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Ideas on modernizing the open-source desktop

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  1. Roark66 · · focus · HN ↗
    I too am in the "it's done, it works well, don't mess with it" camp.

    I've tested everything. Xfce, tiling window managers, kde. Eventually I settled on Gnome, but I incorporate few "tiling features". Such as keystroke changing workspaces on one monitor and the second monitor always showing the same few "always on" apps.

    I always have my terminal with tmux full screen on workspace 1. My Web browser on no 2. My IDE on 4 and my password manager on 9. Then if I watch a video it's always on 3, if I do graphics work it's always on 5 and so on.

    I use ctrl-super-number to switch workspaces. If I need to move current window it's ctrl-shift-super-number.

    On a work windows mashine I use the exa t same keys thanks to AutoHotkey software. So I have the exact same work flow on Linux and Windows. The only difference is on Windows workspace 1 is WSL terminal.

    Ive been working like this for years. Select copy and paste works fine with left/right mouse button.

    I have all my widgets I need showing the temperatures, what my pc and network are doing.

    Why would I want to change anything?

    1. sandreas · · focus · HN ↗
      The only thing I'm missing with the workspaces or tiling WM is slide in Windows for cross cutting concerns...

      Want a terminal on the exact screen/workspace without minimizing windows or switching workspaces?

      Want to drag a file from a file manager into an open Window?

      Want to lookup something in your contacts or calendar?

      I thought of something like quake-mode [1]/ guake as global overlay triggered by a shortcut like super+t for terminal etc. Would be a nice Addition to cosmic with tiling i think. Did not find the time for a PR yet.

      1: <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;github.com&#x2F;repsac-by&#x2F;gnome-shell-extension-quake-mode" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;github.com&#x2F;repsac-by&#x2F;gnome-shell-extension-quake-mod...

      1. somat · · focus · HN ↗
        Spectrwm(rather obscure, but I like it) has a free window mode for things like this. where free windows are in all workspaces. Define some hotkeys for the special app invocation and perhaps add a protected region to keep normal windows out.

        <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;github.com&#x2F;conformal&#x2F;spectrwm" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;github.com&#x2F;conformal&#x2F;spectrwm

        And a rendered manual <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;manpages.debian.org&#x2F;trixie&#x2F;spectrwm&#x2F;spectrwm.1.en.html" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;manpages.debian.org&#x2F;trixie&#x2F;spectrwm&#x2F;spectrwm.1.en.ht...

        I had fun figuring it out one day, but the way I use the computer it did not provide much utility. so my config stays rather stock.

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