Flying in Linux Mint

Posted Jun 3, 2026

By Yoan Ivanov

11 min read

Workspaces

Recommended setup

I have set up 12 workspaces. Sounds a lot on paper, but it isn’t. Here are they with the specific workspace number:

Communication
Workspace
Workspace
Other
Main 1
Main 2
Main 3
Other
Calendar
Workspace
Music
Other

My setup

My current setup is:

Communication - Discord, Mail, Messenger, Whatsapp, Telegram, Signal, everything communications related stays here
Study - not used a lot, but nice to have. Here I read and write notes, read presentations and so on
Blog - here I keep a console so I can quickly draft and write posts
Other - empty for now
Main 1 - work tasks
Main 2 - work tasks
Main 3 - work tasks (We have a lot of different projects, so I need to divide them so it is easier to switch context fast)
Other - some personal projects I work on rarely, but still want to have them on hand
Calendar - I use TikTik, so I can just quickly jump to this workspace with ‘Ctrl Alt 1’, then press ‘N’ and create a task, easy as that
This is for university extracariculars. Here I keep my TEDx stuff open for quick access.
Music - Spotify and YouTube always here. I use Brave to play music from YouTube without ads.
Other - empty for now

Linux mint has these very useful keyboard shortcuts:

“Switch to workspace X”
“Move window to workspace X”

ZSH

I use zsh as a terminal.

It’s very useful for its easy history search and autosuggestions.

Here are my custom aliases in ~/.config/.zsh_aliases

  
alias j='jekyll'
alias kk='kill -9'

# Show tree with file sizes
# alias tree='tree -CAhF --dirsfirst'

alias mountedinfo='df -hT'

# Show all logs in /var/log
alias logs="sudo find /var/log -type f -exec file {} \; | grep 'text' | cut -d' ' -f1 | sed -e's/:$//g' | grep -v '[0-9]$' | xargs tail -f"


# To see if a command is aliased, a file, or a built-in command
alias checkcommand="type -t"


# Search files in the current folder
alias f="find . | grep "

# Search running processes
alias p="ps aux | grep "

# Search command line history
alias h="history | grep "

# alias to show the date
alias da='date "+%Y-%m-%d %A %T %Z"'

alias cls="clear"

alias c="code"
alias cn="code -n"


#######################################################
# Networking
#######################################################

# Show open ports
alias openports='netstat -nape --inet'


#######################################################
# Files and Directories
#######################################################
alias ..='cd ..'
alias ...='cd ../..'
alias ....='cd ../../..'
alias .....='cd ../../../..'

# some more ls aliases
alias ll='ls -alF'
alias la='ls -A'
alias l='ls -CF'

alias o='open'

#######################################################
# Git and GitHub
#######################################################
alias s='git status'
alias a='git add '
alias d='git diff '
alias gc='git checkout '
alias grst='git restore --staged'

alias log='git log --pretty=format:"%C(yellow)%h %C(#775f2c)%ad%Cred%d %Creset%s%Cblue [%cn]" --decorate --date=short'
alias b='git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD'

alias ghil='gh issue list'
alias ghiv='gh issue view '
alias ghid='gh issue develop -c '

alias ghicw='gh issue create --web'

#######################################################
# Ruby on Rails
#######################################################
alias r='rails'
alias rdbms='rails db:migrate:status'
alias rdbreset='rails db:drop db:create db:schema:load db:seed'
alias rce='EDITOR="code --wait" rails credentials:edit -e development'
alias rtests='RAILS_ENV=test rdbreset && rspec'
#######################################################
#
#######################################################

alias c="code -n"

Here is the ~/.zshrc setup:

  
# Personal Zsh configuration file. It is strongly recommended to keep all
# shell customization and configuration (including exported environment
# variables such as PATH) in this file or in files sourced from it.
#
# Documentation: https://github.com/romkatv/zsh4humans/blob/v5/README.md.

