Intelligent Window Management for GNOME Shell 49+

A GNOME Shell extension that automatically organizes your workspace by moving maximized and fullscreen windows to empty workspaces. Keep your workflow clean and organized with intelligent multi-monitor support.

• 🖥️ Automatic Workspace Management: Maximized and fullscreen windows automatically move to empty workspaces
• 🎯 Smart Window Placement: Intelligently reorders workspaces to maintain workflow continuity
• 🖼️ Multi-Monitor Support: Works seamlessly across multiple displays
• ⚙️ Configurable Behavior: Choose whether to move maximized windows, fullscreen windows, or both
• 🔄 Dynamic Workspace Handling: Automatically manages workspace creation and cleanup
• 🌐 Internationalization Ready: Built-in i18n support for multiple languages

• GNOME Shell: Version 49 or higher
• Operating System: Linux with GNOME desktop environment
• Dependencies: Standard GNOME Shell extensions dependencies

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/DilZhaan/ScreenToSpace.git
   cd ScreenToSpace

2. Deploy the extension:

   chmod +x scripts/deploy.sh
   ./scripts/deploy.sh

3. Restart GNOME Shell:

   • On X11: Press Alt + F2, type r, and press Enter
   • On Wayland: Log out and log back in

4. Enable the extension:

   gnome-extensions enable screentospace@dilzhan.dev

1. Build the extension:

   chmod +x scripts/makezip.sh
   ./scripts/makezip.sh

2. Install the ZIP file:

   gnome-extensions install build/screentospace@dilzhan.dev.zip

3. Enable the extension:

   gnome-extensions enable screentospace@dilzhan.dev

Access the extension preferences through:

• GNOME Extensions app → ScreenToSpace → Settings
• Command line: gnome-extensions prefs screentospace@dilzhan.dev

1. New Maximized/Fullscreen Window:

   • Extension detects a window entering fullscreen or maximized state
   • Finds the first available empty workspace on the same monitor
   • Intelligently reorders workspaces to place the window without disrupting workflow
   • Other windows remain in their original positions

2. Window Restore:

   • When a window is un-maximized or exits fullscreen
   • If the workspace becomes empty, it's automatically reorganized
   • Window returns to the last occupied workspace on the same monitor

• Workspaces Only on Primary: Only the primary monitor has multiple workspaces; extension works exclusively on the primary display
• Workspaces on All Monitors: Extension manages workspaces independently for each monitor

This extension is built following SOLID principles with a modular, maintainable architecture:

src/
├── extension.js           # Main extension entry point
├── constants.js          # Centralized constants and strings (i18n ready)
├── eventHandler.js       # Window manager event handling (SRP)
├── windowFilter.js       # Window eligibility filtering (SRP)
├── windowPlacement.js    # Window placement logic (SRP)
├── workspaceManager.js   # Workspace operations (SRP)
├── i18n.js              # Internationalization utilities
├── prefs.js             # Preferences UI
└── schemas/             # GSettings schemas
    └── org.gnome.shell.extensions.screentospace.gschema.xml

• Single Responsibility Principle: Each module handles one specific concern
• Open/Closed Principle: Extensible without modifying core logic
• Dependency Inversion: High-level modules don't depend on low-level details
• Interface Segregation: Clean, focused interfaces for each component
• DRY (Don't Repeat Yourself): No code duplication, centralized logic

# Check extension status
gnome-extensions info screentospace@dilzhan.dev

# View GNOME Shell logs
journalctl -f -o cat /usr/bin/gnome-shell

# Reset extension settings
dconf reset -f /org/gnome/shell/extensions/screentospace/

If you encounter schema-related errors:

# Recompile schemas
glib-compile-schemas src/schemas/

# Or use the deploy script which handles this automatically
./scripts/deploy.sh

1. Extension not visible in Extensions app:

   • Ensure GNOME Shell version is 49+: gnome-shell --version
   • Check if extension is installed: gnome-extensions list

2. Windows not moving automatically:

   • Verify extension is enabled: gnome-extensions info screentospace@dilzhan.dev
   • Check settings: gnome-extensions prefs screentospace@dilzhan.dev
   • Ensure dynamic workspaces are enabled in GNOME settings

3. Multi-monitor issues:

   • Check "Workspaces on primary display only" setting in GNOME Tweaks
   • Extension behavior adapts based on this system setting

# Install development dependencies
sudo apt-get install gettext glib-2.0-dev

# For Fedora/RHEL
sudo dnf install gettext glib2-devel

ScreenToSpace/
├── src/              # Source code
├── po/               # Translations
├── scripts/          # Build and deployment scripts
├── build/            # Build output (generated)
├── LICENSE           # GPL-2.0 license
└── README.md         # This file

# Build extension package
./scripts/makezip.sh

# Output: build/screentospace@dilzhan.dev.zip

# Deploy to local extensions directory
./scripts/deploy.sh

# Restart GNOME Shell (X11)
Alt + F2, type 'r', press Enter

# Watch logs for debugging
journalctl -f -o cat /usr/bin/gnome-shell | grep screentospace

• ES6+ JavaScript
• 4-space indentation
• Descriptive variable and function names
• JSDoc comments for public APIs
• Follow GNOME JavaScript style guidelines

This project is licensed under the GNU General Public License v2.0 or later - see the LICENSE file for details.

Copyright (C) 2025 DilZhaan

This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
(at your option) any later version.

This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
GNU General Public License for more details.

DilZhaan

• GitHub: @DilZhaan
• Project: ScreenToSpace

This extension was developed from scratch following modern software engineering principles and GNOME Shell extension best practices.

Status: Active Development
Version: 1
GNOME Shell Compatibility: 49+

• Add more workspace placement strategies
• Implement custom keyboard shortcuts
• Add workspace naming and organization features
• Create comprehensive test suite
• Add more language translations
• Integration with GNOME Activities overview

If you encounter any issues or have questions:

1. Check the Troubleshooting section
2. Review existing issues
3. Create a new issue with detailed information

Made with ❤️ by DilZhaan