Needs update for Gnome 40

[ndim]

As Gnome 40 is changing the workspaces quite a bit (workspaces are now arranged horizontally instead of vertically), a lot of corresponding changes appear to be required from the Multi Monitors Add-On.

When running Gnome 40 (such as in the upcoming Fedora 34 release), when firefox shows the https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/921/multi-monitors-add-on/ page, there is a big Error label and when clicking on the settings icon, a window titled "Multi Monitors Add-On" appears which says "Something's gone wrong" and the Technical Details are the following:

Error: No property margin on Gjs_MultiMonitorsPrefsWidget

Stack trace:
  _init/Gtk.Widget.prototype._init@resource:///org/gnome/gjs/modules/core/overrides/Gtk.js:45:40
  _init@/home/ndim/.local/share/gnome-shell/extensions/multi-monitors-add-on@spin83/prefs.js:52:15
  buildPrefsWidget@/home/ndim/.local/share/gnome-shell/extensions/multi-monitors-add-on@spin83/prefs.js:275:18
  _init@resource:///org/gnome/Shell/Extensions/js/extensionsService.js:209:40
  OpenExtensionPrefsAsync/<@resource:///org/gnome/Shell/Extensions/js/extensionsService.js:122:28
  asyncCallback@resource:///org/gnome/gjs/modules/core/overrides/Gio.js:115:22
  run@resource:///org/gnome/Shell/Extensions/js/dbusService.js:177:20
  main@resource:///org/gnome/Shell/Extensions/js/main.js:19:13
  run@resource:///org/gnome/gjs/modules/script/package.js:206:19
  start@resource:///org/gnome/gjs/modules/script/package.js:190:8
  @/usr/share/gnome-shell/org.gnome.Shell.Extensions:1:17

Also, the Gnome Extensions App shows the error sign next to the Multi Monitors Add-On, with the error

Description  Add multiple monitors overview and panel for gnome-shell.
Version      23
Error        No JS module 'viewSelector' found in search path

[ndim]

Default Gnome 40 behaviour is that in a multi monitor situation, the primary display is the one where workspaces are switched through horizontally, while secondary displays just display the same thing regardless of the workspace selected on the primary monitor.

My old workflow of having each workspace span two side by side displays, and having a number of work spaces vertically is so distant from that new concept that I am not sure whether anything approaching that behaviour can even be reasonably supported by an extension for Gnome 40.

As far as I can tell, the update to Gnome 40 means MUCH more than a bit of code updates for this extension. I am not even sure whether a reasonable update can even be expected here.

[ndim]

For completeness' sake, this describes the multi-monitor ideas for Gnome 40:

https://blogs.gnome.org/shell-dev/2021/02/23/gnome-shell-40-and-multi-monitor/

[gagalago]

I also liked the fact to be able to move workspace on all displays at the same time (and not only the primary with others fixed).

blog post about extension porting https://blogs.gnome.org/shell-dev/2021/03/20/extensions-rebooted-porting-your-existing-extensions-to-gnome-40/

[ndim]

FTR, the https://blogs.gnome.org/shell-dev/2021/02/23/gnome-shell-40-and-multi-monitor/ blog post linked above mentions both modes of changing workspaces: On just one display, or on both of them (multi display setups with more than two displays are not mentioned).

While workspaces only being on the primary display is the default behaviour, GNOME also supports having workspaces on all displays, using the workspaces-only-on-primary settings key.

@gagalago I guess that means your usecase is still supported (and I have been using that for years on earlier versions of Gnome, and for a few weeks on Gnome 40), just a bit more weirdly than before.

I just cannot remember off the top of my head where to set workspaces-only-on-primary settings key.

[gagalago]

thanks a lot. I didn't know it. you can find that key on dconf :wink:

[Jhackler]

Default Gnome 40 behaviour is that in a multi monitor situation, the primary display is the one where workspaces are switched through horizontally, while secondary displays just display the same thing regardless of the workspace selected on the primary monitor.

My old workflow of having each workspace span two side by side displays, and having a number of work spaces vertically is so distant from that new concept that I am not sure whether anything approaching that behaviour can even be reasonably supported by an extension for Gnome 40.

