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machinelawn
February 8th, 2009, 05:31 AM
So im new to Ubuntu and have Gnome as my desktop.
what I am trying to accomplish is having multiple desktops with each desktop having different folders and files on it and a different wallpaper
so I guess what I am asking is if there is a way to do this?

skywatcher
February 8th, 2009, 09:08 AM
Ubuntu refers to these as "multiple workspaces". Your installation has a default number of four (I think?) workspace buttons. If you look at the bottom right-hand side of your screen (on the bottom "panel") you will see them there. Just click on one that is not highlighted and open whatever applications you wish. You can then switch between workspaces.

Here is a link that might help: http://library.gnome.org/users/user-guide/stable/overview-workspaces.html.en

Happy Ubuntuing!

machinelawn
February 9th, 2009, 07:08 AM
not quite what i'm thinking of what i want to do is have four different desktops while having four workspaces all of the workspaces display the same desktop i wand to have one or two workspaces be free of folders and have the others with different types of files. ie. one workspace with music another with text files and another with videos or something like that.

maspin
February 9th, 2009, 07:20 AM
I am pretty new as well. So I cant help you with the icon thing.

However, you CAN have different backgrounds for each one. The only method I know gets rid of all desktop icons though.

You have to use the Wallpaper plugin of Compiz. Add a few wallpapers to it. Then go to Configuration Editor, and "app->nautilus->preferences" then deselect show_desktop.

This will give each workspace a wallpaper depending on the order you arranged them in the Compiz Wallpaper plugin. But no desktop icons.

machinelawn
February 9th, 2009, 07:35 AM
I am pretty new as well. So I cant help you with the icon thing.

However, you CAN have different backgrounds for each one. The only method I know gets rid of all desktop icons though.

You have to use the Wallpaper plugin of Compiz. Add a few wallpapers to it. Then go to Configuration Editor, and "app->nautilus->preferences" then deselect show_desktop.

This will give each workspace a wallpaper depending on the order you arranged them in the Compiz Wallpaper plugin. But no desktop icons.

hmmm...
is there any way to just make the wallpaper disappear or mabye transparent so i could then have my four wallpapers?

or set each desktop to a different folder?

warp99
February 9th, 2009, 07:41 AM
Gnome currently doesn't have support for multiple wallpapers. You can have multiple wallpapers using the CCSM manager, but they will only show up when you are rotating the cube. You can patch Gnome currently in Ubuntu to have that function according to this guide:

http://forum.compiz-fusion.org/showthread.php?t=6199

Support for multiple wallpapers is suppose to be available in Jaunty.

Now KDE 4.1 has the capability to have multiple wallpapers and different icons on each desktop since there are no desktop icons but plasma widgets that include the icons. Hope this answers your questions.

SunnyRabbiera
February 9th, 2009, 07:43 AM
there is also a utility, I think its called gnome wallpaper switch or something for this and can be found on these forums

maspin
February 9th, 2009, 07:49 AM
hmmm...
is there any way to just make the wallpaper disappear or mabye transparent so i could then have my four wallpapers?

or set each desktop to a different folder?

Well you can make your wallpaper transparent and look through to your other workspaces in a cube if you have Compiz.

I believe it is in the "Compiz Cube" Plugin. You can do that and have different wallpapers for each part of the cube (actually, I have that at the moment, partly seethrough wallpapers that are different on each workspace.. But like I said before, I cant have desktop icons..

I think Jaunty will have better support for this.