Cant change number of workspaces

[Fred]

Ubuntu 8.10 alpha3 "Intrepid Ibex"

It can only have 2 workspaces.
If I change columns or rows, to change amount of workspaces, it does not work.

[Brian Murray (brian-murray)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. This bug did not have a package associated with it, which is important for ensuring that it gets looked at by the proper developers. You can learn more about finding the right package at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bugs/FindRightPackage. I have classified this bug as a bug in metacity.

For future reference you might be interested to know that a lot of applications have bug reporting functionality built in to them. This can be accessed via the Report a Problem option in the Help menu for the application with which you are having an issue. You can learn more about this feature at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ReportingBugs.

[Marnanel Thurman (marnanel)]

How are you attempting to change the number of workspaces? What happens when you try?

[Fred (eldmannen+launchpad)]

Thomas Thurman,
I right-click on the applet in the bottom-left corner of the screen, and select Preferences, and change the column field to 4.

It remembers the setting, when I open it, it say 4 if I changed it to 4. But it doesn't really change it to 4.

[Fred (eldmannen+launchpad)]

Hmm...

It now I realized that its only when I use Compiz, I have this problem.
When visual effects are set to "None", I do not have this problem.

[Marnanel Thurman (marnanel)]

Thanks. I'm moving this from Metacity to Compiz, then.

[Marc-Antoine Daneau (daneau-marc-antoine)]

I've the same exact problem.

[Fred (eldmannen+launchpad)]

The Workspace Switcher does change the registry.

/apps/compiz/general/screen0/options/hsize = 4
/apps/compiz/general/screen0/options/vsize = 1

Though, Compiz only uses and shows 2 virtual desktops. :(

[Fred (eldmannen+launchpad)]

I found a temporary workaround for people with this issue.

1. Open CompizConfig Settings Manager (CCSM).
2. Select "General Options" icon.
3. Select the "Desktop Size" tab.
4. Set the "Horizontal Virtual Size" to 4.

This bug needs to be fixed though, so that it becomes possible to change the amount of workspaces using the 'Workspace Switcher' applet.

[Andreas Moog (ampelbein)]

I can completely confirm this bug with:

compiz:
  Installed: 1:0.7.7+git20080807-0ubuntu2

[bford16 (bford16)]

confirmed with Ubuntu Hardy 2.6.24-19-generic x64. Compiz 1:0.7.4-0ubuntu7.

[Andreas Moog (ampelbein)]

Works for me now with
compiz:
  Installed: 1:0.7.7+git20080807-0ubuntu4

[Alexey Balmashnov (a.balmashnov)]

The same version as Andreas pointed out earlier. No improvements.

[Andreas Moog (ampelbein)]

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

Alexey Balmashnov wrote:
> The same version as Andreas pointed out earlier. No improvements.
>

I have to change my statement from earlier today. Somehow Compiz got
disabled by an upgrade and upon re-enabling it my number of workspaces
went back to 2. :-(

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: GnuPG v1.4.9 (GNU/Linux)
Comment: Using GnuPG with Mozilla - http://enigmail.mozdev.org

iEYEARECAAYFAkizGE0ACgkQ06FgkPZwicQmoACeL7FfeQ/uyZAFpIsqskXlmTo/
V3sAoJq6ElxNhHuuZkX/TM4i5fdLT2e3
=P2lv
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

[Cyberax (alex-besogonov)]

Still does not work.

cyberax@devsrv:~$ apt-cache policy compiz
compiz:
  Installed: 1:0.7.7+git20080807-0ubuntu5
  Candidate: 1:0.7.7+git20080807-0ubuntu5
  Version table:
 *** 1:0.7.7+git20080807-0ubuntu5 0
        500 http://ubuntu.intergenia.de intrepid/main Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

[Foppe Hemminga (foppe)]

Go to CompizConfig manager and in Settings change Flat-File configuration Backend to GConf Configuration backend.
During upgrade Compiz manager switches to Flat-File if there's an error / misconfiguration. Switching back to GConf solves this issue.
This is reported elsewere

[Alexey Balmashnov (a.balmashnov)]

8.10 (Intrepid) Beta, clean install + latest updates.

