Table of Contents
Understanding Workspaces
Workspaces are like having several separate desktops on a single screen. Each workspace can hold its own set of windows and applications. Instead of piling everything on one crowded desktop, you spread your work across multiple virtual spaces.
Most modern Linux desktop environments such as GNOME, KDE Plasma, and XFCE support workspaces, although they sometimes use different names such as virtual desktops or activities. The basic idea remains the same. You switch between these spaces to organize tasks, for example one workspace for web browsing and email, another for coding, and another for chat.
Some environments provide a fixed number of workspaces, such as four by default, while others create and remove workspaces dynamically as you open and close windows. The workspace switcher may appear as a grid, a strip, or thumbnails in an overview screen, depending on the desktop environment.
Important: A workspace is a separate virtual desktop that groups windows together. Switching workspaces changes which group of windows is visible, without closing any applications.
Switching Between Workspaces
There are usually three ways to move between workspaces. First, you can use keyboard shortcuts. Second, you can use mouse actions in a workspace overview or panel. Third, in some desktop environments you can use touchpad gestures.
Keyboard shortcuts are the most efficient. For example, on GNOME, Super + Page Up and Super + Page Down often move between vertical workspaces, while Super alone opens an overview where you can select a workspace with the mouse. On KDE Plasma, common defaults include Ctrl + F1, Ctrl + F2, and similar combinations to jump directly to a numbered workspace, and shortcuts like Ctrl + Alt + Left or Ctrl + Alt + Right to move to the previous or next workspace. XFCE and some other environments often use Ctrl + Alt + Up, Ctrl + Alt + Down, or left and right variants.
Mouse based switching usually involves clicking on a workspace indicator in a panel, or entering an overview that shows all workspaces and their open windows. You may see small rectangles or thumbnails, each representing a workspace. A single click on a workspace selector switches to it.
Touchpad gestures can also help. Some configurations allow a three or four finger swipe to open an overview or move between workspaces. This depends on your desktop environment and driver support, and can usually be configured in the system settings under touchpad or gestures.
Moving Windows Between Workspaces
You do not have to close and reopen applications to reorganize them. Instead, you move windows between workspaces. This lets you keep related applications together.
Most desktop environments let you move the focused window to another workspace using a keyboard shortcut, such as Shift combined with the normal workspace switching keys. For example, if Ctrl + Alt + Right moves you to the next workspace, Shift + Ctrl + Alt + Right might move the current window to the next workspace while keeping focus with it. Exact shortcuts vary, and you can usually change them in your keyboard settings.
You can also use window menus. Right click on the title bar of a window and look for options such as "Move to Workspace", "Send to Desktop", or similar wording. This menu may show a list of workspace numbers or thumbnails. Clicking one sends that window to the selected workspace.
In an overview mode, some environments let you drag a window thumbnail from one workspace area to another. This gives you a clear visual way to organize windows. You simply open the overview, drag the window icon or preview, and drop it on the desired workspace region.
Tiling, Stacking, and Floating Windows
Window management determines how windows are arranged on each workspace. Most traditional Linux desktops are stacking or floating window managers by default, which means windows overlap and you can place them almost anywhere.
Tiling window management arranges windows so they do not overlap. Instead, windows fill the screen in tiles. When you open a new window, it automatically takes up part of the available space and shifts existing windows. Tiling can be automatic, as seen in dedicated tiling window managers, or semi automatic, as in mainstream desktops that support snapping windows to halves or quarters of the screen.
Stacking window management uses overlapping windows. New windows stack on top of older ones. You use title bars, taskbars, or overview modes to bring the window you want to the front. This is the behavior you see in many traditional desktop systems.
Floating is often a term used when windows are free to move and resize without being strictly tiled. Many environments mix approaches, letting you tile some windows and float others.
Each approach affects how you use workspaces. With tiling, one workspace can contain a very organized set of windows, each visible at once. With stacking and floating, you may rely more on multiple workspaces so that a single workspace does not become too cluttered.
Basic Window Actions
Regardless of desktop environment, you will use the same basic actions on windows. You can move, resize, minimize, maximize, and close windows. You control these through title bars, window buttons, mouse actions, and keyboard shortcuts.
