Help with workspace handling

Support & Help Requests
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1

Hi,

I'm using Ubuntu MATE 19.10 with the default WM.

  1. I'd like to be able to have certain apps automatically open in a specific workspace and have MATE switch to that workspace when I launch the app. (This is my main goal)

  2. I'd like to be able to have a single keyboard shortcut that would switch a window to a workspace and open that workspace (like how it works in Gnome3). Is there a way to have this be one shortcut? Or is there a way to script a new keyboard shortcut to execute the already available shortcuts to switch a window to a workspace and switch to actual visible workspace? (This is a secondary goal that I'd like to accomplish if possible)

I have gotten a similar workflow working on Gnome3, but I like Mate because it's more lightweight and customizable. I'd like to be able to be able to have similar workflow on Mate.

Is any of this possible to configure? Thanks for any help that you can offer.

2
  1. I'm not sure how to do this... Also, it is not entirely clear what you mean. When you mean open automatically, you mean during startup?
  2. Shift + Ctrl + Alt + Arrow-key direction will move window to the workspace in that direction and automatically switch to that workspace.
3

Hi.
Thanks for the advice on #2. For #1, when I launch a specific program (like by clicking on its launcher on the dock), I want to open in a specific workspace and then switch to that workspace (so that program I just launched is visible)
Thanks

4

I've never tried doing that before, but I found this on the internet: https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-software-2/mate-desktop-open-apps-in-a-specific-workspace-4175549636/

I don't know if the information is outdated, so I don't know if it is still impossible with the default Marco window manager.

Edit: Apparently there is a feature request/issue on GitHub.

5

I will look into that when tomorrow (I'm out of town today). Thanks for your help. It is much appreciated. Sorry for my garbled explanation.

That github command suggestion does seem like a cleaner solution, though. Then I could edit the .desktop files to open the applications on the workspace I want.

6

devilspie can probably do it, if you don't want to have to change your WM just for this.