11.04 Unity - Can't get rid of Workspace Switcher

[sullivanjc]

I don't want to use more than one workspace. On previous versions of Ubuntu, I was able to reduce the number of workspaces to 1 and and remove the workspace switcher from the panel. I want to do this in Unity and can't find a way to. Right clicking doesn't let me remove from the launcher and I can find no way to reduce the workspaces.

It's a little thing but it annoys me.

[sxe4ever]

I agree with you as well. I was hoping to find a way to get rid of this too.....

[nnard1616]

Install compiz:

sudo apt-get install compizconfig-settings-manager

Open Unity-Launcher (the ubuntu icon in top left of screen) and search for compizconfig settings manager.

Click on General Options, then the Desktop Size tab (last one on the right), and set all of the sliders to 1.

[sxe4ever]

I want to have the 4 desktops, I just don't want to have the icon on the left....

[3vi1]

I too would like to get rid of this button. I'm using the cube and switch desktops via the viewport switcher plugin, so the button on the launcher is just wasted space.

I haven't found a way to do it yet... still searching...

[Dustout]

same problem here, icon just takes up space

[sullivanjc]

nnard1616's procedure did let me reduce the number of workspaces to one but I still can't get rid of the annoying button.

[lechien73]

I've been trying to figure this out for a few days. I've now resorted to checking out the unity source code to see if it's hard-coded there :mad:

[lechien73]

...and indeed it is hard-coded :(

There doesn't seem to be a way around this with .desktop files either (I've tried) and trying to force an error by removing the associated icon file doesn't work either.

From my perusal of the code - it would be fairly trivial to introduce some form of conditional checking, but since I'm not authorised to update the branch, then we'll just have to wait for it to be fixed in an update.

[Version Dependency]

I have found a way to get the Workspace Switcher icon to no longer appear in the Unity launcher.

First, open up a terminal and open gnome-panel by typing:

gnome-panelThis launches the old gnome panel. Your gnome panel should have a Workspace Switcher on it, probably in a 2 X 2 grid pattern. (If you don't have a Workspace Switcher on the gnome-panel, right-click on the panel and add it.) Now right-click on the Workspace Switcher on the gnome-panel and select Preferences. Change the columns to 1 and the rows to 4. Now log out of Unity...then log back in. The switcher on the launcher will be gone.

Now your desktop wall will be in a 1 X 4 grid, up to down...rather than side to side. But this all I've found to work. Changing to a 4 X 1 grid side to side will not remove the launcher switcher.

NOTE: To get the Unity launcher switcher back, simply open the gnome-panel in terminal again, and go back to a 2 X 2 grid. Logout and log back in.

[sullivanjc]

This worked! (which makes no sense to me but I'm not complaining)

I was also able to go back to the gnome-panel and reduce the workspaces to 1 and it was still gone, even after rebooting. I guess this one is solved (or at least worked around


I have found a way to get the Workspace Switcher icon to no longer appear in the Unity launcher.

First, open up a terminal and open gnome-panel by typing:

gnome-panelThis launches the old gnome panel. Your gnome panel should have a Workspace Switcher on it, probably in a 2 X 2 grid pattern. (If you don't have a Workspace Switcher on the gnome-panel, right-click on the panel and add it.) Now right-click on the Workspace Switcher on the gnome-panel and select Preferences. Change the columns to 1 and the rows to 4. Now log out of Unity...then log back in. The switcher on the launcher will be gone.

Now your desktop wall will be in a 1 X 4 grid, up to down...rather than side to side. But this all I've found to work. Changing to a 4 X 1 grid side to side will not remove the launcher switcher.

NOTE: To get the Unity launcher switcher back, simply open the gnome-panel in terminal again, and go back to a 2 X 2 grid. Logout and log back in.

[lechien73]

Yeah...it's a workaround rather than a fix. I like having multiple workspaces, I just switch using keyboard combinations or a hot corner, rather than the icon.

This behaviour makes sense from the code - i.e. it won't appear if there aren't multiple workspaces, but I'd still like the option of getting rid of it and *still* having multiple workspaces.

[sxe4ever]

This worked as well for me, thank you. Now to see about removing that "Applications" link.... LOL


I have found a way to get the Workspace Switcher icon to no longer appear in the Unity launcher.

First, open up a terminal and open gnome-panel by typing:

gnome-panelThis launches the old gnome panel. Your gnome panel should have a Workspace Switcher on it, probably in a 2 X 2 grid pattern. (If you don't have a Workspace Switcher on the gnome-panel, right-click on the panel and add it.) Now right-click on the Workspace Switcher on the gnome-panel and select Preferences. Change the columns to 1 and the rows to 4. Now log out of Unity...then log back in. The switcher on the launcher will be gone.

Now your desktop wall will be in a 1 X 4 grid, up to down...rather than side to side. But this all I've found to work. Changing to a 4 X 1 grid side to side will not remove the launcher switcher.

NOTE: To get the Unity launcher switcher back, simply open the gnome-panel in terminal again, and go back to a 2 X 2 grid. Logout and log back in.

[q-sens]

Now to see about removing that "Applications" link.... LOL

Check this link:
http://www.webupd8.org/2011/04/things-to-tweak-fix-after-installing.html

[nealaustin]

I wanted to get rid of the multiple desktops and the switcher too. Mission accomplished, Thanks!

[sexybeast099]

*Bump* for having the workspace switcher easily removable. Even if it's having the code check if an empty file exists, say "/usr/share/unity/places/workspaces.place"


Check this link:
http://www.webupd8.org/2011/04/things-to-tweak-fix-after-installing.html

Small world! I just came from that article to try to find a solution to this issue.


...and indeed it is hard-coded :sad:

There doesn't seem to be a way around this with .desktop files either (I've tried) and trying to force an error by removing the associated icon file doesn't work either.

From my perusal of the code - it would be fairly trivial to introduce some form of conditional checking, but since I'm not authorised to update the branch, then we'll just have to wait for it to be fixed in an update.

Where is it hard-coded? Is it coded in C++ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C%2B%2B), Vala (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vala_%28programming_language%29), or QML (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QML)? (source (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unity_%28user_interface%29))

Best case scenario, it's a small fix that can be easily changed in a QML file. What you could do to prevent reverting on update is to write a small shell script. It will


Search for a bookmarking phrase in the QML (commented out, of course)
If the phrase isn't found, add lines to remove the icon from the menu. Ex: A properly placed "display: none;"

With this method you would only have to rerun the script if the workspace icon reappeared, rather than every time you update. You could even have it find the correct instance of the object pertaining to workspace switching, then insert the new line(s) after the current code.

Bear in mind that the objective is only to remove the button from the panel, not necessarily to disable its functionality.

[johnnyzazza]

I'm using Compiz and do not have a need for the switcher as I only have one desktop. I successfully removed the switcher icon from the unity panel by launching CompizConfig Settings Manager and unchecking "Viewport Switcher".

[OliverN]

I'm using Compiz and do not have a need for the switcher as I only have one desktop. I successfully removed the switcher icon from the unity panel by launching CompizConfig Settings Manager and unchecking "Viewport Switcher".

oh my god, so much easier :) thanks

[mlnease]

I'm using Compiz and do not have a need for the switcher as I only have one desktop. I successfully removed the switcher icon from the unity panel by launching CompizConfig Settings Manager and unchecking "Viewport Switcher".
johnnyzazza (http://ubuntuforums.org/member.php?u=164626): THANK you.

[kposney]

MyUnity on 12.04 let me set workspaces to 1. The switcher then removed itself.