Ubuntu – Hide the gnome-panel on one of the workspaces

gnome-panelworkspaces

I'm currently using 2 workspaces on Ubuntu 10.10, and compiz.

Is it possible to completely remove the gnome panel from one of the workspaces? I'd like to have a clean desktop to work with on the second workspace, and a regular desktop with panels on the first workspace. Is that at all possible?

Best Answer

(UPDATE)... I just fixed a "bug" where the script (below) would only look for "panel_6"
... Also, the script will only be of use for a single-monitor system...
... However, looking into it a bit further, it may be possible with Dual/Multi-monitors.
... Here is a link to something about Panels on a second monitor...
... moving panels (between screens)
... Im not sure if it's what you're after, but is seems more appropriate for multi-monitors.

Assuming that there is no "built-in" way to do it, as seems to be the case, I've cobbled up a script to "sort-of" do it... It simply sets the panels of your choice to auto-hide... and you can choose which workspace(s) via the args.

You can bind the script to the same keys that Compiz currently uses to switch works-spaces...

If you use any other method to get to the next workspace, it won't work, but you can also use the script to toggle the panel(s) on/off... (ooops! I haven't got the time today to finish that bit... :(

I haven't fine-tuned it yet, but it works (up to a point). It may or may not suit you.
(You will need wmctrl )

Here is the script as it currently stands:

#!/bin/bash  

# Arg1: A capital letter; L or R .. to indicate the Left or Right direction for next work-space
#
# Arg[*]: Each arg, after the first, is the number (1-based) of a work-space for which you wish to hide the panel(s)
#         If no args are supplied, the current state will be toggled; show/hide ... hide/show
#
# Choose your panel identifiers by opening gconf-editor with this command:
# 
#    gconf-editor /apps/panel/toplevels/
#
# You can test each of the listed panels by clicking in the "Value" checkbox 
#  of the "auto-hide" item... 
#
# Then add the Panel-IDs which you want to be hidden,
#  as shown here  

panels="panel_6 panel_6" # I only use one panel, so I've just repeated it to make an "example" list  
######

dir=$1;
valids="LR" 
if [ "${valids/${dir}/}" != "$valids" ]
then shift 1
else exit 1
fi

eval $(wmctrl -d |sed -n "s/.*DG: \([0-9]\+\)x[0-9]\+ \+VP: \([0-9]\+\),.* \([0-9]\+\)x[0-9]\+ .*/wmax=\$(((\1\/\3))); wcur=\$(((\2\/\3)+1)); wide=\3; hide=false/p")

if [ "$wcur" -eq "$wmax" ] ; then 
  if [ "$dir" == "R" ] ; then
    wnew=1
  else 
    wnew=$((wcur-1))
  fi
elif [ "$wcur" -eq "1" ] ; then 
  if [ "$dir" == "L" ] ; then
    wnew=$wmax
  else
    wnew=$((wcur+1))
  fi
else
  if [ "$dir" == "R" ] ; then
    wnew=$((wcur+1))
  else
    wnew=$((wcur-1))
  fi
fi

wmctrl -o $(((wnew-1)*wide)),0

for w in $@ ; do
  if [ "$w" -eq "$wnew" ] ; then
    hide=true 
    break
  fi
done

for panel in $panels ; do
  gconftool-2 --set /apps/panel/toplevels/$panel/auto_hide --type bool $hide
done
exit
###############################################################################

1. A set of launchers per workspace

Let's say I have four workspaces, I want the following launchers to be available on the different workspaces:

workspace 1 > workspace 2 > workspace 3 > workspace 4 >

enter image description here

Workspace 1: Firefox / Idle
Workspace 2: Gcolor2 / Gimp Image Editor / Inkskape
Workspace 3: Abiword / Gnumeric / Mail Reader
Workspace 4: Mines / Sudoku

How to set up

The script uses wmctrl:
```
sudo apt-get install wmctrl
```
In your home directory (not in a subdirectory, but on the "first" level), create a directory (exactly) named:
```
desktop_data
```
inside this directory, create for each of your desktops, a folder named (exactly):
```
desktop_1
desktop_2
desktop_3
desktop_4
```
Create launchers for all applications (for all workspaces) on your desktop and copy them to the corresponding folders.

Copy the script below into an empty file, save it as change_launchers.py. Test-run it by running in a terminal window the command:

python3 /path/to/change_launchers.py

If all works fine, add it to your startup applications

The script

#!/usr/bin/env python3
import subprocess
import os
import time
import shutil

home = os.environ["HOME"]
desktop_dir = home+"/"+"Desktop"
data_dirstr = home+"/desktop_data/desktop_"

get = lambda cmd: subprocess.check_output(["/bin/bash", "-c", cmd]).decode("utf-8")

def get_desktop():
    return [l for l in get("wmctrl -d").splitlines() if "*" in l][0].split()[-1]

while True:
    curr_dt1 = get_desktop()
    time.sleep(1)
    curr_dt2 = get_desktop()
    # alter the set of launchers when workspace changes
    if not curr_dt1 == curr_dt2:
        datafolder = data_dirstr+curr_dt2
        for f in [f for f in os.listdir(desktop_dir)if f.endswith(".desktop")]:
            subject = desktop_dir+"/"+f
            os.remove(subject)
        for f in os.listdir(datafolder):
            subject = datafolder+"/"+f; target = desktop_dir+"/"+f
            shutil.copyfile(subject, target)
            subprocess.call(["/bin/bash", "-c", "chmod +x "+target])

Note

In different localized versions of Ubuntu, the name of the "Desktop" folder may differ (In Dutch: "Bureaublad"). If in your Ubuntu version the name of the desktop folder is not "Desktop", change it in the line:

desktop_dir = home+"/"+"Desktop"

2. Extending possibilities, launchers and links

If we add a few lines to the script, the setting-per-workspace options can be extended with a altering set of links to directories:

On one workspace we have a e.g. a link to the Documents folder, combined with launchers of office applications:

enter image description here

On another workspace we have a link to the Pictures folder, combined with launchers of Image editors:

enter image description here

How to setup

The setup is pretty much the same as in option 1, but additionally, in the data folders (see option 1), create links to folders (using ln -s <source> <destination>) you'd like to be available on the corresponding workspace:

enter image description here

The script

#!/usr/bin/env python3
import subprocess
import os
import time
import shutil

home = os.environ["HOME"]
desktop_dir = home+"/"+"Desktop"
data_dirstr = home+"/desktop_data/desktop_"

get = lambda cmd: subprocess.check_output(["/bin/bash", "-c", cmd]).decode("utf-8")
def get_desktop():
    return [l for l in get("wmctrl -d").splitlines() if "*" in l][0].split()[-1]

while True:
    curr_dt1 = get_desktop()
    time.sleep(1)
    curr_dt2 = get_desktop()
    # alter the set of launchers & links when workspace changes
    if not curr_dt1 == curr_dt2:
        datafolder = data_dirstr+curr_dt2
        for f in os.listdir(desktop_dir):
            subject = desktop_dir+"/"+f
            if os.path.islink(subject) or subject.endswith(".desktop") :
                os.remove(subject) 
        for f in os.listdir(datafolder):
            subject = datafolder+"/"+f; target = desktop_dir+"/"+f
            if os.path.islink(subject):
                os.symlink(os.readlink(subject), target)
            else:
                shutil.copy(subject,target)

Best Answer

Related Solutions

Gnome Panel – How to Configure Gnome Panel from a Script

Ubuntu – set up the xfce workspaces differently

1. A set of launchers per workspace

How to set up

Note

2. Extending possibilities, launchers and links

How to setup

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