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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

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What Tweak, Program, ... changes a Desktop Environment from unusable to great for you? (beehaw.org)

submitted 11 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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I have used Linux on and off for 15 years. I consider myself a casual user and stuck to the mainstream DEs (mostly KDE, XFCE and some Cinnamon). Gnome has been a hurdle for me before and after the big version 40 changes, I couldn't get my head around how they handled the workspaces and workflow. At some point I I tried out an extension hat changed all of it.

Material Shell

It moves the workspaces to a vertical panel and the programs onto a horizontal panel. In a workspace you can view the programs full screen or tile them.

Several Programs inside a Workspace. It's basically they same way Gnome works. However for some reason it just makes sense in my brain. No idea why. (I'm looking at WMs that work in a similar way atm. Maybe I'll take the plunge away from DEs at some point)

Has such a small change ever saved a Desktop Environment for you and is essential if you ever install it?

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I really like compositor/wm/DE which allow for keyboard driven movement of windows between workspaces and workspaces between monitors. Especially the latter requirement is only met by a few wms, e.g. sway/i3, hyprland.

I can't stand it if switching to the next workspace all workspaces on all monitors change. This makes it annoying to use with a second monitor that mostly display the same windows (e.g. messaging, video, docs).

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

compositor/wm/DE which allow for keyboard driven movement of windows between workspaces and workspaces between monitors

Wait isn't that standard? It should be supported by all of them.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I don't think Gnome, KDE and XFCE support moving workspaces between monitors. They only support moving windows between workspaces and monitors.

Sway/i3 have a single set of workspaces while most DEs have a set for each monitor. On these DEs switching between workspaces applies to all monitors.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago

That's true, most WMs have a simplistic workspace geometry, where they spread a workspace across all monitors (regardless of their placement). I suspect that, since the workspace abstraction comes above monitors it may not even be possible for them to have a workspace split between monitors.