how to get one virtual desktop to its own external display while other external display uses other virtual desktops?

I am running two external lcd displays from an HP touchsmart and would like to have one of those only display one of the multiple desktops available. ie-if i have 4 desktops running in linux, can I tell one of the desktops to display on one of my two external displays? That way I can have an open document in fullscreen on display#1 while display #2 shows other desktops. Is this possible? Thanks.

Also, any idead how to do this in Mindows7?

When you say "virtual desktop", do you mean separate wallpapers and such on the two screens, or do you mean how, on one monitor, you can switch between different desktops with different sets of windows?

If you mean the former, KDE does that by default. In order to configure it properly we would need to know your graphics card and driver.

If you mean the latter, which is what the term "virtual desktop" really means, these span all screens. It isn't really possible to do it any other way without running into problems. What if you have a window stretched so it goes across multiple monitors? If you change the virtual desktop on one monitor, what happens to that window? For this reason they always span both screens. Windows still maximize to only be on one of the two screens, and you can have a different desktop on the two screens, but if you change one virtual desktop on one monitor it will change on the other as well.

You may be able to get this if you assign different X screens to the two desktops, but this prevents dragging windows between the two screens, I think.

There is no such thing as virtual desktops at all in Windows. You need to install third-party programs to get this functionality. What you can do with it depends on the virtual desktop program you use. I cannot recommend one because I do not use them myself.

If you just mean having different wallpapers on the two screens, then you still need to install a third-party program to get this functionality. Once again, I cannot recommend one because I do not use them.

Thanks for the quick reply. I was meaning the latter option you mentioned.

I think of it like this: If I have compiz running w 4 workspaces and two external monitors, each running as a separate workspace of the possible 4.

i.e. spin the compiz cube around to workspace #1 on monitor "A" and then spin compiz cube around to show any of the 4 workspaces on monitor "B".

Thanks again, I'll keep a "stretched across two monitors" desktop going until I find a better way.

I havent used Mindows in years and of course havent kept up with what it can do, if much at all. But I'm sure there are some options if I pay enough.