virtual desktop - spaces

[RobertC]

It appears that when you right+click an application's dock icon in MacOS you will see a contextual menu that allows you to assign the app to a specific desktop. You can also assign it to ALL desktops. This should do what you want, no?

Yes, this is what I (he) wants for now, because it does solve the problem but only because I have only one user at the moment (my wife).

A more general solution would be to let the user decide by an app-specific preference setting which would work on all platforms (as richmond62 rightly points out) and the default of which would be, in my case, that it shows up in all spaces.

Begin of rant:
Also as richmond62 points out, Linux distros are indeed a minefield (to which I would add that the "forking" in open-source software is probably the major reason why it does not take off). There is too much of it, and it changes too often. That's the main reason why I've still not gone Linux: I cannot afford the time to keep up. "Nightly builds" are a nightmare, not a solution, those who are proud of it don't live in any real world. Already Apple's yearly tweaks are too often. Once every two years is more than enough. We now have one machine on "Mojave" (which I insist on pronouncing "Moh-Jave") and there is nothing whatever useful in that release compared to the previous releases. Fix bugs, patch security holes, but do not force me to change everything. Plus that in each new release Apple purposely renders some apps inoperative. We just had to spend 800€ for a new version of FileMaker because our version no longer runs, whereas all my old LiveCode apps still happily function. This is pure marketing and milking of the user.
End of rant.

Good night everyone, and thanks for all the fish. I mean thanks for all the help. It was not as easy as 42 after all.

[wsamples]

I wasn't referring to any plan to have the app try to set or enforce its own rule. I meant the user setting up the window rule, which would be a simple rule telling the window manager to always place the app on all desktops. The app isn't aware or doing any talking, it just takes orders from the window manager.

[richmond62]

I cannot afford the time to keep up.

Only seriously daft people, or those who are bankrolled by
Billionaire parents "keep up" with Linux.

My EFL school features 10 old PCs (between 16 and 10 years old)
that run Xubuntu 32-bit. I change the
version of the OS about every 2 years. Never a backward glance.

[RobertC]

I wasn't referring to any plan to have the app try to set or enforce its own rule. I meant the user setting up the window rule, which would be a simple rule telling the window manager to always place the app on all desktops. The app isn't aware or doing any talking, it just takes orders from the window manager.

Yes that would be sufficient indeed and would need no programming on behalf of the developer.

[bogs]

Wow, interesting perspectives there, and a lot of mixed information.

Linux is merely the core OS (kernel, some packages).

People take that, add software or change arrangement of same, and that becomes a 'distro'.

How one can make anything "simple" to take all those variables into account escapes me.

All 'nix distros still rely on the base of Linux, if you want 'simple' you target the 'base' or 'lowest common denominator'.

BTW, "distro" shouldn't be confused with "Window manager", and for sure the window manager shouldn't be confused with the base OS.

Also as richmond62 points out, Linux distros are indeed a minefield (to which I would add that the "forking" in open-source software is probably the major reason why it does not take off). There is too much of it, and it changes too often. That's the main reason why I've still not gone Linux: I cannot afford the time to keep up. "Nightly builds" are a nightmare, not a solution, those who are proud of it don't live in any real world.

Hm. I don't get the 'minefield' reference myself. OSS has lots of options, pick one (if you want) and learn it. Some are designed for 'beginners', some are not. It isn't like the desktop metaphor works crazy different in any OS as it pertains to a desktop.

Forking, as you mention, is where someone takes an existing project, and either continues it because it has been abandoned, or creates a new road from it because it is not doing what they wish. A forked project doesn't make the original somehow less workable.

The 'nightly builds' reference did make me chuckle though. Nightly builds are not meant for someone just beginning, or for anyone that wants stability, and are clearly marked as not being stable. Unless your happiness is in alpha or beta testing software, why would they even come up in a topic like this?

It would be the equivalent of saying "Safari beta isn't as stable as the last stable version I used, I'm switching to browser xyz!"

Just as your not forced to use the latest LiveCode DP, no software product in the OSS realm (or anywhere else for that matter) is making you use nightly builds, but I sure wouldn't want them to 'go away' any more than I would want Lc to stop putting out DPs and RCs.

Stop putting those kinds of things out, might as well close the door on whatever your working on.

[richmond62]

if you want 'simple'

you won't be able to get at the bit to do with virtual desktops.

[bogs]

if you want 'simple'

you won't be able to get at the bit to do with virtual desktops.

I don't think that is a 'Linux' thing, since apparently you can't do that on Mac either in a 'simple' way

I suspect it actually *is* simple on both, we just lack the knowledge that makes it 'simple'.

[richmond62]

you can't do that on Mac either in a 'simple' way

Indeed: especially as Apple seem to change things around
with every new version of macOS.