I just want to be able to move an image across a larger canvas. Using the 'float' option just moves the image within the window of a selection, so you are left with a corner of the image on an otherwise empty canvas. What I need is a way to pick up a selection as a whole and move it around entirely in one piece on a canvas.

Ultimate goal would be to compare two images next to eachother in one picture, but using layers you are left with the same problem, there does not seem to be a way to move the contents of a layer across a larger canvas. All that accomplishes is having a smaller image in the upper left corner of the canvas, when you then try to select the image and move it around on the canvas, the same thing happens, you just move the selection within the selected window, it does not actually move on the canvas.

When you pull it to the right, any pixel you pull it to the right is no longer visible, pull it to the lower part of the canvas, any pixel of movement results in every pixel on the underside of the selection being no longer visible.

I am guessing that you do not need that active selection.

A short video that might help. I have done it back to front. Two images next to each other followed by moving a selection around a canvas. Might help

https://youtu.be/oi9fvzFn2dc duration 2 and a half minutes.