GNOME Bugzilla – Bug 792484
A fast and easy access to recently used app's AND files ?
Last modified: 2018-01-20 20:14:35 UTC
Hi, Coming from older default Ubuntu, I miss a feature of its dash : a quick access to recently used app's *and* files, both categories shown in the same time, on a same grid. For the moment on Ubuntu 17.10, I can find recent files through Nautilus. And recent app's through activities. So it's not very convenient to search twice. Maybe there is something to do to achieve that ? I mean maybe it already exists and am not aware of it ;-) Or it could - loosely - look like this : https://img15.hostingpics.net/pics/259408dansbureaurecentsappsetfichiers.jpg https://img15.hostingpics.net/pics/780166surbureaurecentsappsetfichiers.jpg https://img15.hostingpics.net/pics/185792pardessusavecrecentsappsetfichiers.jpg It may not need any desktop-feature from Nautilus but user may have choice to display it « permanently » on desktop or new workspace, and bring it on top of any open windows with only one click ( or one short keyboard shortcut ). Or - maybe easier ? - add one line of recently used files/folders in the activities grid.
Early versions of gnome-shell did contain a section of recently used files, but as the designs progressed, we moved from trying to come up with better ways to manage files[0] to moving away from files as prominently exposed first-class citizen altogether[1]. As a result, applications are moving towards aggregating content from different backends seamlessly (local files as well as nextcloud, gdrive etc.), and expose their content to gnome-shell's search. The overview designs are currently evolving again[2], but I'm afraid adding back files is not in the plans there. That said: (In reply to Coeur Noir from comment #0) > Or it could - loosely - look like this : > [...] > https://img15.hostingpics.net/pics/780166surbureaurecentsappsetfichiers.jpg > https://img15.hostingpics.net/pics/185792pardessusavecrecentsappsetfichiers. > jpg Those are mockups for the dash-to-dock extension as shipped by Ubuntu. That extensions is independent from GNOME itself, so you can still propose this feature to its developers. [0] https://blogs.gnome.org/mccann/2010/04/07/the-grip-the-trip-and-the-slip/ [1] https://blogs.gnome.org/mccann/2011/06/08/new-pony/ [2] https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME-Community/design-team/london-ux2017-experiments/tree/master/overview
Not giving access to my own recently used files and app's is not a « better way to manage files » I'll reach DtD developers, who knows… « As a result, applications are moving towards aggregating content from different backends » …why not, as long as it's not exclusive. While working on a project you don't necessarily think about it in term of app's first. If I need to deal with calc-sheets, images, videos, sounds, final DTP altogether for one project, I have to find all of these recently used files + their relative app's, without opening any app first because most of these files can be used through different app's ( viewer, editors, pdf, a.s.o ) What remains « stable » in the project are the files. The app's are heterogeneous by nature.