I only run 4 desktops, but I've got to the point to where I could not do
without multiple desktops.


1. Firefox
2. Thunderbird
3. Gimp
4. OpenOffice or AbiWord.

1 & 2 are always running Firefox and Thunderbird. 3 & 4 are usually
left open, but when used are used for photo editing and/or word processing.

I've never used more than one desktop, even though there are more there by
default. Three questions:

-- Are the applications on each desktop "live" still operating full speed?

-- Doesn't this slow the computer down?

-- Is there an easy way to have different wallpapers on each desktop in
Ubuntu? I've tried "Wallpapoz" but couldn't get it to provide a unique
appearance for each desktop. I just want to know where I am and different
wallpaper is the only way I can think of.

I leave Firefox and Thunderbird running full time. On a reasonably
modern computer this does not really effect the machines performance.

Gnome desktops all run the one wallpaper that you have chosen for the
machine. KDE used to allow the user to choose a different wallpaper for
each desktop. It's been a long time since I've used KDE. I can not say
if it still allows different wallpapers for each desktop.

I use wallpapoz and have different wallpapers on all of my desktops. It
is a little tricky setting it up, but works fine.

Gnome does not allow this. Nor does KDE 4. KDE 3.5 does have this ability, but
it is on its way out and is no longer available for Ubuntu.

I am running Ubuntu 8.10 with 5 workspaces each with Unique sets of
desktop images using wallpapoz. Gnome and Compiz-fusion.

If you ask the question: which version are you on? and you responded
with your response then you might be correct. However, Im on 8.04 with
four desktops and I cant run more than one wallpaper.

Using 8.04 and even 7.10, I have had different wallpapers on each of my
4 desktops. I do this with wallpapoz.

I'm using 8.04 and I'd sure appreciate some hints because every time I try
it uses the same Wallpaper on every desktop. I've tried with many wallpapers
and just 3 (I have 3 desktops) and it's always the same.

After installing wallpapoz , start the program. In the upper left there
are spaces for each of your desktops. Click on the arrow for the desktop
you want to change and right click on the item there. select change
wallpaper and select the wallpaper you want for that desktop. do this
for each of the desktops you wish to change, then click on save in the
lower right corner. To get the wallpaper to work, you need to click on
restart near the middle bottom.

have you got a menu item for wallpapoz in Applications > Accessories?
if not you might need to try the install again. If so does it bring up
the configuration program?

if you do have the config up try hitting the restart button for the
Daemon on the bottom of the page

to work at start up you need an item under Sessions > Startup programs
that starts daemon_wallpapoz

wallpapoz has been part of my setup for 2 years and has worked
consistently. My son has the lts release running multiple wallpapers;
could it be that he could follow instructions? Roy contended that
gnome did not allow multiple desktop wallpapers.

he and you are obviously wrong in that there is the ability to have
both single or multiple image sets for the individual workspaces. Both
a 16 year old and a 49 year old were able to set up wallpapoz.

In my case i believe I first installed it in 6.10 and persisted through
upgrades to 8.04. I did a full install of 8.10 to leave issues with HH
behind and a new install of the little accessory program works again.

there are things in the computer world that make no sense and this may
well be one of them but Roy's absolute statement that it does not work
is wrong as it does. if the problem is the user or slight hardware or
configuration issues the fact remains it is possible.

Had I responded to the OP I would have suggested trying it again but
that sometimes things just do not work as they should. I have an issue
with applications occasionally going "uninterruptable" some times
singly and sometimes in groups. Its not been a repeatable issue for
folks looking to fix the problem. I do not say Ubuntu does this always
and for everyone.

Actually I am not. I was referring to the desktop environment itself. You are
referring to an application that you can run from Gnome to do this which is okay
if that's what you want to do. I am just keeping the record straight about what
I actually wrote. All of the things that I referred to are desktop environments
and not applications.

BTW, Wallpapoz does not come with Gnome itself. You must add it from the
repositories. Some Gnome users have complained, thinking as I do that this
should be built into the desktop itself.

What I want to see is an active desktop for Linux. There are some workarounds
that I have seen but nothing that I would call really useful.

I have set 6 desktops. Usually I work with 2 or 4. It is very good to have
multiple desktops.

I use on average three of the default four daily.

1: Thunderbird, Firefox, Chat, Bluefish
2: 4 or 5 spread sheets
3: empty
4: boinc

I have six desktops and when using Cinelerra plus Firefox and
Thunderbird I use them all. When not using Cinelerra I revert to my old
Windows habits and use one window and minimise programs. But sometimes
use two. There is not much organization in my work habits :-( I
surely would not like to give up all my desktops in favor of having to
use only one.

I can usually get away with four. I use one for internet, a second for
management tasks, a third for multimedia and the fourth for office. I don't
bother to name them. I just keep them separate in my head. I like four because I
use the Compiz cube. If I used more then I would have to go to the cylinder. :)

Windows users are not used to virtual desktops, but they are really handy. I
rarely have to minimize anything. I can do several things at once and can switch
between tasks with a key press or the mouse wheel. When I have to use Windows I
find it frustrating not to have virtual desktops. If I used it regularly (I
don't), I would install a Windows virtual desktop programme. Microsoft makes
one, but they have not added it as part of Windows. They once said that tabbed
browsing was not useful either, but now they include it in IE. Maybe they don't
want to look too much like Linux.