Geek Rewind

Learn Workspaces and how to use them on Ubuntu Linux

Richard

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Ubuntu 18.04 LTS offers a feature called Workspaces, similar to Windows 10’s virtual desktops, that allows the organization of apps and reduces clutter. Workspaces can be created and manipulated through the workspace selector, and apps can be moved between them via drag and drop. Closing all windows in a workspace removes it.

This article explains Workspaces and how to use them on Ubuntu Linux.

Workspaces on Ubuntu Linux are a feature allowing you to conveniently group apps to stay organized. Like the virtual desktops feature in Windows 10, workspaces provide multiple desktop environments to place different applications.

You can create multiple workspaces, each with different apps, files, and windows open. This feature can help you to organize your work, reduce clutter, and make your desktop easier to navigate.

Workspaces can organize your work, reduce clutter, and make your desktop easier to navigate. For example, if you keep a lot of apps open at once and you want to separate them by tasks, using a virtual desktop or workspace may be helpful.

For example, you could have all your communication windows, such as e-mail and your chat program, on one workspace and your work on a different one.

To use workspaces, click Activities above the vertical bar (dock), then move to the right of your screen to show the workspaces in used plus one empty one.

ubuntu workspaces

Drag a window from an existing workspace onto the empty workspace in the workspace selector to add a workspace. This workspace now contains the app you have dropped, and a new open workspace will appear below it.

To remove a workspace, close or move all its windows to other workspaces. There is always at least one workspace. This is the workspace selector.

You can also move apps from one workspace to another by simply dragging and dropping the apps onto the other workspace. This workspace now contains the apps you have dropped, and a new empty workspace appears at the bottom of the selector.

This is how one uses workspaces to organize applications and files on Ubuntu 18.04 desktop. I hope this helps you get your desktop organized.

Enjoy!

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Richard Avatar
Richard
Richard, the owner and lead writer at Geek Rewind, is a tech enthusiast passionate about simplifying complex IT topics. His years of hands-on experience in system administration and enterprise IT operations have honed his ability to provide practical insights and solutions. Richard aims to make technology more accessible and actionable. He’s deeply committed to the Geek Rewind community, always ready to answer questions and engage in discussions. He enjoys watching football, cheering for the Minnesota Vikings, and spending time with his family when he’s not writing or managing Geek Rewind.

Comments

  1. Coder Avatar
    Coder

    Please give me a break. It seems like this is first version of Ubuntu that you downloaded. For your knowledge Ubuntu had workspaces long before windows. So please correct your facts and not infer that “Like Windows 10 virtual desktops feature, Ubuntu also comes with its own virtual desktops called Workspaces.”

    Reply
  2. hakuisme Avatar
    hakuisme

    simply just hold ALT + SHIT + (UP OR DOWN)

    Reply
    1. Patricio Avatar
      Patricio

      On my keyboard it’s ctrl+alt+ (up or down)

      Reply
    2. Julian Whettam Avatar
      Julian Whettam

      Unfortunately, I don’t have a “SHIT” key on my keyboard 😉

      Reply
    3. Mari Avatar
      Mari

      Excuse me, i’m new in Ubuntu, hope u could help me. How can i add a workspace? i had 4 but made a mistake and deleted them

      Reply
      1. Anonymous Avatar
        Anonymous

        You need to drag and drop a workspace to the gray panel underneath, as the author mentioned.

        Reply
  3. Art McTeagle Avatar
    Art McTeagle

    Thanks, being a Newbie this was very useful to me. I find Gnome quite a bit different to Windows and am often scratching my head when trying to navigate this desktop.

    Reply
  4. ***Redbob Avatar
    ***Redbob

    “Like Windows 10…” That’s the worst comparative to do!!!

    Reply
    1. zxq9 Avatar
      zxq9

      Indeed… Linux desktops have had workspaces and virtual desktops (they aren’t quite the same thing) in Compiz and KDE since the early 2000’s. But new users today are as ignorant of that as they are about “new” Windows 10 features.

      Most users open Firefox and maybe a file manager or LibreOffice — and that’s the end of their exploration.

      Reply
      1. Stepan Avatar
        Stepan

        And what the problem is? It looks like linux users always trying to say that this is the best OS. But a most amount of customers that don’t involve to programming or servers management don’t need Linux.
        It it strange behavior saying that this instrument is the best for the users that don’t need it.
        Windows is much more better in the area of user experience and software support.
        Linux made a great hit last couple of years but it is still far from the point when it will satisfy competitive amount of people.
        P.S. It doesn’t matter when this feature was introduced first.

        Reply
        1. Raphel Avatar
          Raphel

          I know that User XP is a delicated matter, but I don’t agree when you say that “a most amount of customers that don’t involve to programming or servers management don’t need Linux.”. I have had very good feedback from people which I recommended to install linux on their machines. Take for example my mother-in-law. She was having so manu trouble with windows and she just needed a browser to navigate. I installed Linux and she never complained again. My wife hates windows since I put Linux on her machine.
          While there a lot of good software on the open source community I agree that Linux still lacks some of the software that used by some professionals. But like zxq9 said the common people just like to navigate the internet, watch some movie, and maybe edit one or another document.

          Reply
  5. Tom Markham Avatar
    Tom Markham

    Thank you very much. I don’t really seen the sense of setting up separate workspaces when all I have to do is click on the app I want to use on my taskbar.

    Reply
  6. edgarrod Avatar
    edgarrod

    I don’t know what the heck is going on with these Windoze fans, they say Windows did it first! … the other day I watch TV and there was a stupid guy saying that Steve Jobs “copied” Windows to Mac! This crazy world!!!

    Reply
    1. Arthur Avatar
      Arthur

      Exactly!…

      Reply
    2. fsc137 Avatar
      fsc137

      Nope, Steve Jobs copied Xerox PARC’s window to Mac.

      Reply
  7. Can Avatar
    Can

    Linux Distros (including ubuntu) has it long before windows. I’ve started using ubuntu in 2007 or 2008 this feature was already there in those days.

    Reply
  8. Farzad Avatar
    Farzad

    Hello. I am a new user of Linux and I am as such because I am trying to escape Windows. I am into astro imaging and have had to partition my Mac to have a Windows 10 Pro on it so that I can remotely manage my astronomy computers that also require Windows 10 pro just so they can be remoted in. Imagine Windows 10 Pro on a little PC Stick.

    I am happy that Linux has a GUI, but the GUI may be the reason some users are getting lazy about “knowing Linux” operations that are now under the hood of the GUI.

    I ran across this blog because I am trying to see how I can configure a “headless” remote host for remote access using Rammina or similar tools.

    Reply
  9. AOP Avatar
    AOP

    Thanks. is there a shortcut for Activities?

    Reply
  10. Julius Nepos Avatar
    Julius Nepos

    As with most things written for students this is completely unhelpful. Ubuntu 18.04 has no “activities menu” nor is any such creature outlined in the documentation. There is only one menu: not mutliple named menus.
    Without this no way to open additional Workspaces is given. A lot of writing leading to nothing.

    Reply

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