How to work with workspace in GNOME

Workspace or Virtual Desktop is a major feature of the Linux desktop. It has been around for a long time and is available for almost every Linux window manager. However, when Gnome switched to version 3, the development team decided to hide the workspace to go towards a minimalist approach.

To use them, you must know about the existence of previous workspaces, come across them or read a document like this little tutorial. Read on to learn how to work with multiple workspaces in GNOME.

What are those workspaces and where are they located?

A workspace is a copy of the desktop in different areas (or screens). You can then organize your desktop by moving different groups of applications to different screens. For example, you can have Firefox, Skype and Slack windows, neatly organized on a workspace you use for all Internet applications; Sublime Text, FTP client and terminal on another workspace; time and task management application on a third workspace; etc. Instead of constantly minimizing and maximizing windows, you can now switch workspaces for instant access to all applications.

In Gnome 3, you'll find the workspace dashboard by pressing the key Win(also known as the Super key ) on the keyboard. The workspace dashboard will be on the right of the screen. If you do not run any applications, you will only see the main workspace.

Main workspace

If there is at least one unique window open on this main workspace, GNOME automatically creates a second blank workspace. When you drag an application into the second workspace, Gnome will create a third blank workspace.

GNOME always creates more than 1 workspace than you use

Previously, Gnome worked with a number of fixed workspaces that you can adjust to your liking. GNOME 3 now manages the number of workspaces by always creating more than one workspace than the number you use or closing workspaces without windows in them.

Move applications between workspaces

Suppose you have two applications open, LibreOffice file manager and Writer.

To move one of the windows to another workspace, first press the key Winto display Activities. Click and hold the left mouse button on its large preview in the middle of the screen, then drag it right into the workspace where you want to move.

Move applications between workspaces

To create a new workspace between existing ones, you must use the workspace dashboard. Drag and drop the application window directly between the two existing workspaces. You should see a glowing dividing line appear between them, to show that a new workspace will be created there, containing the window when you release the mouse button.

The workspace contains the window when you release the mouse button

Another way to send a window to another workspace is to right click on the title bar. Select 'Move to workspace Up' or 'Move to workspace Down' to move the window to the previous or previous workspace.

Choose 'Move to workspace Up' or 'Move to workspace Down'

You can also use keyboard shortcuts to manage your workspace and move windows around them:

1. Win + Page Up or Page Down will move to the previous / next workspace. You can do the same by pressing Ctrl + Alt , then press the cursor keys up and down.
2. Win + Shift + Page Up or Page Down or Ctrl + Alt + Shift
3. Win + Home and Win + End take you to the first and last workspace, respectively.
4. Win + Shift + Home or Win + Shift + End to move the active window to the first / last workspace.