[Feature Request] Add support to different layouts on different monitors

[domferr]

Currently, the selected layout is applied to all the monitors. The idea is to allow a different layout for each monitor.
The current codebase is ready to accommodate the needed changes, so it should be enough only to add a new layout selection setting and some easy changes to remember each monitor's layout to apply on startup if the computer was suspended.

However, we still want to allow the current behaviour, meaning that it must be possible to quickly change the monitor layouts with just one click.

If you want to contribute but don't know how to start, I'll be more than glad to guide you.

This is a mockup, feel free to share any ideas!

[in4matix]

Hey! I did warn you about the wining bunch on GSE... The mock-up looks good to me, but I use one large desktop monitor, so yeah, not an issue for me. But if did I use multiple monitors, this makes perfect sense. I see the other ungrateful critic wants hot-keys... Who wants to remember a bunch of extra hot-keys?! , when you can just grab the window by it's ears and put it just about anywhere, and still resize it there... But, yeah, you can please some of the people some of the time, but not all of the people all of the time... All the best.

[domferr]

I opened this issue since I use multiple monitors, I agree with the user asking for this feature and with you. Thank you for the feedback on the mock-up!

Speaking about hotkeys, maybe that user is referring to SUPER + ARROW KEY. GNOME default's behavior, when you press SUPER + LEFT ARROW tiles the window to the left (following its default 2 columns). Some people are used to it, but not myself. So yeah, maybe if there isn't anything important to implement, I will add that too.

[in4matix]

Yes, multi-monitor setups are quite standard nowadays. Especially for folks using a laptop.

[in4matix]

BTW. I see that you have also separated notifications from your calendar. May I ask witch extension you are using for that?

[domferr]

BTW. I see that you have also separated notifications from your calendar. May I ask witch extension you are using for that?

Uh, I really don't remember. It was something I was trying last February, but don't remember the name :\

[cadamantidis]

is this being actively worked on?

[domferr]

Hi @cadamantidis, currently I'm not working on this. Since there are many requests, if many people suggest this feature I will prioritize it over the others!

Moreover, if anyone wants to contribute to an open source project for the first time or learn gnome extension development, this could be a nice start! I'm open to give any help

[czQery]

I am interested too, I think this is an essential feature

[domferr]

What do you guys think about the mockup above? How would you like to select a different layout for each monitor?

[EfogDev]

@domferr btw it would be great if using the snap assistant will update the active layout

[mattdm]

Love this. I have a three-monitor setup, like this:

• Left: landscape mode 16:10
• Middle: a teleprompter setup with a 14" monitor used for video calls -- 16:9¹
• Right: portrait mode 10:16

On the left, I want something set up to easily toggle between a web browsing mode (centered big space, small spaces on the side), a 2-column view, and a coding mode which has some smaller specific divisions. The center, I'd want to always be one big full-screen (ideal if it automatically makes the window full-screen, hiding window decorations). And on the right, I want full-screen or vertically split into two or three.

Footnotes

1. I'd love a 4:3 monitor here, TBH, because that'd fit the teleprompter setup better. But those are all stupidly expensive. ↩

[mattdm]

What do you guys think about the mockup above? How would you like to select a different layout for each monitor?

Is it possible to add choices to the highly-underutilized right-click-on-wallpaper menu? It's basically things I do extremely rarely¹ and seems both logical and quick for changing layouts.

Another idea would be to add layout choices to the overview -- maybe something on the dash, but ideally on each monitor, so maybe a new control panel, configurable to be in any corner?

Footnotes

1. change wallpaper, go to display settings, and go to settings -- the last bringing you to whatever settings panel you were last using, which is less useful than searching for the specific thing in the overview ↩

[domferr]

Thank you @mattdm for your suggestions! They are much appreciated 💯

Since I use a 21:9 monitor and a 16:9 secondary monitor, when I designed Tiling Shell I decided to support per-monitor layouts 😆: the good news is that the source code already supports it, but I didn't expose it in the preferences or somewhere else.
I'm going to start to work on this next week, stay tuned!

Is it possible to add choices to the highly-underutilized right-click-on-wallpaper menu?

😮 I didn't think about it! It's not that bad, however I'm not sure it can be done. I'll do some research on this 👍

[domferr]

A little update for you. This feature is ready to be tested! 🥳. It has the following look and feel if you have multiple monitors.

If the monitor is just one, everything looks like before (there isn't the "monitor 1" text).

I leave here the files ¹ if you want to try it in advance! If you do, please give me your feedback, thank you!

• GNOME 42, 43 and 44: [email protected]
• GNOME 45 and 46: [email protected]

My thoughts:

• I don't like the text "monitor 1", "monitor 2" and so on...Which one is "monitor 1"? This doesn't tell anything about which of the physical monitors is the number 1! I'd like to use the monitor name, however, to be honest, I don't know how to do it and I didn't find similar things in any extension or gnome-shell repository. The only solution is to ask gnome-shell developers...
• The indicator was polished, but now it is a bit messy. There are too many things there now
• This solution doesn't allow to select a layout for each monitor with just one click

However, it may not be perfect, but I believe it is more beneficial for everybody if I publish this feature instead of spending too much time on it.

Footnotes

1. If you don't know how to install, here it is a little guide for you. You need to perform the following steps: overwrite the files into .local/share/gnome-shell/extensions/[email protected] with the ones in the archive I shared, then log out and log in (or restart the system). ↩

[domferr]

Well...it turns out it is not possible to get the monitors' name. I implemented a workaround, which works quite well on my system:

If there are errors on getting the monitors' name, the labels "Monitor 1", "Monitor 2" and so on, are used instead (left ⬅️ image). If the monitor is just one, everything looks like before (there isn't the "monitor name" text) (right ➡️ image).

I leave here the files ¹ if you want to try it in advance! If you do, please give me your feedback, thank you!

• GNOME 42, 43 and 44: [email protected]
• GNOME 45 and 46: [email protected]

Footnotes

1. If you don't know how to install, here it is a little guide for you. You need to perform the following steps: overwrite the files into .local/share/gnome-shell/extensions/[email protected] with the ones in the archive I shared, then log out and log in (or restart the system). ↩