Unity destroys window layout (maximize) on switching workspaces

[Benjamin Schmid]

If I arrange two overlapping windows on a workspace (i.e. a 80% sized FireFox overlapping a littly VLC player) on switching from this workspace to another workspace and back destroys my window layout and the large window (FireFox, Thunderbird, etc.) is maximized.

As a user I want unity to retain my window layout per workspace. Esp. after I manually un-maximized and arranged my windows manually.

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Desired resolution:

- Shifting between workspaces should not change the window layout on any workspace in any way

[Tim Penhey (thumper)]

@Benjamin,

Which version of Unity are you using, and how are you changing workspaces?

I'm running the latest precise build, and using the keybindings to move workspaces, and I don't see this issue at all.

[Sebastien Bacher (seb128)]

weird bugs, I can't confirm it either, I change workspaces a lot and never saw that neither on precise nor oneiric before

[Benjamin Schmid (benbuntu)]

Hi Tim! I'm using unity-2d and I'm using keyboard shortcuts to switch workspaces.

I can still reproduce this in the latest precise. My video resolution is 1366x768 and I especially observe this bevaiour i.e. with a 80% sized FireFox and Thunderbird. After pressing Ctrl-(Shift)-Right and Then Ctrl-(Shift)-Left the window becomes maximized (I can even watch this!).

[Benjamin Schmid (benbuntu)]

P.S.: The key combination misses the Alt key: So Ctrl+Alt-Left/Right

[Michał Sawicz (saviq)]

Not a bug, feature, it's supposed to maximize windows that are "almost" maximized. It does that on window map, so switching workspaces, as well as launching the app, should maximize:

$ gconftool-2 --get /apps/metacity/general/auto_maximize_windows

You can disable with:
$ gconftool-2 --set --type bool /apps/metacity/general/auto_maximize_windows false

Please reopen if that does not "fix" your issues.

[Benjamin Schmid (benbuntu)]

@saviq Hi Michał! Yes- I'm aware of auto-maximize feature on _opening_ windows.
 Personally I do feel this being a bug for _switching_ workspaces. And a very annoying one, too.

I expected, that this might be semi-opinion. Therefore I initially opened my issue in "Ayatana Design".
John Lea forwarded this to Unity 3D, adding the section about the "desired resolution".
Unity 3D rejected : The design seems to differ from 2D doing it already "right"?!

Design: "Bug!" => Unity 3D: "Cannot reproduce!" => Unity 2D: "It's a Feature!"

Who do I need to convince? :-)

[Michał Sawicz (saviq)]

John, can you please comment whether we do want auto-maximize windows on new window open, but not on switching workspaces, or not ever?

[John Lea (johnlea)]

@saviq; see bug https://bugs.launchpad.net/ayatana-design/+bug/797808

[Michał Sawicz (saviq)]

I will mark this as a duplicate then.