Wrap Around Desktops

Via Gnome extensions, I can get a Gnome desktop to have wrap around virtual desktops.

These are the two features I find missing in Budgie:

  1. Wrap around work spaces, where the virtual desktops “wrap around” when you reach either the last or first one. Say, for example, you have 4 virtual desktops and you use ctrl-alt right to cycle through them, when you get to the last one you should flip back to the first one.

  2. Dynamically allocated work spaces (virtual desktops) like Gnome.

Please raise two issues on the upstream tracker for each of the requests. Thx

You know, I have some minor experience programming in Perl, Pascal and Python, among others, but I’ve never had extensive experience helping developers on GitHub, so I’m hoping someone who knows how should send this suggestion upstream to the Budgie developers.

  1. There needs to be a desktop wraparound feature so that when you get to the last virtual desktop it wraps around to the first desktop, and vice versa. You can do this in Gnome with some gnome shell extensions. Here’s what the extensions say, and they all work. Can’t we get this on Budgie too? It’s a great feature.

  2. When using the mouse whee; anywhere in the taskbar the desktops should rotate.

Workspace Switch Wraparound

When switching workspaces, going down from the bottom workspace switches to the top workspace. Likewise, up from the top workspace goes to the bottom workspace.

Workspace Switcher WrapAround

When switching workspaces, going down from the bottom workspace switches to the top workspace. Likewise, up from the top workspace goes to the bottom workspace. Now 3.6 Compatible.

Extension Homepage

You may need that wraparound feature. I may not want it.

I don’t know what upstream thinks about it - there is no good or bad idea here, just choices maybe by design.

There are already other ways to jump from a workspace to another in Budgie : Workspace Switcher and Visual Space. Both are applets for panel.

( Since it’s mutter behind the wheels there probably is a way to achieve the behaviour you like… don’t know )

It should be configurable, like many other DEs. So if you don’t want wraparound desktops you just don’t have that configured. If I want wraparound, I should be able to configure it.

That’s the whole idea, right? Freedom and configurability? We shouldn’t be limited by the DE. It should be configurable and then get out of the way.

As previously mentioned, a request needs to be raised on the upstream github tracker

Any DE brings its limitations and features. That’s exactly why there are many DE, each one bringing its own touch and fashion.

Why « should » ? If Budgie’s dev’s don’t like that wraparound thing it’s their right not to implement it.
You are free to use any DE which offers that feature, after all. There are other ways in Budgie to browse workspaces.

I’m not saying your expectation is bad - but don’t expect upstream to give an immediate answer to it.

No idea how to do that. I’m not a developer. I’m just a long time user. I visited the github site and couldn’t figure out how to make that simple suggestion.

It’s a suggestion. Are we now discouraging suggestions?

I think it is worth to at least see what Buddies of Budgie think about it. Even if they decide to not implement it, it is good to know where upstream stands so that at least we can answer questions that might come from other users.
@shwaybo I think there are two ways you could approach this request. You could either raise an issue as enchancement request on BoB github here: Issues · BuddiesOfBudgie/budgie-desktop · GitHub
Or, you could first join BoB Matrix group, ask in chat and see what the answer is. This is their general chat on Matrix: https://matrix.to/#/#buddiesofbudgie-general:matrix.org

My recommendation is to raise on github because it will be easier to track and use as point of reference for future requests.

This ↑ does not sound like a suggestion : there is no need for such a feature thanks to applets but you would be happier if that feature was also available.

It’s just a matter of point of view and how to express it.

My suggestion here is : if you were to make a request upstream, chose your words very wisely. And don’t expect « heartfelt » answers. See here why Is that really an helpful answer? - #2 by fossfreedom

Hence @ilvipero 's pieces of advice just above.

It was just a figure of speech when I said “there ‘needs to be’ a desktop wraparound.”

I’ve been involved with Linux since 1997. I agree it was worded poorly for sensitive people, and I know Linux is full of sensitive people who need things worded just right. This isn’t a rant, just an observation. I’ll certainly make sure I change my figure of speech in the future.

I’ll take a look at github again. I used to have several programs I wrote on github.

I prefer this last reply. I also think Budgie (or Gnome) SHOULD have this and that feature. But who am I to say it SHOULD be there. :slight_smile:
It would be great, or I would love it if someone could implement it or yourself if you can code… But if you can’t, you need to create enough interest around it, and hope that a dev finds it worth its time developing it. In general, they will go for the 20% work that satisfy 80% of the people first with their precious time (except for Gnome people who went for 80% work for 20% satisfaction).
Then the rest is quite random unfortunately. Don’t get your hopes too high, and in the meantime either try to adapt to the Budgie way (even if it doesn’t satisfy you fully) or if you have minor experience in programming maybe try to dig further yourself and improve your skills.

I want to take a moment to thank you all for keeping the conversation friendly and understanding each other’s point of view. It is always great to see a passionate, maybe even heated discussion that stays respectful and does not end with drama.
I encourage you guys to open requests with Buddies of Budgie for features you would like to see.

Cheers!

A bit out of topic, but as I am trying the « official » Ubuntu 22.04 I have noticed that « wrapping around work spaces » is not at all the default situation. So how do you achieve that nowadays ?