Hi, I use activities just to have two different widget sets, but I really don't want to be forced to switch activities just to alt-tab from a window started in one activity to a windows started in another. Can I make alt-tab show windows from all activities?

I notice with the taskbar, this is thankfully an option.

(If it's that important, I would be ok with windows from other activities being pushed to the end of the alt-tab list, perhaps even shown in a smaller font, as long as I don't have to First switch activity, Then alt-tab, then do whatever, Then switch back activity, Then alt-tab back... that quickly becomes a bore. I'm sure they mean well, I just can't get used to them doing that.)

Alternatively, is there a way to by default show all applications (not widgets) on all activities?

(I'm not sure, I haven't used 4.6 yet, but) I believe you can get different widget sets on each virtual desktop without resorting to multiple activities (an activity is intended to be all contextual information relating to a certain task, whereas virtual desktops are intended to be extra space for the current task - be it extra space for windows or extra space for widgets).

That said, if it alt-tab across activities is not available you should probably submit it as a new idea in Brainstorm.

to get different widget sets on each virtual desktop try:

systemsettings -> workspace behavior -> virtual desktops -> desktops -> check "different widgets for each desktop"

not sure if this is new to 4.6 or was existing

With VD's, windows change when you switch VD's, so not really a solution. Or perhaps you can by default make all windows sticky... sounds kludgy :/

aren't windows stick'able in VD's? right click on title bar -> to desktop -> all desktops

google01103 wrote:to get different widget sets on each virtual desktop try:

systemsettings -> workspace behavior -> virtual desktops -> desktops -> check "different widgets for each desktop"

not sure if this is new to 4.6 or was existing

It was available in 4.5 as well.

google01103 wrote:aren't windows stick'able in VD's? right click on title bar -> to desktop -> all desktops

That only applies to a single window/application. Is there a way to set up a rule that all windows are automatically sticky?

So using Virtual Desktops runs into similar concerns as with the multiple activities for multiple widget sets.
The following are differences between activities and virtual desktops which are relevant here:
* (I believe) You can set it so that windows are global across activities by default (I haven't used 4.6, so I can't say for certain), but you have to do that per-window/application for virtual desktops.
* There is (intended to be) a greater context switch between activities than between virtual desktops. Virtual desktops is just a mechanism for showing and hiding windows - extra space. Activities are intended to represent everything you might associate with a particular task - you only need separate activities if you have separable tasks. This is probably the reason why you can't alt-tab between windows on different activities - they are in a different context.
* You already can use alt-tab to switch between windows on other virtual desktops (configurable in system settings).

Ah, thank you for that explanation. Guess I'll give VD's another shot then...