Re: Multiwindow request

[Joakim Erdfelt <joakim at erdfelt dot net>]

Earle F. Philhower III wrote:

> I am still at a loss as to what you gain by running multiple XWin 
> instances
> in multiwindow mode.  What does that buy you?  I mean, how can you 
> tell that
> some random window is on Xwin multiwin server 1 vs. 2?  If some are 
> fullscreen,
> then you're running a WM in that screen anyway, right, with its own 
> root menu?
> I'm not trying to be facetious, I use X 24-7 to a bunch of servers on 
> my 3 head
> work PC to do my job and really haven't ever come upon a case where I 
> needed
> or wanted this so I'm intrigued.

Example scenario.
Let a windows app control the virtual desktops.
( virtuawin - http://www.virtuawin.com/ )
This app is faster and more configurable than the ms provided powertoy 
for the same purpose.

If I have this setup.
Desktop 1 - Windows Main (Browser, Mail, etc)
Desktop 2 - Sun server #1, project foo. lots of xterms.
Desktop 3 - Sun server #2, project bar. remote display of eclipse.
Desktop 4 -  Windows scratch pad.  (Graphics tools, fun stuff. etc...)

If I rely on the desktop switching in the X11 wm, then the screen 
repainting is painfully slow (eclipse + slow network = ouch).
But if I rely on the desktop switching of the windows app (virtuawin), 
then it's snappy and responsive.

Also, having 2 X11 servers allows me to control the dialogs and windows 
from the server I'm dealing with and have a single virtual desktop 
manager that is snappy and consistent accross windows and cygwin-xfree.  
Server #1 is heavy with gvim + clearcase.  Server #2 is perforce + 
eclipse.  It's nice being sure that all the appropriate source code 
control windows show up in their own X11 server.  (Yes, I know I can 
control this with window id's and/or with a wm like fvwm, but clearcase 
doesn't play by the rules).

/* joakim */