[gentoo-user] Possible new KDE behavior with multiple screens.

[Dale <rdalek1967@gmail.com>]

Howdy,

Most know a couple things about me, at least a couple.  One, I do things
in a somewhat weird way at times.  Second, I'm also habitual.  I like
things to work the same way unless it makes things easier somehow.  I
noticed a change in KDE recently.  It's not a bad thing, just something
new I think. 

I have 18 virtual desktops here.  Each one generally has its own thing,
email, Konsole, web browser, file manager for certain mount points etc. 
It adds up.  One of my desktops is where I park.  I have gkrellm there
where I can see it even at a little distance.  I also keep Smplayer
focused, I think that is the term, there so I can hit the space bar to
pause or continue playing without having to hit anything else.  I
sometimes come in greasy or something.  About two weeks ago after a
update, I noticed that KDE changed.  Even if I have Smplayer focused, if
I switch desktops, when I come back it defaults back to Gkrellm instead
of Smplayer.  Used to, when I'd switch back, it would remember what was
the focus would and return to that.  So, if I switch desktops after the
update, I lose my focus on Smplayer.  I started digging. 

I first started looking in the task manager settings.  I couldn't find
anything there that would affect it and I tried changing lots of stuff. 
I started looking in other places and eventually, I found something that
I think is new.  I don't recall seeing this setting before but most know
how bad my memory is.  If one goes to the KDE system settings menu, then
click on Window Management and on the left, Window Behavior.  Under the
Focus tab, there is a setting for Multiscreen Behavior at the bottom,
for me at least.  Mine was checked which means it would focus on
whatever was on the active screen, the one with Gkrellm, not Smplayer. 
I unchecked that and it went back to working like it used too. 

For some, the default may be what you want.  For me, it isn't.  So, if
someone else notices that the focus is changed and wants the old way,
that's where the setting is.  It took me a week to find that, off and on
searching.  I hope this will save someone else some time digging for it. 

Dale

:-)  :-)