Exposé Behaving Differently? (F11)

[Hemingray]

Okay, I don't normally use Exposé, but today I hit F11, expecting all of my windows to scatter offscreen and expose my desktop (like it's always done in the past), but instead of doing that, this time it scaled down all of my windows into a little box in the lower left-hand corner! I didn't change any preferences (that I know of). Did F11's behavior change in a system update or something? Is anyone else experiencing this or know about this?

 

[Logik]

that's just freaky. try restarting? lol

 

[Daveway]

This is actually a hidden part of expose' that has been around and talked about. It is not available by default because it is known to cause system instability. Do you have any system tweaking software installed?

 

[tech4all]

So if it is a [hidden] feature, what benefit does consolidating all windows into one area have?

 

[Daveway]

So if it is a [hidden] feature, what benefit does consolidating all windows into one area have?

Maybe it's hidden and not used because it has no benefit.

 

[mkrishnan]

Maybe it's hidden and not used because it has no benefit.

IIRC, there might be some way to make this view persist while windows are open. I think the hack people did was to make minimized windows float in micro-form in the corner, instead of disappearing. I'll try to find the reference. Should also tell you how to undo it.

EDIT: Linkety to fix it...but not the stupid human trick I was looking for in terms of what people *did* with it.

 

[ChrisFromCanada]

So if it is a [hidden] feature, what benefit does consolidating all windows into one area have?

It is instead of the show desktop expose command. Ususally you will use show desktop to have easy access to the items (such as you HD) on the right of your screen. Putting them in a box on the left essentially serves the same purpose.

 

[crees!]

I did this before with the Expose hack. Don't remember what the line was you put in the Terminal. Just search for Expose hack / Piles on Google.

 

[mkrishnan]

I did this before with the Expose hack. Don't remember what the line was you put in the Terminal. Just search for Expose hack / Piles on Google.

It was in the link I posted, but it is:

defaults write com.apple.dock wvous-olddesktop -bool true
killall dock (or restart)

 

[Hemingray]

Hm, I installed the newest version of Onyx awhile back, that's probably what caused this.

Personally, I don't mind it all that much. What I hate about the regular F11 is that if you accidentally click on the outer edge you automatically bring all the windows back.

 

[GeeYouEye]

A major problem with that Exposé trick is that, after re-expansion, widgets (close/minimize/resize, scroll bars, toolbars, etc.) that are under where the mini-window was no longer respond to clicks. The only solution is to delete the offending preference and restart the computer (just restarting the Dock isn't enough).

 

[john1123]

Hm, I installed the newest version of Onyx awhile back, that's probably what caused this.

Personally, I don't mind it all that much. What I hate about the regular F11 is that if you accidentally click on the outer edge you automatically bring all the windows back.

onyx is probably what caused it. in onyx, go under appearances -> exposé and the 'minimize desktop' checkbox is the one that changes this.

and just as a comment to a previous post, having the mini desktop has not yet caused any instability on my ibook in the last 3 months.