Backtrack through desktops in order of use

[Sridhar Dhanapalan]

This is a wishlist item, not a bug report.

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People seem to be misinterpreting what I am asking for. I am already aware of ways to move through desktops in creation/placement order. But what I am asking for is a way to visit them in the order they were used (i.e. backtracking through them).

The request is below. Please read in full before you respond.
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REQUEST:
A means to backtrack through desktops in the order in which they were last visited.

PRECEDENT:
Most window managers have an Alt+Tab binding to move through windows in the exact same manner. I would like identical behaviour, but with desktops instead of windows.

USE CASE SCENARIO (Win+Tab = the keybinding for this feature):
  1. As I use applications and windows, I go to Desktop 1 -> Desktop 5 -> Desktop 7 -> Desktop 2
     (so in this example I end on Desktop 2)
  2. I press Win+Tab -> I get taken to Desktop 2 (i.e. the desktop I was last at)
  3. I press Win+Tab again -> I get taken back to Desktop 7 (i.e. the desktop I was last at)
  4. I hold Win and press Tab multiple times -> I cycle through the desktops in the order I visited
     them

This IS NOT a means of moving through desktops:
  * in linear/numerical order (1 -> 2 -> 3 -> ...)
  * in spatial order (up, down, left, right)

For a long time, it has been possible on many GUI environments to cycle through windows in the order in which they were last used by using the Alt+Tab key binding.

Some desktops have taken this convenience further and added the ability to cycle through desktops in a similar manner. On Kwin (KDE's window manager), this is called "Walk through Desktops", complementing the standard "Walk through Windows" feature that is available just about everywhere.

This is especially for those of us who have >2 virtual desktops or workspaces open. I've personally got mine set to switch desktops using Win+Tab, to complement Alt+Tab for windows-switching. I already appreciate that you can move through windows linearly, but that is not useful when there are many desktops open. There should be a way to make switching desktops just as convenient as switching windows.

[Sridhar Dhanapalan (sridhar)]

This might go better as a Brainstorm:

http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/idea/16815/

[Chris Crisafulli (itnet7)]

Asking in the channel to mark this wishlist. Thanks for helping make compiz/ubuntu better!

[Chris Crisafulli (itnet7)]

This can already be achieved by ctrl+alt+left(arrow)/right(arrow). Plus you can change the bindings to a single button similar to the window switcher if you want to.

[Sridhar Dhanapalan (sridhar)]

Please read the description properly before you comment/act.

I am _not_ asking to be able to switch desktops in a linear fashion (e.g. Desktop 1 -> 2 -> 3) or in a spatial fashion (e.g. up, down, left, right).

I _am_ asking for a means to travel through desktops in the order in which they were used.

So if I visit Desktop 1 -> 5 -> 7 -> 2, I should be able to go back in that order (i.e. 2 -> 7 -> 5 -> 1).

I should not have to press ctrl+alt+right/left many times just to get to the the desktop I was at before, and I should not have to remember which desktop I was at and switch to that one specifically. This behaviour is identical to how alt+tab operates for windows. I am not asking for anything exotic.

[Sridhar Dhanapalan (sridhar)]

Re-opening as it is clear that people weren't understanding the request

[Sridhar Dhanapalan (sridhar)]

I re-wrote the description. Hopefully it is clearer now on what I'm asking for.

[Sridhar Dhanapalan (sridhar)]

I've created a new Brainstorm, because the voting on the old one had become tainted by so many people misinterpreting the request.

http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/idea/16842/

[Lupine (thelupine)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. I believe what you are asking for is already present in CompizConfig Settings Manager. If you click on Window Management -> Application Switcher -> Bindings and change the Next Window (All windows) option to be Alt+Tab, does that do what you are asking for?

[Sridhar Dhanapalan (sridhar)]

Sorry, that isn't what I'm asking for at all. I am asking for desktop switching, not window switching (which I already know about).

To translate to KDE (Kwin) terminology, window switching is called "Walk Through Windows", whereas the feature that I am asking for is called "Walk Through Desktops".

The difference:
* "Walk Through Windows" takes you through your _windows_ in the order in which you last used them
* "Walk Through Desktops" takes you through your _desktops_ in the order in which you last used them

[Lupine (thelupine)]

Thank you for the clarification, I understand completely now. This should be marked as a WishList. I will post the request to the maintainers. Thanks again for taking the time to explain it further, and for helping make Ubuntu better.