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Desktop tips and tricks

This page is for everybody working with a desktop computer. If you are a software developer, then please have a look at my guidelines

Although mobile interfaces are very important. I prefer a desktop PC/Laptop for daily work. In spare time I use my mobile phone more than my desktop PC/Laptop.

I think mobile interfaces are overrated at the moment. It is like the Pork cycle mobile interfaces are the current hype. Some years later people will re-invent keyboard focused application. Hypes come and go and come and go....

Monitor

Reduce brightness. In most cases the screen is too bright.

Copy+Paste History

A clipboard manager is a great tool. Don't ask me why only a few people use one.

CopyQ work on Linux, Windows, Mac.

Here is a nice introduction

I map it to ctrl+alt-v.

Chrome

Chrome is my new desktop

Chrome Shortcuts

https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/157179

Native GUI vs Chrome

Native GUI? No, if I want to work from a different device, then I don't have the files from the local drive. Yes, I could sync them, but for me in the browser (Software as a Service) is easier.

Pinned Tabs

From right to left: Calendar, Chat, Mail, Docs, Translator

Long press back button

History: The title says a lot (for example in Gmail: Access one of the last mails)

Bookmarks are dead, autocomplete in the address bar is king

I need to open a lot of different tools daily. In the past I used bookmarks, but this does not make sense any more.

The autocomplete in the chrome address bar is fine. You just need to remember some part of the URL or the title of the page you want to open.

History (ctrl-h)

I use ctrl-h several times per week. It gives my fast access to the pages which I visited in the past.

Chrome Extensions

Chrome Extension "Quick Tabs"

Quick Tabs: A keyboard centric most recently used (MRU) ordered tab list plugin with search and switch functionality (inspired by IntelliJ IDEA).

On Linux you can map the short-cut to ctrl-e (like in PyCharm) via chrome://extensions/shortcuts. See issue 305

Option "Keep last searched string in search box". I guess you want this to be "off". Right-click on icon right to the chrome address bar. Then Options, then "Keep last searched string in search box".

Option "Jump to previous tab on close of any tab (Tip: use to close tabs in reverse order, aka. undo your mess)" is handy. Usually you press ctrl-t to open a new tab. Then you do you work in this tab. If you close this tab (for example with ctrl-w), then you get back to the tab which had the focus before you pressed ctrl-t. That's the most obvious thing, and I don't understand why this is not the default of chrome.

One laptop, two chrome profiles (personal, business)

See profile image right to the URL in chrome.

GSuite

GSuite Calendar

I like to view four days at once.

Slack

I use the web version of slack.

Goal: Use the chat without touching the mouse. Shortcuts I use:

Config:

Use "dnd" (do not disturb) if you are on vacation or sick. If you have guidelines in your company, I would try to add this to the guidelines. It does not scale, if everybody should remember who is currently on vacation and who is available.

Slack: Focused walk through the last messages in "Threads".

I prefer this to scrolling, since the blue box helps you to keep the focus.

Typing with ten fingers

It makes typing much easier.

Free Web app to learn it: https://www.tipp10.com/

Keyboard

I love the Lenovo track point with extra grip.

I used sandpaper stuck on Trackpoint to get the extra grip.

But be careful: this can scratch the display if the display touches the sandpaper if you close the lid.

That's why I use an external USB Lenovo-Keyboard at the moment. Not perfect yet, please tell me if you have an idea how get maximum grip on a track point!

There are 3D printed super low profile caps. See reddit thread "More grip for the trackpoint?"

BTW, scrolling is fast via middle-mouse-button-click and moving the track point.

Drawing on Screenshots

Terminal

For the terminal (linux command line windows) I like to ues ctrl-c and ctrl-v for copy and paste.

Unfortunately the default is different. By default ctrl-c means interrupt the current process.

Likely this is easy to change in Gnome.

ActivityWatch

At work we use a commercial application to track our activity. I use this tool manually: If I start to work on something I press a button and to finish time tracking I press again.

From time to time I forget to start or stop.

That's why I use the open source tool ActivityWatch to track everything I do automatically. This way it is easy to find the point in time where I started/stopped to work.

Screencasts

On Linux the tool Kazam works fine. But you should use webm output, since the mp4 output does not work in Firefox.

DVD transcoding

Handbrake, an easy to use native GUI to transcode DVDs.

Sometimes you need makemkv to transcode.

Putting Images/Text on PDF

Xournal++

Xournal++ (/ˌzɚnl̟ˌplʌsˈplʌs/) is an open-source and cross-platform note-taking software that is fast, flexible, and functional. A modern rewrite and a more feature-rich version of the wonderful Xournal program.

Available on MacOS, Windows, and Linux

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