split screen mode needed

[whitis]

Binary package hint: maximus

Maximus desparately needs a split screen mode - i.e. a two window horizontally or vertically tiled mode.

Forget lame excuses about being able to switch to desktop mode (which you can only do by logging out and back in, if then, which is unaccepable). This is a hobsons choice between two unaccepable alternatives: One desktop which is very cumbersome on a netbook screen and another that is unusable because you can't refer to a second window while working.

Sometimes, you absolutely must see another window while you are typing in the first.

If the codebase isn't cruft, there is a quick and dirty way to do this with minimal changes to the code and the user interface.
  - Add an icon on the top bar which lets you switch between full screen, 2 window horizontal split, and 2 window vertical split, and maybe a 2x2.
  - left/top window displays the "current" program and the other displays the 2nd most recent program.
  - Optional slider to move the split.
This provides a reasonable compromise and should be trivial to implement.

Long term, you really need to be able to switch between one window mode and normal desktop interface on the fly.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.04
Package: maximus 0.4.14-0ubuntu4
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.32-21.32-generic 2.6.32.11+drm33.2
Uname: Linux 2.6.32-21-generic i686
Architecture: i386
Date: Mon Aug 9 13:11:00 2010
GConfNonDefault:
 /apps/maximus/exclude_class=[Empathy,Totem,Gwibber,Gnome-language-selector,Gtk-recordMyDesktop,Onboard,Vlc,Seahorse-agent,Gnome-keyring-prompt]
 /apps/maximus/no_maximize=false
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu-Netbook 10.04 "Lucid Lynx" - Release i386 (20100429.4)
ProcEnviron:
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: maximus