# Thoughts & ideas about workspaces/virtual desktops in linux; things that could make them more useful **URL:** \ **Category:** Linux lounge\ **Created:** [September 24, 2022, 5:58pm UTC](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/thoughts-ideas-about-workspaces-virtual-desktops-in-linux-things-that-could-make-them-more-useful/32097 "2022-09-24T17:58:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cowsay](https://forum.endeavouros.com/user_avatar/forum.endeavouros.com/cowsay/32/7382_2.png) [@cowsay](https://forum.endeavouros.com/u/cowsay)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2022, 5:58pm UTC](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/thoughts-ideas-about-workspaces-virtual-desktops-in-linux-things-that-could-make-them-more-useful/32097/1 "2022-09-24T17:58:06Z")
For a long time, I’ve had ideas in the back of my mind about workspaces/virtual desktops on linux. In their current form, they are useful… as in, you can assign different applications to different workspaces for better multitasking… but I’ve always felt like they could do _more_. For example… **Bind a virtual desktop to a virtual machine** This would apply to Virtualbox/GNOME Boxes, etc. Let’s say by default you only have one main workspace. As soon as your virtual machine boots up, a secondary workspace becomes available on the desktop to choose from. That workspace becomes a dedicated, full-screen view of the virtual machine. **Bind a virtual desktop to a Remmina/RDP/VNC session** Like the above example, as soon as you connect to an RDP/VNC/etc server, a new workspace appears. That workspace becomes a full-screen dedicated view of your remote session. **Bind a virtual desktop to a hardware display output** This one has some interesting capabilities. Modern video cards usually have many outputs. Say your main monitor is on HDMI\_0. Your 2nd monitor is connected to HDMI\_1, and you might have a TV hooked up to HDMI\_2. You could bind a workspace (let’s call it WS\_TV) to the HDMI\_2 output, so that all activities which occur on WS\_TV are displayed on the TV (and still switchable/mirrored on your main desktop). You could launch a game on WS\_TV, and the video/sound could be routed through HDMI\_2 on that workspace. And just like the above ideas, the WS\_TV workspace could appear and disappear as the TV is turned on/off, assuming the display has the necessary features to report back its state. Going even further than this… you could bind a Virtual Machine to WS\_TV, and bind WS\_TV to HDMI\_0, so your virtual machine always displays on the TV and on the correct workspace Thoughts? Feasibility of doing something like this? ---
**Author:** ![anon63071375](https://forum.endeavouros.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/f0a364/32.png) [@anon63071375](https://forum.endeavouros.com/u/anon63071375)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2022, 6:21pm UTC](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/thoughts-ideas-about-workspaces-virtual-desktops-in-linux-things-that-could-make-them-more-useful/32097/2 "2022-09-24T18:21:27Z")
> [@cowsay](#): > > Bind a virtual desktop to a hardware display output Just an FYI - you can do this in gnome. I quite like it, it’s usually where I put football/baseball/f1 on abs work on the other ---
**Author:** ![anon75994754](https://forum.endeavouros.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/d78d45/32.png) [@anon75994754](https://forum.endeavouros.com/u/anon75994754)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2022, 6:30pm UTC](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/thoughts-ideas-about-workspaces-virtual-desktops-in-linux-things-that-could-make-them-more-useful/32097/3 "2022-09-24T18:30:28Z")
sound like WM … 😇 😉 ---
**Author:** ![anon63071375](https://forum.endeavouros.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/f0a364/32.png) [@anon63071375](https://forum.endeavouros.com/u/anon63071375)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2022, 6:41pm UTC](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/thoughts-ideas-about-workspaces-virtual-desktops-in-linux-things-that-could-make-them-more-useful/32097/4 "2022-09-24T18:41:56Z")
Gnome+Pop tiling. = WM feel with full fledged bloated settings. ---
**Author:** ![Zircon34](https://forum.endeavouros.com/user_avatar/forum.endeavouros.com/zircon34/32/135623_2.png) [@Zircon34](https://forum.endeavouros.com/u/Zircon34)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2022, 6:43pm UTC](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/thoughts-ideas-about-workspaces-virtual-desktops-in-linux-things-that-could-make-them-more-useful/32097/5 "2022-09-24T18:43:39Z")
Have tried a WM before like i3, just curious…? ---
**Author:** ![anon75994754](https://forum.endeavouros.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/d78d45/32.png) [@anon75994754](https://forum.endeavouros.com/u/anon75994754)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2022, 6:57pm UTC](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/thoughts-ideas-about-workspaces-virtual-desktops-in-linux-things-that-could-make-them-more-useful/32097/6 "2022-09-24T18:57:08Z")
I have Gnome on old 2015 Macbook Air . it minimal so no Pop tiling. hide bar ,no junk over view on start + no pointless dock …just set keybinding it fast + get job done ( if i need x86 machine ) I like pop-tiling when it 1st come out , sadly they change it now it no great ( more trouble than worth) imo 😇 ---
**Author:** ![mrvictory](https://forum.endeavouros.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/7993a0/32.png) [@mrvictory](https://forum.endeavouros.com/u/mrvictory)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2022, 5:23am UTC](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/thoughts-ideas-about-workspaces-virtual-desktops-in-linux-things-that-could-make-them-more-useful/32097/7 "2022-09-25T05:23:48Z")
> [@cowsay](#): > > **Bind a virtual desktop to a virtual machine** > This would apply to Virtualbox/GNOME Boxes, etc. Let’s say by default you only have one main workspace. As soon as your virtual machine boots up, a secondary workspace becomes available on the desktop to choose from. That workspace becomes a dedicated, full-screen view of the virtual machine. macOS does something similar but for _every_ borderless fullscreen application ie. games that run in borderless fullscreen mode, maximized MS Word, Safari etc. I find it very useful but it may not be for others. > [@cowsay](#): > > This one has some interesting capabilities. Modern video cards usually have many outputs. Say your main monitor is on HDMI\_0. Your 2nd monitor is connected to HDMI\_1, and you might have a TV hooked up to HDMI\_2 Isn’t this already doable?