panels on single and multiple monitors: repeat or multiple?

jerry1970 · 2017-06-27 06:11:59

I have different setups: at home I use the laptop only and at work I have two extra monitors. With the laptop either as the first or the last monitor, the panel with whisker menu, task bar, and launchers, is always at the end, which sometimes is a long way with the mouse.

I have tried expanding the panel but then the whisker menu or the launchers are still a long way.

I have tried duplicating the panels on every monitor but couldn't make that happen.

I have tried multiple panels, which is a pain when I switch from 3 to 1 monitors, because panel 1 and 2 are on top of panel 0.

I have tried disabling panels 1 and 2 when on laptop only by copying one of two xfce4-panel.xml templates but that results in errors when xfce4-panel is started.

I have tried different panels, like Tint2, but they didn't have the options I am looking for.

The best solution for me would be duplicating the panels: same panel on every monitor. But I am open for any other suggestion that would simply make working with multiple monitors a little easier. The main thing is that I would like to have the whisker menu, the task bar, and the launchers nearby, so on every monitor. DateTime is less important, that one can be on one monitor.

I am on Ubuntu 16.04 with XFCE 4.12 (installed using xubuntu).

Any ideas? Either options for xfce4-panel (preferred) or a different panel...

Thanks!!

jerry1970 · 2017-06-27 06:25:40

Just thought of another option but I don't know if this is possible: using the backup and restore options (XFCE4 Panel Switch) from the command line.
The xfce4-panel help shows session management. Is that for panels only? What does that?

ToZ · 2017-06-27 13:13:12

Hello and welcome.

I have tried duplicating the panels on every monitor but couldn't make that happen.

Can you expand a bit on why you couldn't make this happen? You should be able to create a second panel for the external monitor and add some plugins to it. Note that some plugins (indicator-plugin, power-manager-plugin, etc) can only exist on one panel at a time so you won't be able to add them multiple times. The Whisker menu can be added multiple times.

I have tried multiple panels, which is a pain when I switch from 3 to 1 monitors, because panel 1 and 2 are on top of panel 0.

Make sure you specify which Output to set the panel to. If you select "Primary" or "Automatic" it will move the panel to the active display (which is what you are seeing here):

jerry1970 · 2017-06-27 15:38:45

ToZ wrote:

Hello and welcome.

Thanks!

ToZ wrote:

I have tried duplicating the panels on every monitor but couldn't make that happen.
Can you expand a bit on why you couldn't make this happen? You should be able to create a second panel for the external monitor and add some plugins to it. Note that some plugins (indicator-plugin, power-manager-plugin, etc) can only exist on one panel at a time so you won't be able to add them multiple times. The Whisker menu can be added multiple times.

Sorry, I should have been more clear about this. I tried to have a single panel but repeated on all monitors. There is no option for that, as far as I can tell.

I did try to create extra panels, one for each monitor, and added the whisker menu to it, as well as the task bar. I then noticed the whisker menu was at its default state, like they have their own settings file. I then replaced the config files for the 2nd and 3rd whisker menu into symlinks to the first whisker menu so that was solved. The task bar were set to show all active windows so are the same on all monitors.

But the problem with extra panels is that they show up on top of each other when I am at home, where I don't have the 2nd and 3rd monitor.

Now I come to think of it, I could use panel 0 and 1 as the extra panels, so panel 2 is always shown at the top.

I do have scripts to set the monitor placement with arandr and I don't mind adding an extra line that shows or hides the 2nd and 3rd panel, but I can't find a command to hide 2 of the three panels. If that is possible, that solution works for me.

ToZ wrote:

I have tried multiple panels, which is a pain when I switch from 3 to 1 monitors, because panel 1 and 2 are on top of panel 0.
Make sure you specify which Output to set the panel to. If you select "Primary" or "Automatic" it will move the panel to the active display (which is what you are seeing here):
http://en.zimagez.com/miniature/screenshot2017-06-2709-09-57.png

I only see Active, not Primary. But even the panels set to show on Display 2 and 3 are shown on Display 1, and on top of Panel 0...

Thanks for taking time to help me out here! Much appreciated.

Thanks,
Jerry

peter.48 · 2017-06-28 06:24:53

jerry1970 wrote:

I only see Active, not Primary. But even the panels set to show on Display 2 and 3 are shown on Display 1, and on top of Panel 0...

If you open panel preferences with only one screen enabled you have not "output" option, you must configure panels for three screens with three screens enabled.I use /home only for config etc. for all data I have other partition( practic for system reinstall) and with this configuration I can create two users, every one with different panels and screens configuration. Maybe this is solution for your problem( jerry_home for one screen and jerry_job for three screens ;-) ).

jerry1970 · 2017-06-28 18:44:58

peter.48 wrote:

jerry1970 wrote:
I only see Active, not Primary. But even the panels set to show on Display 2 and 3 are shown on Display 1, and on top of Panel 0...
If you open panel preferences with only one screen enabled you have not "output" option, you must configure panels for three screens with three screens enabled.I use /home only for config etc. for all data I have other partition( practic for system reinstall) and with this configuration I can create two users, every one with different panels and screens configuration. Maybe this is solution for your problem( jerry_home for one screen and jerry_job for three screens ;-) ).

Ah I see, different users... That could work. But only if I move (or maybe symlink? probably won't work) the data of course. Hm, tough... I am still hoping for a xfce4-panel command line option to either hide a panel or restore a backup. I cannot believe the GUI has the option to backup and restore panel settings but the command line does not!

alcornoqui · 2017-06-29 21:48:36

Couldn't you create two different sets of config files and switch between them with a simple script, then bind it to a panel button (maybe not ideal in this case) and/or key combination?

I have such scripts/button/keyboard shortcut for things as mute/unmute the microphone, disable transparency for a window, turn the screen off, etc (most of them obtained from this forum), but I don't, it's just an idea...

jerry1970 · 2017-06-30 04:49:12

alcornoqui wrote:

Couldn't you create two different sets of config files and switch between them with a simple script, then bind it to a panel button (maybe not ideal in this case) and/or key combination?
I have such scripts/button/keyboard shortcut for things as mute/unmute the microphone, disable transparency for a window, turn the screen off, etc (most of them obtained from this forum), but I don't, it's just an idea...

I already have scripts for my monitor and sound settings (laptop only, laptop with HDMI and sound output via HDMI, laptop with mirrored display on external monitor, laptop with two extra monitors). I was looking for a script to control the panels, but the xfpanel-switch command (where you can backup and restore panel configurations) does not seem to have a command line interface.

So if someone knows how to use xfpanel-switch (a python script) from the command line that would be the solution!
My python knowledge is not enough for changing the script myself, but if there is no solution I am definitely going to try it.

Cheers,
Jerry

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#1 2017-06-27 06:11:59

panels on single and multiple monitors: repeat or multiple?

#2 2017-06-27 06:25:40

Re: panels on single and multiple monitors: repeat or multiple?

#3 2017-06-27 13:13:12

Re: panels on single and multiple monitors: repeat or multiple?

#4 2017-06-27 15:38:45

Re: panels on single and multiple monitors: repeat or multiple?

#5 2017-06-28 06:24:53

Re: panels on single and multiple monitors: repeat or multiple?

#6 2017-06-28 18:44:58

Re: panels on single and multiple monitors: repeat or multiple?

#7 2017-06-29 21:48:36

Re: panels on single and multiple monitors: repeat or multiple?

#8 2017-06-30 04:49:12

Re: panels on single and multiple monitors: repeat or multiple?

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