multiple desktops
 

I am running gnome.

Is it possible to have multiple desktops (rather than multiple workspaces). I would like to have different desktop icons and a different background for each desktop.

Only if each desktop is set to a different user, as far as I know.

You could check out this program:

http://wallpapoz.akbarhome.com/

Never used it, but it looked like something that could help... at least with the backgrounds.

strange. this seems like such a simple and useful idea. if workspaces can be useful, certainly virtual desktops can be useful as well. All I would need is a ~/Desktop1, ~/Desktop2, etc. along with different backgrounds.

Get out your hacking tools and add that feature :) Or place a request for it. It doesn't seem to be too difficult to implement.

If you have mulitple monitors, and setup a dual-screen serverlayout in xorg.conf, you can have multiple desktops with separate icons and wallpapers etc. (edit: I guess it's concievable as well that you could do this with one monitor, but I'm not sure how that would work out in practice /edit)

And you can launch a second x server with a different (or the same) DE/WM as well, if you only have one monitor. It would go something like:
but I'm just pulling that out of my ass and it's likely a bit more involved than that (possibly not though, I don't know for sure). if you use the same WM/DE and the same user though, I don't think that will give you ~/Desktop1, ~/Desktop2 etc.