[GLLUG] KDE from command line

[Matt Graham]

On Thursday 21 March 2002 08:09, Mike Rambo wrote:
> Ben Pfaff wrote:
> > Matt Graham <danceswithcrows@usa.net> writes:
> > > TANGENT:  Is anyone here aware of real tech info on why that
> > > virtual screen misfeature persists in modern implementations of
> > > X?  People complain about it all the time on c.o.l.misc.  I
> > > assume it persists because of old X applications that can't
> > > handle having the X-server itself move/+resize windows, or the
> > > lack of a mechanism for the X server to tell the clients, "screen
> > > resolution is now FOOxBAR, take whatever action you see fit."
> >
> > I always thought that the virtual screen was a feature, not a
> > misfeature.  It always came in handy for me, at least.
> 
> I wondered about why it would be a misfeature too... I use
> virutal screens every day all day. [snip] Besides, the number of
> virtual screens can be set to one anyway if more gets in the
> way.

"Virtual screen" != "virtual desktop".  Virtual desktops are a function 
of the window manager and are quite useful.  Virtual screens are a 
function of the X server and can be annoying.

Mike, to see what I was talking about, press Ctrl-Alt-(keypad +) to 
switch the resolution of your screen to something other than what it 
was previously.  (If nothing happens, your XF86Config is set up to only 
have one resolution... to fix that, add another resolution to the 
"Modes" lines in the "Screen" section of that file.) Move the mouse 
around.  Notice that your screen is still 1024x768, but only 800x600 
pixels of it are displayed at a time.

This can be a useful feature, but it requires too much thought and 
organization for the Average User, since everything that was on screen 
is still on screen, but the user can't see all of it.  At least when 
you mimimize/iconify a window, the taskbar/dock/whatever gives you a 
visual indication of that fact.

-- 
   I use technology in order to hate it more properly.
   -- Nam June Paik
There is no Darkness in Eternity/But only Light too dim for us to see