DesktopLinux
Home  |  News  |  Articles  |  Forum  |  Polls  |  Blogs  |  Videos  |  ITLink

Keywords: Match:
Expose'-like navigation comes to Linux desktops
Mar. 02, 2006

Kompose', a full-screen window navigator for KDE that acts similar to Mac OS X's Expose', is now available for free download. Like the OS X tool, Kompose' generates thumbnails of open windows and tiles them in groups by current workspace or all workspaces.

The conventional way to navigate among windows in KDE is with the taskbar, or by means of Alt-Tab or Alt-Shift-Tab. But for high-intensity users who might have 10 to 20 windows open at a time, such manual shifting can get tedious. Kompose' creates a full-screen view in which every window is represented by a scaled-down screenshot of its own and is easy to access.


A Kompose' screenshot
(Click to enlarge)

"Thanks to the KDE framework, it is possible to create those screenshots 'on the fly' while you are working without much overhead," a Kompose' team member wrote on the project's website. "The image scaling is done through the high performance image library Imlib2."

When Kompose' is installed, users can simply press Win-Tab to view thumbnails of all the windows on the desktop and quickly select the window they want to use, rather than having to tab through them or search among numerous taskbar items. When using Kompose', the mouse is used to select the desired window.

"Since version 0.5 support for the Composite and Damage extensions has been added, it allows us to display window contents without grabbing screenshots," the project said. "However, with the current state of graphics drivers, XOrg may be awfully slow (or even crash sometimes) when enabling the Composite extension."

Requirements

Kompose' needs at least Qt 3.2 and KDE 3.2, the project said. In addition, Imlib2 is required for image operations; the team asks users to make sure it's compiled with mmx and sse support for faster scaling.

The overall performance of Kompose' depends heavily on your CPU, the project said. "On my 2.4GHz machine, I don't notice any delay when it shows up; delay may however occur on slower CPUs," a project developer wrote on the Kompose' website.

Kompose' was developed on SourceForge.com by BerliOS project, whose website includes forums, bug tracking, a tech support manager, a feature request page, and other items.

Kompose' is released under the GNU GPL.

Further infomation about Kompose' is available here. The software can be downloaded here.



Related stories:


(Click here for further information)


Approaching the Linux Desktop
The purpose of this paper is to help organizations evaluate the Linux desktop against their own enterprise needs and discover what benefits the Linux desktop might bring to their organizations.

Migrating To Linux: Application Challenges and Solutions
Several solutions exist to help organizations migrate in an orderly fashion from Windows to Linux desktops. This paper establishes the characteristics of an ideal cross-platform solution and reviews these alternatives in light of this ideal standard. The paper takes a closer look at the pros and cons of various solutions and outlines the business benefits that can be achieved.

Linux Advantages: Publicly Available Information on Linux Software
This paper offers a brief summary of readily-available Linux information to help businesses sort out this widely misunderstood operating system.

Top 5 Strategies for Managing Linux
Despite continuous evolution in the manageability of Linux, a 2006 survey cited manageability concerns as a top reason why organizations are hesitating to adopt Linux. Levanta believes Linux can be as manageable, if not more so, than other operating systems by following key strategies. These strategic recommendations were developed from experiences in numerous customer environments, both large and small.

Why Choose Novell for Linux?
This paper outlines the benefits of switching to the Linux platform and choosing Novell as a high-performance, enterprise solution.

Enterprise Linux Selection Guide
Considering moving your enterprise to the Linux operating system? Since there are so many similar versions, choosing the right one can be tough. This paper offers a clear process to help you make an informed decision and get the features, support, and cost that are right for your business and technical needs.

Overcoming Challenges in Managing Linux
Levanta has created a new administration model with innovative technology that breaks down the barriers to making the most of Linux systems. This paper will provide an in-depth look at the workings of Levanta’s product, the first Linux appliance of its kind.