As far as I can tell, the update to Gnome 40 means MUCH more than a bit of code updates for this extension. I am not even sure whether a reasonable update can even be expected here.

tweak tools also lets you choose this behavior still in gnome 40

[realh]

Even if some of the extension's functionality doesn't seem relevant to GNOME 40, simply being able to show the panel on both monitors is very useful to me, so I hope this extension can continue to exist even if it has less functionality than before. I've done a bit of hacking (mostly in the sense of removing things that depended on SlidingController without even really knowing what it was supposed to do) and already managed to get it to show the extra panel, but the extensions manager is still showing errors, and the prefs won't open.

[Jhackler]

I literally only use this for the panel on all monitors lol

[ndim]

I used this a lot for switching workplaces, and moving windows between my 12 workspaces:

• the two physical displays horizontally adjacent to each other
• 12 virtual workspaces stacked vertically on top of each other
• the overview bar (what is the proper terminology here? I am talking about the bar with all the workspaces depicted with all the windows on it) alongside the right edge of the left display and alongside the left edge of the right display

That allows showing which left display workspace part corresponds to which right display workspace part, so I can easily drag some windows to the left part of some workspace, and some to the right part of that workspace.

The ease of finding a connection has been lost by stock Gnome 40 when there are more workspaces than about 3 or 4.

Ideally, I would love to have one 50" 32:10 display. Second best option, this extension changes Gnome 40's horizontal arrangement of virtual desktops back to a vertical stack of virtual desktop to restore the old behaviour.

The stock Gnome 40 handling of virtual desktops is cumbersome, to say the least. Horizontally arranging virtual desktops ust makes no sense with an horizontal multi display arrangement.

[Thema89]

@spin83 first of all, HUGE thanks for your work so far, as your extension has been a MUST HAVE and kept me company for years. I can say without doubt that without your work my GNOME 3.x experience wouldn't have been so good for so long, and that's why I cannot stick to the new Windows-like workspace idea.

That said, I'd bring to your attention this extension, specifically born to accomplish the hard work of restoring a (sort of) "vertical layout + overview bar + old dock bar" in GNOME 40: https://github.com/RensAlthuis/vertical-overview:

Here's the (great, imho) results so far:

I think that your extension would benefit immensely by the usage in tandem with that one... I surely offer myself as tester and/or developer in order to help you (or you both together) to achieve this goal, if that could be useful.

[ndim]

@spin83 Thank you very much from my part as well. The multi monitor add-on has been an indispensable part of my desktop experience ever since I first plugged a second display into a computer.

[Thema89]

I'm going to give a try making a mesh-up test repository from this two extensions as I stated above, hoping that could help me provide some useful pull requests for this project.

[Jhackler]

Can someone point me to a extension that can at least give me the top pannel on all monitors

[the-loudspeaker]

Can someone point me to a extension that can at least give me the top pannel on all monitors

+1

[etna]

Can someone point me to a extension that can at least give me the top pannel on all monitors

Same. That's actually the only reason I use this extension in Gnome 3.

If this extension can be updated to do that for Gnome 40, it would be awesome. But if it can't then it would be great if someone could recommend an alternative that is capable of doing so.

[Jhackler]

still no extensions to extend my panel and gnome devs point me to this when I ask for option to show panel on all monitors lol

[Bitals]

@Jhackler @etna @the-loudspeaker https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/4362/fullscreen-avoider/

[InFerYes]

still no extensions to extend my panel and gnome devs point me to this when I ask for option to show panel on all monitors lol

Where did they say this?

[Jhackler]

still no extensions to extend my panel and gnome devs point me to this when I ask for option to show panel on all monitors lol

Where did they say this?

it was on gnomes dev site when they where talking about upcoming multi monitor improvements for gnome 40 a while back. I asked if they could add official support for panel across multiple monitors. they told me maybe but unlikely since this extension already did what I wanted. My reasoning was because I use an extension that moves window controls into panel when maximized. However it cant do it on panels on other monitor since there is no official panel to target.

[faptaincrunch]

Still nothing? Bummer, would love top panel on all monitors

[aindriu80]

Is the dev even working on a Gnome 40 version?

[BloodyIron]

I think it's time we consider this extension abandoned.

[ndim]

My use case is two or three monitors side by side and switching workspaces vertically.

For my use case, stock Gnome 42 with stock setting "Settings -> Multitasking -> Multi-Monitor" set to "Workspaces on all displays" works well together with the "Vertical overview" gnome-shell extension.

That use case does not include having the panel on all monitors, though.

[fershibli]

"Workspaces on all displays" doesn't solve at all the problem. I need the Top Bar on both monitors, I even tried to use the fullscreen-avoider, but it conflicts with the Hide Top Bar extension. Can we make it work, please???