In a dual monitor setup with different resolutions, Unity places windows in the "dead zone"
Affects | Status | Importance | Assigned to | Milestone | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unity |
Fix Released
|
Low
|
Jason Smith | ||
compiz (Ubuntu) |
Invalid
|
Low
|
Jason Smith | ||
Natty |
Invalid
|
Undecided
|
Unassigned | ||
unity (Ubuntu) |
Fix Released
|
Low
|
Unassigned | ||
Natty |
Fix Released
|
Undecided
|
Unassigned |
Bug Description
Test Case:
0) Install unity 3.8.14 and restart your session
1) Have a dual monitor setup
2) Ensure right monitor is primary (ugly)
3) open firefox and place on left edge of left monitor
4) restart firefox
Result: firefox should not end up squished into the left side of the screen.
I have a 15.4" laptop that I connect to a 24" Dell monitor when I'm at work. The laptop has a screen resolution of 1280 x 800, the 24" monitor is 1920 x 1080.
Because the laptop sits lower than the monitor, and because of both the resolution and physical size differences, a virtual "dead zone" appears above my laptop.
The mouse can be moved into this dead zone, and when I initiate "workspace switcher" it looks like attached image [1]. You can clearly see there is a black "dead zone" below the large monitor to the right, and a huge dead zone above the laptop screen on the left.
This is a problem in itself, because the mouse can be "lost" in the dead zone and not easily found unless the user knows where to look.
But the main issue is that Compiz sees this "dead zone" as a fairly enticing place to stick windows (obviously because it reckons there is nothing there) - so whenever I start a new application (in this case a Terminal window), it spawns in the dead zone, and I can't see it. Unless I open up workspace switcher and "pull" it down into the visible area. Attached image [2].
Attached image [3] shows the setup I have, with the virtual dead zone highlighted with orange post it notes.
As a side effect of this bug, activating the Unity launcher by using the corner hot-spot becomes almost impossible due to the corner technically not existing anymore - it exists vertically, but the horizontal "roof" of the BFB is no longer physically there, so I'm constantly overshooting the hot corner. It's particularly frustrating because the launcher "peeks" out at you when you get close, but I can't actually get it to stay out because I am over shooting all the time. It's almost as if Unity is teasing me.
Other operating systems (like Windows) do this "dead zone" thing too, except that they a) don't allow the mouse to move into the dead zone and b) don't spawn applications in the dead zone.
A quick fix would be to change the Compiz "Place Window" plugin settings to have applications spawn under the cursor, but this still doesn't fix the fundamental issue and wouldn't prevent the mouse from moving into the area.
This brainstorm idea from 12 months ago highlights the issue some more: http://
Related branches
- Neil J. Patel (community): Approve
-
Diff: 67 lines (+22/-5)2 files modifiedsrc/unityshell.cpp (+20/-5)
src/unityshell.h (+2/-0)
affects: | ubuntu → unity (Ubuntu) |
Changed in unity (Ubuntu): | |
importance: | Undecided → Medium |
status: | New → Confirmed |
importance: | Medium → High |
Changed in unity: | |
status: | New → Confirmed |
Changed in compiz (Ubuntu): | |
status: | New → Confirmed |
importance: | Undecided → High |
Changed in unity: | |
assignee: | nobody → Sam "SmSpillaz" Spilsbury (smspillaz) |
importance: | Undecided → High |
milestone: | none → 3.8.10 |
Changed in compiz (Ubuntu): | |
status: | Confirmed → In Progress |
Changed in unity: | |
status: | Confirmed → In Progress |
Changed in compiz (Ubuntu): | |
assignee: | nobody → Sam "SmSpillaz" Spilsbury (smspillaz) |
Changed in unity: | |
milestone: | 3.8.10 → 3.8.12 |
Changed in unity (Ubuntu): | |
status: | Confirmed → In Progress |
Changed in unity: | |
status: | In Progress → Fix Committed |
description: | updated |
Changed in unity: | |
status: | Fix Committed → Fix Released |
Changed in compiz (Ubuntu Natty): | |
status: | New → Invalid |
Thought I could add some more pictures...
- Monitor #1: Sony VAIO VPCEB, 1366x768
- Monitor #2: HP w2007, 1680x1050
- Video card: ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5000 Series, driver: radeon
When monitor #1 is logically positionned on left-hand side of monitor #2, I can see a small part of screen #1's display in my screen #2. pix.toile- libre.org/ ?img=1303186032 .jpg pix.toile- libre.org/ ?img=1303186054 .jpg pix.toile- libre.org/ ?img=1303186303 .png
- http://
- http://
- http://
When I logically position monitor #1 on the right-hand side of monitor #2... well... you should just take a look at the pictures. pix.toile- libre.org/ ?img=1303186354 .png pix.toile- libre.org/ ?img=1303186384 .png
- http://
- http://
Unity Launcher does not appear when approching my mouse pointer of the left of screen #1. To make it show, I have to click on BFB first (Dash shows), then click BFB a second time (Dash hides, by Launcher keep showing for a second or a second and a half, allowing me to interact with it).
I'm not sure, though, that the issue is particularly related to Unity/Compiz, because I can see the same "dead zone" when using GNOME 2 classic interface. pix.toile- libre.org/ ?img=1303188158 .png
- http://