To move a window, you usually click and drag its title bar. Many environments also let you hold a key such as Alt and drag from anywhere inside the window with the mouse. To resize, you drag the edges or corners of the window. Some desktops support key combinations that resize a window in fixed steps or move it to a specific side of the screen.
Minimizing hides the window from the current workspace without closing it. It often shows up as an icon on a panel or in an overview. Maximizing makes the window fill the workspace. A second click or shortcut returns it to its previous size. Closing terminates the window and usually the application running inside it, unless the program is specifically designed to stay running in the background.
Many desktops allow snapping windows to screen edges. Drag a window to the left or right edge of the screen until you see a highlight, then release to make the window take up half the screen. Dragging to a corner may make the window occupy a quarter of the screen. This simple tiling behavior helps you work with multiple windows on one workspace.
Window Focus and Alt-Tab
Focus describes which window receives your keyboard input. When you type, only the focused window reacts. Typically, clicking a window brings it into focus and to the top of the stack. Keyboard shortcuts can also change focus without using the mouse.
Alt + Tab is a very common shortcut to switch between windows on the current workspace. Holding Alt and tapping Tab cycles through open windows. Many environments show a small preview list so you can see which window you are about to select. Releasing Alt focuses the highlighted window.
Some systems extend this behavior to all workspaces, but many restrict Alt + Tab to the active workspace. There may be a separate shortcut and feature to switch between windows across all workspaces, or an overview mode that shows every window. You can usually adjust these behaviors in your keyboard or window management settings.
There is also the concept of focus following the mouse, where simply moving the pointer over a window gives it focus without clicking. This option is often available in advanced settings. While useful for some workflows, it can be confusing for beginners who expect clicks to control focus.
Always on Top and Always Visible
Besides workspaces and basic actions, window management provides special behaviors such as "Always on Top" and "Visible on All Workspaces". These let you control how specific windows behave compared to others.
"Always on Top" keeps a window above other windows on the same workspace. Even when you click other windows, they appear beneath it. For example, you may keep a small notes window or a calculator always visible while working in other applications. You usually enable this by right clicking the title bar and selecting an option like "Keep Above Others".
"Visible on All Workspaces" makes a window appear in every workspace at once. This is useful for applications you need everywhere, such as a music player, a system monitor, or chat. When this option is active, switching workspaces does not hide the window. Instead, it follows you.
These features apply only to how the window is displayed. They do not duplicate or move the application. It still runs as a single instance, but with special visibility behavior controlled by the window manager.
Configuring Window and Workspace Behavior
Different desktop environments offer configuration options for workspaces and window management. You usually find them in the system settings under sections such as "Workspaces", "Window Management", or "Keyboard Shortcuts".
You can often adjust how many workspaces you have, or whether they are arranged in a row or a grid. Some systems let you enable dynamic workspaces that appear and disappear as needed. You may also be able to rename workspaces to reflect their purpose, such as "Web", "Code", or "Chat".
Keyboard shortcuts for switching workspaces, moving windows, snapping to screen edges, and using Alt + Tab can often be customized. This lets you adapt the system to your habits. For example, you might assign number keys to specific workspaces or set up shortcuts for placing windows on the left or right half of the screen.
There are also options that affect focus behavior, animations when switching workspaces, and how windows maximize or tile. While the exact controls depend on your desktop environment, it is worth exploring these settings so that workspaces and window management match your preferred style of working.
Using Workspaces Effectively
Workspaces and window management are most powerful when used to support a clear workflow. For example, you can keep your main document or project on one workspace and reserve another for reference material like web pages or documentation. On a third workspace, you can keep communication tools such as email and chat, and perhaps a fourth workspace for media or system monitoring.
Over time, you will develop patterns, such as always putting a browser on one workspace and a terminal on another. This consistency helps your brain remember where to find things, and reduces the feeling of clutter. Snapping or tiling windows within each workspace further improves organization, especially on large screens.
The key point is that workspaces do not replace applications or programs. They are an organizational tool managed by the graphical environment. Once you understand how to move between them, how to move windows, and how to control focus, you gain a flexible way to keep your Linux desktop tidy and efficient even with many applications open.