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dchmelik

Member

From: USA

Registered: 2022-04-02

Posts: 25

Website

[SOLVED] can't disable workspaces

I use monitors, not workspaces, which I removed them all.  However, sometimes XFCE is making a second workspace and moving things to it without me having known... I was wondering where my programs were going to.  I wanted to report this in gitlab.xfce.org but there seems no place to do so.  If someone removes workspaces, please don't then create a second one again.  Isn't there a way to disable them fully/permanently?

Last edited by dchmelik (2022-12-04 09:50:28)

ToZ

Administrator

From: Canada

Registered: 2011-06-02

Posts: 11,000

Re: [SOLVED] can't disable workspaces

However, sometimes XFCE is making a second workspace and moving things to it without me having known...

Xfce won't ever create new workspaces for you. Either you are accidentally creating them or there is some other script/process doing this. There is an option in Desktop Settings > Menu tab that adds "Show add / remove workspace option" that adds the ability to create them on fly via the desktop right-click menu. Try disabling that option so that it isn't inadvertently executed. Also, are you maybe using some other too/script (wmctrl, xdotool, devilspie) that may be creating them?

Isn't there a way to disable them fully/permanently?

Unfortunately no. The best you can do is set them to 1 (Settings Manager > Workspaces) and make sure you aren't somehow creating new workspaces.

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KBar

Moderator

Registered: 2021-11-05

Posts: 689

Re: [SOLVED] can't disable workspaces

Try removing the keyboard shortcuts? I think you're accidentally pressing Alt+Insert, which is the default for Add workspace. Make sure to get rid of them.

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Skaperen

Member

From: right by Jesus, our Saviour

Registered: 2013-06-15

Posts: 819

Re: [SOLVED] can't disable workspaces

when you open any window, it is always opened in the current workspace.  you always have at least one.  the only means to open any window in another workspace is to switch to displaying that workspace, first.  i don't know how having more than one monitor affects that.  there also appears to be a means to tell the window manager that a specific window is to be moved to a specific workspace.  my bet is that the workspace must exist to do that.  the default appears to be 4 workspaces but you could reduce it to just 1.  that would be like having none.  then everything has to be there.  or you could use a window manager that let's you have none or does not implement workspaces.  i don't know how X might work without running a WM at all.  if it works, then getting rid of the WM will get rid of workspaces.

or, windows might be in a totally minimized state.  there should still be a list of them all, somewhere.  i know X has such a list but i do not know if it is available over its API.

dchmelik

Member

From: USA

Registered: 2022-04-02

Posts: 25

Website

Re: [SOLVED] can't disable workspaces

Try removing the keyboard shortcuts? I think you're accidentally pressing Alt+Insert, which is the default for Add workspace. Make sure to get rid of them.

I think that was it.  It was hard to find those shortcuts, but thanks!