Workspace Switcher

2026-09-18

workspace-switch.sh

This shell script takes a PlebMachine mode name as a command-line argument, maps that mode to a workspace number, and asks the desktop window manager to switch to the corresponding virtual desktop.

Key Functionality

Mode-to-Workspace Mapping

The script maps the 12 PlebMachine modes to workspace values 1 through 12:

• everyday → 1
• author → 2
• study → 3
• research → 4
• graphics → 5
• music → 6
• video → 7
• broadcast → 8
• ai_helpers → 9
• developer → 10
• accounting → 11
• leisure → 12

Workspace Command

The script passes the selected workspace value directly to the available desktop-switching utility:

• wmctrl is used first with wmctrl -s "$WS".
• If wmctrl is not installed, the script falls back to xdotool with xdotool set_desktop "$WS".

The current code does not subtract 1 from the mapped workspace value. The previous documentation incorrectly described a WS - 1 conversion. That statement has been removed so that this article now describes the code that is actually preserved below.

The exact workspace numbering expected by wmctrl and xdotool should be confirmed during runtime testing on the PlebMachine target desktop. This documentation review does not claim that the current 1–12 mapping has been runtime-verified.

Error Handling

The script exits with status 1 when:

• an unrecognized mode is supplied; or
• neither wmctrl nor xdotool is available.

Dependencies

Required Utilities

• Bash — required to execute the script.
• wmctrl — preferred workspace-switching utility when installed.
• xdotool — fallback workspace-switching utility.

At least one of wmctrl or xdotool must be available for the script to perform a workspace switch.

System Environment

The script is intended for an X11 desktop environment with a window manager that provides multiple virtual desktops. PlebMachine currently targets XFCE/Xfwm4 on its Debian-based test systems.

Runtime Verification

This article preserves the code and documents its current behaviour. It does not mark the script as runtime verified.

Before this script is classified as WORKING, test the installed copy on the current PlebMachine target system and confirm that all 12 mode mappings land on the intended workspaces.

#!/bin/bash
# workspace-switch.sh - Switch to the specified workspace

MODE="$1"
case "$MODE" in
    everyday)   WS=1 ;;
    author)     WS=2 ;;
    study)      WS=3 ;;
    research)   WS=4 ;;
    graphics)   WS=5 ;;
    music)      WS=6 ;;
    video)      WS=7 ;;
    broadcast)  WS=8 ;;
    ai_helpers) WS=9 ;;
    developer)  WS=10 ;;
    accounting) WS=11 ;;
    leisure)    WS=12 ;;
    *) echo "Unknown mode: $MODE"; exit 1 ;;
esac

# Switch to workspace using wmctrl or xdotool
if command -v wmctrl >/dev/null 2>&1; then
    wmctrl -s "$WS"
elif command -v xdotool >/dev/null 2>&1; then
    xdotool set_desktop "$WS"
else
    echo "No workspace switcher found"
    exit 1
fi

Review — 2026-09-20

Review subject: Workspace Switcher

• Documentation review: Complete for the version currently preserved in this article.
• Description: The article now describes the actual preserved code, including mode mapping, command selection, dependencies, and error handling.
• Documentation correction: Removed the previous claim that the script converts the workspace value from 1-based to 0-based with WS - 1. The current code passes WS directly to wmctrl or xdotool.
• Code preservation: The existing shell code has been retained as the reference copy.
• Runtime verification: The workspace numbering behaviour remains a runtime-testing item. This article does not claim successful execution until the installed script is tested on the current PlebMachine target system.
• Duplicate cleanup: The later 2026-09-19 duplicate article is being removed because it contained the same shell code without adding distinct implementation value.
• PlebVox: None. Script/code articles in the PlebMachine Working Code Library are intentionally kept free of PlebVox markers.
• Maintenance note: If the installed PlebMachine implementation changes, this article should be reviewed and updated so the documented code, paths, dependencies, and behaviour remain aligned with the tested version.

Review date: 2026-09-20
Review scope: Documentation accuracy, code preservation, duplicate cleanup, runtime-verification status, and PlebVox exclusion.