SUSE Linux Enterprise 10 for Retail Businesses
Discover why major retailers have switched to SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop in the back office. SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 is a low-cost desktop that offers a complete set of productivity applications and interoperates seamlessly with the other Windows, Macintosh and UNIX desktops in your store.

Moving to a Linux Desktop
Migrating from Windows to Linux on the desktop can be a substantial undertaking because it has the potential for touching -- and perhaps disrupting -- every user in your organization. Unlike a data center (server and infrastructure) migration that is largely transparent to users, the cultural and administrative transitions and environment readiness required to support a Linux desktop migration are extensive.

Seven Good Reasons to Exchange Exchange
This paper describes seven compelling reasons why you should switch from Exchange to Scalix.

 



Got a HOT tip?   please tell us!

ADVERTISEMENT
(Advertise here)

Popular recent stories:
• Lightweight GNOME alternative emerges
• Linux gains action RPG
• World's cheapest Linux-based laptop?
• WiFi software arrives on Linux desktops
• BeOS-like distro focused on content creation
• Graphics board vendor touts faster Linux drivers
• Linux mini-PC takes two Watts to tango
• Hats off to Fedora 9
• Debian looks to launch lenny in Sept.

All-time Classics:
• Choosing a desktop Linux distro
• Banshee -- the next best thing to Linux iTunes
• The Best Free Desktop Linux . . . and how to make it better
• Running World of Warcraft on Ubuntu
• Linux-powered Asus Eee PC mini-laptop arrives
• A simple Linux backup method
• The well-tempered Debian desktop
• What's the best Linux for beginners?
• VirtualBox: The best virtualization program you've never heard of
• Getting to know Puppy Linux
• Xandros 4: The best desktop Linux for Windows users


Desktop Linux books

Join our Desktop Linux discussion forums:
•  Moving to Linux
•  Linux/Windows debate!
•  Linux Q&A
. . . and more


BREAKING NEWS

• Summit debuts for Linux end users
• "UbuntuLite" reviewed
• Linux in the SME
• Linux: not yet photo-friendly
• Linux to gain anti-virus software
• Linux gains backup utility
• Testing Lenny
• HP offers Linux on low-end mini-notes
• Dell shipping five Hardy Heron systems
• IBM pushes "Microsoft-free" desktops
• Unified communications groupware comes to Linux
• Lightweight GNOME alternative emerges
• Freespire lives! Goes back to Debian
• gOS 3.0 goes Gadget crazy
• WiFi software arrives on Linux desktops


Linux-Watch headlines:
• Linux -- not yet photo-friendly
• Microsoft buys additional Linux support
• SFLC publishes GPL compliance guide
• Linux switch vendor sued over GPL
• Judge Kimball rules -- the sequel!
• Microsoft tactics push India toward Linux
• Bell, SuperMicro sued over GPL
• "Business intelligence" software goes GPL
• Will Atom bomb?
• LF Summit videos posted


Visit the...


news feed

Home  |  News  |  Articles  |  Forum  |  Polls  |  About  |  Contact
 

Ziff Davis Enterprise Home | Contact Us | Advertise | Link to Us | Reprints | Magazine Subscriptions | Newsletters
Tech RSS Feeds | White Papers | ROI Calculators | Tech Podcasts | Tech Video | VARs | Channel News

Baseline | Careers | Channel Insider | CIO Insight | DesktopLinux | DeviceForge | DevSource | eSeminars |
eWEEK | Enterprise Network Security | LinuxDevices | Linux Watch | Microsoft Watch | Mid-market | Networking | PDF Zone |
Publish | Security IT Hub | Strategic Partner | Web Buyer's Guide | Windows for Devices

Developer Shed | Dev Shed | ASP Free | Dev Articles | Dev Hardware | SEO Chat | Tutorialized | Scripts |
Code Walkers | Web Hosters | Dev Mechanic | Dev Archives | igrep

Use of this site is governed by our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Except where otherwise specified, the contents of this site are copyright © 1999-2008 Ziff Davis Enterprise Holdings Inc. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Ziff Davis Enterprise is prohibited. Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.