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Accepted
wajiw
Asked: 2010-12-15 16:12:02 +0800 CST

Is there a way to detect which workspace you are currently in from the command line?

  • 772

I'm trying to figure out how to get the workspace number from a terminal script in gnome. Any ideas?

gnome command-line workspaces

5 Answers

  1. Best Answer

    If you aren't using Compiz, you can use xdotool Install xdotool.

    Example:

    xdotool get_desktop

    This will return 0 if run from the first workspace, 1 if run from the second etc.

    • 17

  2. An old, and answered thread, but I was just after the same info. You can do this with standard xorg tools with:

    xprop -root -notype _NET_CURRENT_DESKTOP
    • 10

  3. If you are using compiz, this will be a bit more difficult.

    edit: this now works both with and without compiz, finally...

    I wrote a "little" python script to do it:

    #!/usr/bin/python
from subprocess import Popen, PIPE
getoutput = lambda x: Popen(x, stdout=PIPE).communicate()[0]
compiz_running = list(i for i in getoutput(("ps", "-aef", )).split("\n")
    if "compiz --replace" in i and not "grep" in i) != []

if compiz_running:
    # get the position of the current workspace
    ws = list(int(i.strip(",")) for i in  getoutput(("xprop", "-root",
        "-notype", "_NET_DESKTOP_VIEWPORT", )).split()[-2:])
    # get the number of horizontal and vertical workspaces
    hsize = int(getoutput(("gconftool",
        "--get", "/apps/compiz/general/screen0/options/hsize", )))
    vsize = int(getoutput(("gconftool",
        "--get", "/apps/compiz/general/screen0/options/vsize", )))
    # get the dimentions of a single workspace
    x, y = list(int(i) for i in getoutput(("xwininfo", "-root",
        "-stats", )).split("geometry ")[1].split("+")[0].split("x"))
    # enumerate workspaces
    workspaces, n = [], 0
    for j in range(vsize):
        for i in range(hsize):
            workspaces.append([n, [x*i, y*j, ], ])
            n += 1
    print list(i for i in workspaces if i[1] == ws)[0][0]
# if compiz is not running
else: # this code via @DoR
    print getoutput(("xdotool", "get_desktop", )).strip()

    Save this somewhere and mark it as executable. This will output just a number between 0 and the number of workspaces.

    This is how the enumeration looks like:

    +---+---+
| 0 | 1 |
+---+---+
| 2 | 3 |
+---+---+

    You've got to install xdotool Install xdotool for this to work in case compiz is disabled.

    • 7

  4. Without installing anything and if you are using metacity, you can use this :

    python -c "import wnck; s=wnck.screen_get_default(); s.force_update(); w=s.get_active_workspace();  w_num=w.get_number(); print(w_num);" 2>/dev/null
    • 3

  5. It seems that with Unity, the accepted answer

     xdotool get_desktop_viewport

    doesn't work - it always returns 0. I guess the screen is configured as a really big viewport of which only part is visible. The alternative is a bit tricky since you have to know the size of your workspace. I.e.:

     xdotool get_desktop_viewport

    will return something like "1600 0" if you are in the upper right workspace. The first number is probably the width of the largest display you have.

    • 0