Link both taskbars together, or multi-tier like Windows?

[spaceboy909]

I want my taskbars/panels setup like Windows, or close to it at least. This has always been a big pet peeve of mine in Linux.

In Windows, I simply place my mouse at the edge of the bar, and drag to resize it. I use a double wide bar, the equivilant of two taskbars together, but with Windows, the taskbar items and buttons wrap around to the 2nd level, rather than just giving you larger icons like when you resize in Gnome.

So, is there a way to either setup a wrap around, multi-tier style bar like in Windows, or simply link two seperate bars together?

[Giblet5]

Not that I'm aware of.

I like that feature in Windows too, but I think the virtually unlimited number of desktops on Linux, each with its own taskbar, is a more than adequate substitute for that shortcoming.

It'd be nice though, and it's surprising that gnome doesn't handle it.

[penguindrive]

Right click one of the panels, click "new panel" then move the new panel to the bottom.

[Giblet5]

Right click one of the panels, click "new panel" then move the new panel to the bottom.

That's not the same thing.

The windows panel behaves much like a mainwindow: it can be resized vertically and existing icons, notification area icons, and task buttons will "wrap-around" to use the new space w/o resizing the icons.

Gnome only lets you have a single row of icons and task buttons *per panel*, although you can have multiple panels.

That said, the only reason this is useful in Windows is that there is no built-in multi-desktop support (which is a far more lame shortcoming).

[AmyRose]

KDE has had this feature in its task manager for a while, since the KDE 2.x days, if you're referring to the buttons representing your open windows.

I thought GNOME had it too. Did they get rid of it?

[spaceboy909]

That said, the only reason this is useful in Windows is that there is no built-in multi-desktop support . -snip-

I disagree. It's a matter of the location convenience factor, as well as well as just user preference in how they utilize their desktop. A multi-tier panel like I use in windows, I find very handy.

And while the multiple workspace feature of Linux is a great feature, I personally never use it, partly because of the default location of the button (which I should probably try changing), but also because I just don't mind having everything open on a single workspace (and I normally have lots of apps open.)

I played with the workspace switch early on, and just found it to be inconvenient for my uses. I hop back and forth between apps constantly, so dividing things up between workspaces means a lot of extra mouse work!

[dsm iv tr]

Have you tried making your panel twice as high? Doing that gives me two rows of application buttons when I change the size from 32 to 64 in the panel's properties.

[NazarXG]

Have you tried making your panel twice as high? Doing that gives me two rows of application buttons when I change the size from 32 to 64 in the panel's properties.

This will in fact increase number of levels, but because everything else on your panel increases in size, the application widget width will shrink thus no overall gain.

[Giblet5]

I disagree. It's a matter of the location convenience factor, as well as well as just user preference in how they utilize their desktop. A multi-tier panel like I use in windows, I find very handy.

And while the multiple workspace feature of Linux is a great feature, I personally never use it, partly because of the default location of the button (which I should probably try changing), but also because I just don't mind having everything open on a single workspace (and I normally have lots of apps open.)

I played with the workspace switch early on, and just found it to be inconvenient for my uses. I hop back and forth between apps constantly, so dividing things up between workspaces means a lot of extra mouse work!

Good point.

I use compiz with the cube and have written a script that opens my work environment, in workflow fashion, across the four faces of the cube. Mousewheel up/down spins the cube left/right, and I have a G15 keyboard - a single keystroke takes me directly to Email/web, development, testing, and extra.

...and I did say this is a good idea for a future gnome or kde release. (No, KDE doesn't do this any better than gnome)

If you're a StarDock subscriber and you have Windows, then you have some incredible functionality at your disposal. That's why I have Vista, 7, and XP on this system.

ie, I'm a bigot but it's different...