Re: [RFC] _NET_WORKAREA and Xinerama

[Mark McLoughlin <mark skynet ie>]

Hey,

On Tue, 2003-03-04 at 08:40, Peter Zijlstra wrote:
> Dear all,
> 
> Implementing both xinerama and wm-spec support for windowmaker, I found
> that _NET_WORKAREA is almost impossible to implement since it assumes
> the desktop is rectangular. Mine is not. Xinerama allows for 2 or more
> screens of different sizes to be used, I for example run one at
> 2048x1536 and one at 1600x1200. _NET_WORKAREA is unable to communicate
> this geometry.

	Note that X itself is unable to communicate this screen geometry - the
screen size in X is rectangular.

	For this reason (and others) the new Xinerama spec being worked out
disallows non-rectangular screen configurations. From XineramaDesign.txt
available on their sourceforge project page:

"
  Physical screen layout requirements.
                                                                                                             
    We did take note that screens can be configured in any layout
    that a vendor allows.  You could make an L or an X or just a
    straight line of screens.  However for the purposes of Xinerama,
    this could get very confusing.  You could lose windows in the
    gaps where there is no monitor.  The logic for warping a pointer
    becomes awkward.  Neither does the protocol allow for a screen size
    definition beyond width and height.  Therefore we determined that
    for Xinerama purposes the configuration of screens much be
    some sort of rectangle.
"

Good Luck,
Mark.