[launcher] In multimonitor setup Unity-2D only shows launcher on one monitor (fails MM UX spec #2.8)

This is by design: the launcher sidebar is always on the leftmost monitor. In fact, positioning it on another monitor would create unwanted interaction issues, in particular in combination with the 'edge-reveal' behaviour.

OK, if this issue is by design, why is it not implemented in unity (3d). In my view it's working as expected in regular unity, not in unity 2d. In any case it's different in both versions...
In unity I have the launcher in my primary, large, righthand side monitor; in unity 2d I have it in my secondary, small, lefthand side monitor...

I’d say that it’s a bug in Unity: it’s inconsistent to have the launcher in the middle of the virtual desktop.

I'm marking this needs-design, because currently we have 2 different implementations:

1) Unity (3D) puts the launcher and the BFB on the primary monitor (it could be the left one or even the right one, the choice is the user's).
2) Unity-2d puts the launcher and BFB on the left monitor regardless of whether its the primary monitor or not

Which one is more appropriate?

I'd go for implementation 1; I'm sure you have examples where having the launcher on the left monitor isn't the best way
quick example: 3-monitor setup: left, primary (middle) & right
left = stats/uptime monitor or mail; ... always open;
middle= normal working area
right = some other stats/app

in this case, having the launcher on the left screen is far from productive;

As of current precise, it appears behavior has changed, but still is inconsistent.

In Unity3D there are launchers on both displays. In Unity2D there is just one (on the left-most display).

As per the multi-monitor specification, the bug is with Unity2D:

"""
2.8. Launcher

The Launcher is now available on all displays. Each Launcher contains the same set of application icons, showing both pinned and running applications.
"""

This bug was fixed in the package unity-2d - 5.7.0-0ubuntu1

---------------
unity-2d (5.7.0-0ubuntu1) precise; urgency=low

  * New upstream release:
    - unity-2d-panel crashed with SIGABRT in Unity2dDebug::unity2dQtHandler()
      (LP: #925457)
    - unity-2d-shell crashed with SIGSEGV in ref() (LP: #947278)
    - Launcher - Make Launcher left of screen reveal more responsive and less
      prone to false positives (LP: #765819)
    - [dash] [launcher] [panel] Tinting based on wallpaper missing
      (LP: #882101)
    - [launcher] In multimonitor setup Unity-2D only shows launcher on one
      monitor (fails MM UX spec #2.8) (LP: #780204)
    - [unity-2d] FF exception to add PointerBarrier to Unity2d (LP: #947976)
    - multimonitor, launcher: Provide an option to display either a single
      launcher or a launcher on each display in a multi-monitor environment
      (LP: #950136)
    - lens switching is not keyboard navigable (LP: #945220)
    - [panel] [multi-monitor] On secondary screen, unable to scrub from
      indicator menu to app menu (LP: #844809)
    - "Workspaces" button displays previous wallpaper (LP: #900019)
    - Dash - cursor should change when pointer is over the search field
      (LP: #849175)
    - Filter checkboxes are without margins in right to left locales
      (LP: #949319)
    - [panel] [multi-monitor] Open indicator menu on one screen causes other
      indicator to look open too (LP: #844798)
    - Dash - horizental divider line in between categories incorrectly drawn
      (LP: #841750)
    - [launcher] Tile Progress bar starting from left of launcher, not
      container (LP: #912777)
    - Dash - dash is not closed with alt+f4 (LP: #891818)
    - [dash] Rating stars in right-to-left locales behave inconsistently.
      (LP: #945719)
    - LensButton.qml:72 warning when running unity-2d (LP: #947276)
    - [dash] Multi-range filters are rendered incorrectly in right-to-left
      locales (LP: #950649)
  * debian/unity-2d.gconf-defaults:
    - removed: not used anymore and causing regression with hide-mode=2
      by default, converted to the gsettings key (LP: #942772)
  * debian/unity-2d.preinst:
    - removed, was a natty -> oneiric transition
  * debian/control, debian/unity-2d-common.install:
    - create unity-2d-common and make some packages depending on it
    - move some files from unity-2d package to unity-2d-common
      (gsettings and apport hook) to have packaging shipping their schema
      (LP: #925457)
  * debian/unity-2d-common.install.in:
    - no more gconf -> gsettings migration shipped
  * debian/unity-2d.postinst, prerm, trigger:
    - moved to unity-2d-common new package, to ensure even people uninstalling
      unity-2d got the right metacity configuration in the session
    - update the trigger to the correct directory
  * debian/control:
    - bump to latest Standards-Version
    - fix some too long description
    - put the transitional packages in the oldlibs/extra section
    - build-dep on libxtst-dev, libxfixes-dev for barrier change
    - need latest metacity for barriers to work
 -- Didier Roche <email address hidden> Mon, 19 Mar 2012 14:07:10 +0100