Ability to save window layout and persist between sessions

[robbyoconnor]

It would be super neat if we could save our window layout and persist it between sessions. Making an issue just in case anyone wants it...also to open a dialogue :)

[TheBB]

I think this is essentially desktop-save-mode? Some people have tried to get it working, but it seems more difficult than normal, for some reason.

#1265 #1112

[robbyoconnor]

Ah -- I tried to a search -- but I guess my keywords sucked...

[ghost]

It seems there's some setup for this in spacemacs' config.el, which is disabled...

[robbyoconnor]

so it seems...I guess having this issue isn't going to harm things...I don't know why it's commented out...probably because it doesn't play well...and breaks things...

[bmag]

Well, config.el says about the desktop configuration that "The following code is kept as reference" (line 281).
There is also some minimal config in packages.el (lines 453-459) that just makes sure the desktop file is saved in the cache directory.

I have used desktop-save-mode several times manually - desktop-save before exiting spacemacs, then desktop-read after re-opening spacemacs. I didn't encounter any problems, and the window layout was indeed restored. However, I don't enable desktop-save-mode automatically in my config, so I can't say about using it full time.

[robbyoconnor]

@bmag was it in spacemacs?

[bmag]

yes

[robbyoconnor]

This comment is strictly for reference, once #1958 is merged into develop, I think this can be safely closed.

[Kethku]

I bound some custom bindings to desktop-save-in-desktop-dir and desktop-read which I manually run whenever I need it. In my experience these have worked fine, but the automatic saving and loading does not seem to work from desktop-save-mode. No error, but it doesn't reload the window layout.

[syl20bnr]

@bmag would be cool to be able to save multiple sessions and listing them on the home buffer.

[bmag]

@syl20bnr if you're talking about sessions as understood by the desktop package (i.e. also restore buffers), then I don't know if it's possible, but it might be. If you're talking about window-purpose, then we should talk about window layouts (without restoring buffers), and yes it can be done.

[StreakyCobra]

spacemacs-layout is now in develop ☺️

[tuhdo]

persp-mode is an alternative version of perspective. It can do everything perspective does, plus saving your workspaces and the layouts in them across session. When you open Emacs again, previous workspace with its layout and visible buffers are loaded accordingly.

[tuhdo]

Here is my configuration for persp-mode:

(defun tuhdo/init-persp-mode ()
  (use-package persp-mode
    :init
    (setq persp-save-dir spacemacs-cache-directory)
    (setq persp-lighter "")
    (evil-leader/set-key
      "Ll"  'persp-load-state-from-file
      "Ls"  'persp-save-state-to-file
      "La"  'persp-add-buffer
      "LA"  'persp-set-buffer
      "Lc"  'persp-kill
      "Lk"  'persp-remove-buffer
      "Ln"  'persp-next
      "Lp"  'persp-prev
      "Lr"  'persp-rename
      "Ls"  'persp-switch)
    (with-eval-after-load 'persp-mode
      (with-eval-after-load 'window-numbering
        (define-key window-numbering-keymap (kbd "M-1") 'persp-add-buffer)
        (define-key window-numbering-keymap (kbd "M-2") 'persp-remove-buffer)
        (define-key window-numbering-keymap (kbd "M-3") 'persp-prev)
        (define-key window-numbering-keymap (kbd "M-4") 'persp-next)
        (define-key window-numbering-keymap (kbd "M-5") 'persp-switch))
      (define-key persp-mode-map (kbd "M-1") 'persp-prev)
      (define-key persp-mode-map (kbd "M-2") 'persp-next))))

[tuhdo]

I've just realized that Spacemacs already included persp-mode in develop. Woot. I'm so outdated with Spacemacs development already.

[syl20bnr]

@Thudo spacemacs layouts are persp-mode perspectives, there are a couple of new dotfile variable for layouts, also check the README of the spacemacs layout layer (which is included in the spacemacs distribution).

[mooreniemi]

@tuhdo thanks for sharing your config. my only tweak was to change the mapping for switch, as it was shadowing save.