Problem with workspace-organization

Desktop
1

Hi,

the concept of Gnome is great, but sometimes there is a little problem with it, that could be fixed easily.

Premise:
There are more than 2 workspaces used. On one workspace you have too many windows and want to move some of them to another workspace. But: they belong to the work that is done in the “overcrowded” workspace.

Problem:
You have 2 options:

  • Option 1: You can move them to the last workspace. This workspace is empty.
    Problem: Then you cannot switch fast and easy between the workspaces with the windows associated with your job. Either you have to use the activities-overview every time or you have to use the keyboard-shortcut to switch to the other workspace multiple times. (And if there are more workspaces added later, you also have to stop at the right position and cannot go to the last workspace - that would be too far.

  • Option 2: You can move the windows to the next workspace. If the related windows are on adjacent workspaces you can easy switch between them with the shortcut for switching between workspaces.
    Problem: Then the moved windows are on a workspace with other windows for other work to be done. And maybe then this workspace is too “overcrowded” and you have to move the windows that were on this workspace, and so on and so on…

Solution:
The solution is very easy. Two things should be possible:

  1. To rearrange workspaces.
  2. To drag a window between two workspaces in the activities-overview should create a new workspace between the existing workspaces with that window.

With these two new features the problem would be solved,

Problems:
None.
Because it doesn’t affect any other concept that is used today, nothing will be broken with these new features.

My opinion:
I think this would be a huge improvement for the usability of Gnome. Or am I wrong? What do you think?

2
  1. To drag a window between two workspaces in the activities-overview should create a new workspace between the existing workspaces with that window.

You can drag a window from the workspace between workspace thumbnails in the overview.

  1. To rearrange workspaces.

Extensions are available: Reorder Workspaces, Custom Hot Corners - Extended (custom mouse and keyboard shortcuts), V-Shell (a more complex extension to customize the Shell) - Shift+Scroll or Shift+PgUp/Down in the overview.

3

But extensions are not a solution, when you work on a computer, where you are not allowed (and often not able) to install extensions, plugins, addons and other software. E.g. at work, in school, in university…

Therefore features that are necessary for a good workflow or as a solution for some use-cases should not rely on extensions, but be built-in into the core system. Especially when they don’t change the known and established behaviour, but only extend it, like in this example.

4

Dragging a window between workspaces to create a new workspace is a built-in feature.

5

Yes, I don’t know why it first didn’t work for me.

But rearranging the workspaces needs an extension.

But I agree, that dragging windows between workspaces in the overview is more important than rearranging workspaces.

6

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