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mrchin · Oct 29, 2003, 10:54 AM

I don't need multiple accounts but would like to be able to switch to multiple versions of my desktop using FUS. It's gotta be possible.

David Pogue was on the Screensavers last night and said something about FUS that may be interpretted as such. One home folder, with just multiple states. Just maybe having a separate Library folder which could have different desktop and dock prefs. So you can have one for work related things, one for video, and maybe one for gaming.

Any ideas or terminal commands that would do this? I thinking, maybe setting up a second user, but just Netinfo it to use the same home folder?

milf · Oct 29, 2003, 12:11 PM

I'd like to use this idea as well. It's almost like having multiple desktops...at least the way that I am using it. That was I can keep my development program, daily-use programs, etc. seperate and just switch back and forth.

I just created multiple users without passwords so that I wouldn't have to type in the user password each time I wanted to switch.

srfdriver22 · Oct 29, 2003, 01:50 PM

The downside that I find with FUS is that music will stop playing and iChat will log off. Shouldn't these stay on running in the background unless specified otherwise?

If that can be taken care of, then I would definitely use that idea. Especially if you could "move" programs from one desktop to another (Ex: iChat and iTunes would move with you when you switch).

jhunt5247 · Oct 29, 2003, 02:12 PM

Originally posted by srfdriver22:
The downside that I find with FUS is that music will stop playing and iChat will log off. Shouldn't these stay on running in the background unless specified otherwise?

If that can be taken care of, then I would definitely use that idea. Especially if you could "move" programs from one desktop to another (Ex: iChat and iTunes would move with you when you switch).

Besides the nifty graphics of the screen "rotating" there are a couple apps out there already to provide you with multiple desktops:

Free:

http://space.sourceforge.net/

30 bucks:

http://www.codetek.com/

The later has a lot more features (which I am using now), but I used the free one for about year.

At any rate, I was very disappointed that Panther did not have multiple desktop feature built in by default. Coming from a UNIX background, this is a definite requirement for me.

typoon · Oct 29, 2003, 02:47 PM

Originally posted by srfdriver22:
The downside that I find with FUS is that music will stop playing and iChat will log off. Shouldn't these stay on running in the background unless specified otherwise?

If that can be taken care of, then I would definitely use that idea. Especially if you could "move" programs from one desktop to another (Ex: iChat and iTunes would move with you when you switch).

What do you mean move programs from one user to another? All users can use the same Apps unless specified in the Accounts panel. YOu mean files? One way to do it is to save it to your shared folder that way all the users can access the files.

moonmonkey · Oct 30, 2003, 03:59 AM

Originally posted by jhunt5247:
Besides the nifty graphics of the screen "rotating" there are a couple apps out there already to provide you with multiple desktops:

Free:

http://space.sourceforge.net/

30 bucks:

http://www.codetek.com/

The later has a lot more features (which I am using now), but I used the free one for about year.

At any rate, I was very disappointed that Panther did not have multiple desktop feature built in by default. Coming from a UNIX background, this is a definite requirement for me.

I don't like them, they hide and show apps to make it seem like you have more space.

I want it to be like I have two completely different desktops. I only want the menubar and dock on the first screen.

How can I do that?

srfdriver22 · Oct 30, 2003, 08:18 AM

Originally posted by typoon:
What do you mean move programs from one user to another? All users can use the same Apps unless specified in the Accounts panel. YOu mean files? One way to do it is to save it to your shared folder that way all the users can access the files.

Here's an example situation.

I'm on my "Web" user, with iChat and Safari open. I'd like to go to my "Work" user and use Word to write a document but I'm also in the middle of a conversation iChat. I would "somehow" tag iChat as an app that I'd like to "move with me" when I go to the "Work" user. Therefore, I can continue my conversation while working on my paper.

I know how the users work and that this is impossible as the code stands in Panther and most importantly, out of its scope for what it's meant to do. A more advanced virtual desktop application would probably be a better solution. I just want the cube effect.

riverfreak · Oct 30, 2003, 08:40 AM

Originally posted by srfdriver22:
Here's an example situation.

I'm on my "Web" user, with iChat and Safari open. I'd like to go to my "Work" user and use Word to write a document but I'm also in the middle of a conversation iChat. I would "somehow" tag iChat as an app that I'd like to "move with me" when I go to the "Work" user. Therefore, I can continue my conversation while working on my paper.

I know how the users work and that this is impossible as the code stands in Panther and most importantly, out of its scope for what it's meant to do. A more advanced virtual desktop application would probably be a better solution. I just want the cube effect.

Yes, look at the aforementioned virtual desktop applications. You can make applications sticky, which means that they will appear on all desktops.

mrchin · Oct 30, 2003, 08:48 AM

iChat currently does log off, but playing music, if you switch to another user, iTunes keeps playing. Though you then can't control the music from the 2nd user. The first has to be switched to in order to make any changes.

kcmac · Oct 30, 2003, 08:50 AM

How many mac users really have a need for the virtual desktop? I just don't understand the concept.

I usually have 8-10 apps open all of the time. Never turn them off. I switch back and forth to them constantly by either going to the dock, using the command+tab key or now with expose.

All of these things occur instantly. Since I am in the same desktop, backup is very easy since I only need to worry about one user.

With many desktops, it seems to me you would spend time thinking about which mode or user you are in vs. going straight after the app or document you want.

Of course, since I am foggy about the idea, I could be way off.

Mithras · Oct 30, 2003, 09:23 AM

Originally posted by kcmac:
How many mac users really have a need for the virtual desktop? I just don't understand the concept.

There are times when virtual desktops are great, but the circumstances are fairly limited. The main uses i've had are:
(1) Doing work that requires more than application to be used in tandem. e.g., text editor+browser, or text editor+terminal, or various combinations of graphics apps.
In this circumstance, it's a pain to first bring one app to the front, then the other, while trying to ignore the clutter of Mail, iCal, & whatever else in the background.
So it's nice to switch to a clean desktop, use just those two apps, and be able to quickly switch out of that desktop for other tasks, but still have just those 2 apps waiting when i come back.

(2) Working on two (or more) separate projects that involve the same apps.
This is I guess an extension of the first: if I'm using a text editor + terminal combination, and rapidly switching between them, it's really a pain if I have -more than one- editor+terminal combination to work with.
With virtual desktops, I can dedicate a workspace to the project, and use whatever apps or windows I need. This is better than flipping between apps, where each app might have several different windows open, each pertaining to a different project.

Does that make sense?

I'll have to give CodeTek another try. I used Workspace for awhile and liked the clean, crisp feel, but felt hampered by the fact that *all* windows for a given app had to be in the same desktop. That eliminates the point of use #2 above...

wadesworld · Oct 30, 2003, 09:53 AM

One feature I'd love to see, but don't know if we'll ever get is the "virtual console" support.

That is to say, if your GUI locks up, you hit a special key combination, and you're at a command prompt, where you can kill the offending GUI process, or if nothing else, shutdown cleanly.

Wade