Re: Window Manager configuration utilities

[Matthias Clasen <clasen pong mathematik uni-freiburg de>]

> I disagree. For those window managers which implement virtual desktops as
> different screens :0.0, :0.1, etc. their config tool could have a method
> to set backgrounds based on the workspace. I do not believe GNOME has this
> functionality, and it should be left to the WM config tool to handle. And
> considering that background images are set by a majority of themes, I
> think this is the easiest way.

A wm cannot implement virtual desktops as different screens. Screens are
an X protocol concept: either the server provieds multiple screens or not.
The wm may manage them all or only one of them. But virtual desktops are
usually tied to one screen; otherwise it wouldn't be possible to move 
windows between desktops (since you can't move windows between screens).

Regardless of this, it should be possible to set different backgrounds on
different workspaces, and it should also be possible to implement that
in the gnome background capplet, since it can simply monitor the 
_NET_DESKTOP property.

-- 
Matthias Clasen, 
Tel. 0761/203-5606
Email: clasen@mathematik.uni-freiburg.de
Mathematisches Institut, Albert-Ludwigs-Universitaet Freiburg