Multiple desktops question on mac

desktopmission-control

I have a question about multiple desktops. This function is super helpful since I only have a 13 inch macbook pro and my screen economy is vastly improved with multiple desktops since I am using ruby, sublime text, web browsing, and (due to my ADD) VLC and quicktime at the same time.

Questions:

1) How do I get multiple desktops to start at startup?

2) I have assigned web browsing to desktop 1 and ruby+sublime to desktop 2. How do I get these to open on these desktops permanently? Will 2 desktops be created if I open ruby and sublime after restarting my computer?

3) Is there a quick way to drag open applications between desktops?

4) Say I have VLC open on desktop 4 and I select that it opens on desktop 4. At startup, if I only have 1 desktop open, and I open VLC, will desktops 2 and 3 open? Are desktops reopened after restarting?

5) Any other useful tricks I should know about?

Best Answer

Setup your windows the way you like them. When set right click on the application icon in the dock and go to Options-->Open at Login and This Desktop. This will open that application on that desktop at login. I have found that some applications just don't work properly but most that I've tested work as expected and open to that desktop at login or when opened.

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Related Solutions

Using AppleScript to open an application without the app stealing focus

(I removed the original script, but I couldn't come up with anything better than this either.)

set fw to front window
do shell script "open ~/Notes/todo.txt -Fa iA\\ Writer"
delay 0.1
tell application "System Events" to tell process "iA Writer"
    perform action "AXPress" of (button 1 where subrole is "AXFullScreenButton") of window 1
end tell
delay 1.5
activate fw

WriteRoom has an option to open documents in custom full screen windows. If it's selected, you could use something like open file.txt -Fjga WriteRoom.

If someone else just needs to open an application on the background, you can use open -jg or launch. launch sometimes opens a visible window if an application isn't open and open -jg if an application is open but has no windows.

set b to "com.apple.TextEdit"
tell application "System Events"
    if bundle identifier of processes contains b then
        launch application id b
    else
        do shell script "open -jgb " & b
    end if
end tell

MacOS – Is it more memory/processor-efficient to open many windows in one desktop, or to make all these windows fullscreen

To expand on patrix's point in comments above, essentially OS X keeps track of every open window regardless of where it is, because there is a process(es) running each window. It also manages RAM usage, taking from the poor (less recently used open programs) and giving to the rich (program currently being used). Even if a program has an open window on the same virtual desktop, if needed, OS X will cull RAM from that program to feed the currently active program.

It's theoretically possible you would incur a graphics performance penalty for having everything on one desktop, especially if you have transparency enabled, but otherwise, there aren't really any system implications. So, basically, do whatever works best for your workflow.

Best Answer

Related Solutions

Using AppleScript to open an application without the app stealing focus

MacOS – Is it more memory/processor-efficient to open many windows in one desktop, or to make all these windows fullscreen

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