With the release of GNOME 3, I see that it is designed to be used in a whole new way than the way I am using my Desktop right now. Having had my roots, like many others, in Windows 9x, I am accustomed to using one single workspace and relying heavily on the taskbar for a preview on what is running and to switch between applications.

GNOME 3 is designed in such a way that you need to spread your applications over different (dynamic) workspaces. Having no taskbar (although you can add tint2 for the taskbar), my style of using the desktop, having all apps in one workspace, will make me tremendously unproductive.

The reason I am posting this is because I guess it is time for me to change the way I use a Linux desktop. I am looking for any tips and tricks on effective use of multiple workspaces rather than using one workspace and relying heavily on the taskbar.

Thanks.

Actually, virtual desktops AKA workspaces has been around for quite awhile (According to wikipedia 1985, first time on the Amiga). I tend to open many terminal windows and like to have them spread out.

I learned how useful virtual desktops are when I experimented with awesome wm on Debian. It is very handy to have different desktops with different layouts for different purposes.
I like that so much that I am now using Xmonad instead of xfwm4 in XFCE.

I think the best tip you can use is about keyboard shortcuts to switch quickly between applications and workspaces.

http://www.multimediaboom.com/gnome-...use-shortcuts/

1 members found this post helpful.

I've never used Windows, so Linux was my first GUI. The idea of not having workspaces would fill me with despair! As for a taskbar, that's the first thing to be deleted from my panel.

It depends on that sort of applications you run, but I find that moving between workspaces with the keyboard is better than having to reach for a mouse. The default is Ctrl-Alt-Cursor for switching and Ctrl-Alt-Shift-Cursor for moving a window to another workspace. You can improve things by altering these: Super-Cursor for switching and Super-Home/End for moving. Some people prefer to think in terms of numbered workspaces, rather than "the one to the left/right". In that case, you can have Super-1 for switch to the first, etc.

Personally, F2F, all people I know come from a Windows bg, and the idea of using workspace is alien to them. As for the taskbar, a big :O from me!

To stick with GNOME 3, I see that I need to change the way I operate a desktop.

I would be glad if you described me how you typically use your desktop on a daily basis.

Thanks.

Actually, workspaces have always been available for Windows (see MS Power Toys), but so few people know about them that most software is never tested with them and a lot has problems.

As I said, I like to keep my hands on the keyboard. Switching between two windows with Alt-Tab is OK, but if I need more than two I spread them over my workspaces. In answering some questions here today, I have two Opera windows (LinuxQuestions and everthing else) in one workspace and Writer sitting on an adjacent one to check my notes. Obviously, the pager will identify different applications, but not different windows from the same application; but if I have two spreadsheets open, I don't forget which is which.