Now it works one way:
* If I change number of workspaces while using metacity, upon switching to compiz number of workspaces gets correctly updated
* If I change number of workspaces while using compiz, I do not see this changes in metacity

And yes, GConf configuration backend is in use.

[Reginald Von Boomsfeld (kieran-roberts)]

Hello!
I have the new Ibex Ubuntu on my Macbook Pro and this is a problem for me too (along with all the other problems you get hen putting Ubuntu on a macbook pro)!
I use the simple compiz settings to change the number of workspaces to 4 from 2 but no joy. It says 4 but leaves it at two. I also tried using CCSM as Fred suggested but also no luck. This didn't happen when I had Hardy, I'm a complete beginner by the way and would like to say thanks to the people who really have a extensive knowledge on the matter for their willingness to help, it really IS appreciated!
                                       So, any help/advice on the matter would be great. Thanks, K

[Kokoa (ko2008)]

Workaround. (for anyone Fred's workaround doesn't work)

0. Open System > Preferences > CompizConfig Settings Manager.
0. Select "Preferences" from the left pane.
0. Change "Backend" from "GConf Configuration Backend" to "Flat-file Configuration Backend"
0. Press "Back" button on the left pane to get back to the main.
0. Click "General Options"
0. Select "Desktop size" tab.
0. There you can change the number of desktops and the Workspace Switcher on the bottom right corner of the screen will change its appearance.
0. (Optional step) Go back to "Preferences" and change "Backend" back to "GConf Configuration Backend".

[markoER (marko-rakamaric)]

hi to all!

OS: Ubuntu 8.10
here is what i done when this happens to me

basiclally this happend when i add gnome applet workspace switcher or any other workspace switcher, which I cofigured like this :
  columns 2
  rows 2

after that i couldn't get my compiz cube working.
here is what i done to get my compiz cube work again, I went to applet workspace switcher configuration and change it to this :
  columns 4
  rows 1

[Afzal (afzalive)]

setting the number of workspaces and then resetting to default in the compiz settings (desktop size) corrects this bug fully.
I have used to have disappearing panels

[Afzal (afzalive)]

edit: ... only occurs if the "Number of Desktops" setting is modified from 1 to any other value, otherwise works both ways (gconf backend)

[Johan Walles (walles)]

Still broken in Karmic.

According to the top of this page this bug only affects me. If it affects you too, go to the top of the bug page and click "This bug affects me".

[ScarySquirrel (coproc-sbcglobal)]

Johan Walles,
I have a similar problem in Xubuntu 9.10 Karmic Koala, and it is a bug in Compiz, from what I can tell.
Compiz seemed fixed at two workspaces, and every time I switched back to xfwm, the number of workspaces with which it started would go down, until only one workspace was available any time I would switch to xfwm.

The temporary fix mentioned by Fred worked for me on Compiz, which runs with the correct number of desktops now, regardless of whether I restart it.
I repeat the fix I tried below:
1. Open CompizConfig Settings Manager (CCSM).
2. Select "General Options" icon.
3. Select the "Desktop Size" tab.
4. Set the "Horizontal Virtual Size" to 4.

However, if I switch back to xfwm, only one workspace appears. To see more workspaces, I have to add them by "alt-insert".

[Fred (eldmannen+launchpad)]

Does not seem to be an issue in Ubuntu 10.04 LTS.

[Tadas (dreamtadas)]

Bump. From what i've seen, it is fixed as this:
1.ccsm -> preferences -> backend -> set to gsettings.
2.go to workspace switcher and change number of workspaces. (it will reset to 1)
3. ccsm -> general -> general options -> desktop -> set horizontal and vertical sizes to whatever you like ( I did 2x2)
4. ccsm -> backend -> set to flat-file. Wuala-the four workspaces have appeared.

My distro is trusty.