this post was submitted on 05 Jul 2025
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Question is in the title: What is the supposed workflow for vanilla Gnome for keyboard users?

Is there any video/design documents which explain, how the workflow is supposed to be?

Assume, I have a full screen web browser on workspace 1. Now I want to have a terminal... I hit the super-key, type terminal, hit enter ... and then I have a terminal which does not start maximized on workspace 1, so I can either maximize the terminal and switch between the applications, arrange them side by side... or I can navigate to workspace 2, start the terminal there (the terminal will not start maximized again on an empty workspace 2) ... and switch between the two workspaces (AFAIK there are no hotkeys specified by default to navigate directly to a workspace)...

What I simply do not understand: Does the vanilla Gnome workflow expect you to use mouse and keyboard? Like hit super, use mouse to go to next workspace, type terminal, click to maximize terminal (or use super-up)?

It just seems like a lot of work/clicks/keys to achieve something simple. And to my understanding Gnome expects you to use basically every application with a full screen window anyway, so why does it not open a new application on the next free workspace full screen by default?

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[–] CCRhode@lemmy.ml 4 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

I hit the super-key, type terminal, hit enter

I harbor nostalgia for the old Windows 3 desktop icon grid, so I open a file manager window pointing to ~/Desktop and display the *.desktop shortcuts there as icons. This is done automatically when gdm starts. My file manager is PCManFM, which is a rip-off of nautilus. Double-clicking on an icon opens the shortcut — be it to a terminal or a graphical application. I have to alt-tab to the PCManFM window of course, so I need the keyboard. Then I have to double-click with the mouse. It's keeping both hemispheres of the brain active: subject/verb, left/right.

then I have a terminal which does not start maximized on workspace 1

I run devilspie in the background to catch windows of certain applications such as terminal and maximize them on the fly. For this reason, I must disable wayland.

Does the vanilla Gnome workflow expect you to use mouse and keyboard?

Yes, both, apparently.

It just seems like a lot of work/clicks/keys to achieve something simple.

Well, that's what you get for downplaying the role of icon grids.