.  So
> having a new workspace copy all my "thoughts" from another workspace
> doesn't make sense in my mind.
>
> I know this has been talked about before, if not here, then elsewhere.
>  It looks like the tech just isn't there.
>
> I know we talked about it when GNOME 2.0 was being born, but I think that
was mostly on IRC and I don't remember anything but the outcome: we didn't
get those, we didn't even get unique backgrounds. (Even Mac OS X has unique
backgrounds now.)

The tech is there in the sense that most, if not all, of the necessary
window manager protocols are available. I don't know if there's a spec for
sharing information about which desktop has which background or anything
like that. (If that's even needed.)

There is no extant design for how to get to having unique desktops, or the
details of how they interact. Given the default set up, how do I indicate
that this desktop or that one should be unique? How do I change the
background if this desktop, but not that one? How can I move an icon from
one desktop to another? How does the system keep track of what's on what
desktop when there's only one ~/Desktop folder? Can I only turn from one
desktop to another, or can I lock one away like I'd close a folder? Can we
go from 2x2 workspaces to something that allows as many desktops needed?
(What's the switcher icon going to look like?)

How can I explain multiple desktops or workspaces to someone when I can't
even decide if they are desktops or workspaces or maybe something else? Let
me answer this one in part: many people have more than one "desk". An
architect might have a desk for regular paperwork, a drafting table for
drafting, a meeting table for meetings. I have a desk and some lab benches
at work, a desk at home, a kitchen counter, etc. My wife has a writing
desk, a computer desk, a comfy chair for reading with an end table for
notebooks etc.

Did I include in there the idea of sharing spaces?  I think I did. Why
cannot one of my workspaces be a shared space? If it is, how does that work?

I would really like to see this happen, so I would like to take some
> steps to make it happen.  What steps can I take?  What are the
> obstacles?  Please help.
>

I hope my questions are helpful. I have partial answers for all of them,
but my experience has led me to not say so much without code to show for it.

Cheers,
Greg

P.S. - Accidentally replied first to just Daniel. Sorry about the
duplicate, Daniel.