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Is there a way to minimize all windows on the desktop? I've searched for this and not found a way to do it.
One answer I ran across was to use another desktop when you want a clean one. That's what I do but I still could use a clear desktop button. If there's not a way to do it, no great loss, but I'd like to know if I'm wasting my time searching for it.
I think he is wanting a "Show Desktop" type button (like in winXP). Which will minimize all windows on the current desktop, which results in the desktop being "visible"...
But I have no idea on how to do this, although I imagine that it can't be too hard to implement on a window manager like Gnome..
"i use the 'Desktop Access' button on kde.
right click panel, add special button>desktop access"
This helps.
I'm using Redhat V9 with Gnome and I found the "Show Desktop" button:
right click panel, add-to-panel -> utility --> show desktop button
voila!
The problem now is that when I click on any of the minimized windows on the panel (after using the minimize button), they all open instead of just the one that I clicked. Not really the functionality I had in mind, but whatever.
"Ctrl-Alt-D
Also see, or if that doesn't work: Main Menu>Prefrences>Keyboard Shortcuts. It's about 2/3-3/4 of the way down the list."
That is also useful info, I did not know that.
However, I would like to make a distinction between "show desktop" and "minimize all windows". The "show desktop" function clears the desktop and then restores all windows to their previous state (which may or may not have been minimized) whenever any of them are unminimized or the "show desktop button is pressed again (or ctrl-alt-d). The "minimize all windows" function would actually minimize all the windows such that each would have to be unminimized individually. Now, I'm happy with the "show desktop" function so I'm not going to complain about not having the other function but if it ever does appear I will use both of them.
i haven't been using Linux long, but the inability to minimize the desktop easily was really frustrating me. i decided to search and search, which is painful when you want to do very simple tasks. i found this thread and i just want to say thanks, and most of all thanks for your patience. i know you guys have probably been answering 100-200 level questions for a long time, and get frustrated by users not searching, or just the newbie version of questions. well, here's the feel-good "thanks" that you deserve, and the continued ask for patience. this was very helpful, i'm glad i found this thread.
i'm now searching for answers for 2 other questions related to building the kernel.
Is there a way to minimize all windows on the desktop? I've searched for this and not found a way to do it.
One answer I ran across was to use another desktop when you want a clean one. That's what I do but I still could use a clear desktop button. If there's not a way to do it, no great loss, but I'd like to know if I'm wasting my time searching for it.
In gnome based Ubuntu this is by default set up. This means since gnome is being used the same can be done on your machine very easily.
Right click a gnome-panel and select 'Add to Panel...' Scroll way down, it's alphabetical, and select 'Show Desktop'. If there is no such option on your machine that means that Ubuntu has something installed that you don't have installed. If such is the case just reply back saying that it didn't work and I'll hunt down the package for you.
Keep in mind that the last post before yours was six(6) years ago. Things have changed a tremendous amount on the gui front over that time. We try not to dig up threads that are more than a year(roughly) old, unless the issue is still "current".
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