# Periodic auto-update on Zsh startup: 'ask' or 'no'.
# You can manually run `z4h update` to update everything.
zstyle ':z4h:' auto-update      'no'
# Ask whether to auto-update this often; has no effect if auto-update is 'no'.
zstyle ':z4h:' auto-update-days '28'

# Keyboard type: 'mac' or 'pc'.
zstyle ':z4h:bindkey' keyboard  'pc'

# Start tmux if not already in tmux.
# Commenting it out as I am not ready yet. Too much of a hasle
# zstyle ':z4h:' start-tmux command tmux -u new -A -D -t z4h

# Whether to move prompt to the bottom when zsh starts and on Ctrl+L.
zstyle ':z4h:' prompt-at-bottom 'no'

# Mark up shell's output with semantic information.
zstyle ':z4h:' term-shell-integration 'yes'

# Right-arrow key accepts one character ('partial-accept') from
# command autosuggestions or the whole thing ('accept')?
zstyle ':z4h:autosuggestions' forward-char 'accept'

# Recursively traverse directories when TAB-completing files.
zstyle ':z4h:fzf-complete' recurse-dirs 'no'

# Enable direnv to automatically source .envrc files.
zstyle ':z4h:direnv'         enable 'no'
# Show "loading" and "unloading" notifications from direnv.
zstyle ':z4h:direnv:success' notify 'yes'

# Enable ('yes') or disable ('no') automatic teleportation of z4h over
# SSH when connecting to these hosts.
zstyle ':z4h:ssh:example-hostname1'   enable 'yes'
zstyle ':z4h:ssh:*.example-hostname2' enable 'no'
# The default value if none of the overrides above match the hostname.
zstyle ':z4h:ssh:*'                   enable 'no'

# Send these files over to the remote host when connecting over SSH to the
# enabled hosts.
zstyle ':z4h:ssh:*' send-extra-files '~/.nanorc' '~/.env.zsh'

# Clone additional Git repositories from GitHub.
#
# This doesn't do anything apart from cloning the repository and keeping it
# up-to-date. Cloned files can be used after `z4h init`. This is just an
# example. If you don't plan to use Oh My Zsh, delete this line.
z4h install ohmyzsh/ohmyzsh || return

# Install or update core components (fzf, zsh-autosuggestions, etc.) and
# initialize Zsh. After this point console I/O is unavailable until Zsh
# is fully initialized. Everything that requires user interaction or can
# perform network I/O must be done above. Everything else is best done below.
z4h init || return

# Extend PATH.
path=(~/bin $path)

# Export environment variables.
export GPG_TTY=$TTY

# Source additional local files if they exist.
z4h source ~/.env.zsh

# Use additional Git repositories pulled in with `z4h install`.
#
# This is just an example that you should delete. It does nothing useful.
z4h source ohmyzsh/ohmyzsh/lib/diagnostics.zsh  # source an individual file
z4h load   ohmyzsh/ohmyzsh/plugins/emoji-clock  # load a plugin

# Define key bindings.
z4h bindkey z4h-backward-kill-word  Ctrl+Backspace     Ctrl+H
z4h bindkey z4h-backward-kill-zword Ctrl+Alt+Backspace

z4h bindkey undo Ctrl+/ Shift+Tab  # undo the last command line change
z4h bindkey redo Alt+/             # redo the last undone command line change

z4h bindkey z4h-cd-back    Alt+Left   # cd into the previous directory
z4h bindkey z4h-cd-forward Alt+Right  # cd into the next directory
z4h bindkey z4h-cd-up      Alt+Up     # cd into the parent directory
z4h bindkey z4h-cd-down    Alt+Down   # cd into a child directory

# Autoload functions.
autoload -Uz zmv

# Define functions and completions.
function md() { [[ $# == 1 ]] && mkdir -p -- "$1" && cd -- "$1" }
compdef _directories md

# Define named directories: ~w <=> Windows home directory on WSL.
[[ -z $z4h_win_home ]] || hash -d w=$z4h_win_home

# Define aliases.
alias tree='tree -a -I .git'

# Add flags to existing aliases.
# alias ls="${aliases[ls]:-ls} -A"

# Set shell options: http://zsh.sourceforge.net/Doc/Release/Options.html.
setopt glob_dots     # no special treatment for file names with a leading dot
setopt no_auto_menu  # require an extra TAB press to open the completion menu



#################################
# Mine
#################################

alias e="code -n ~/.config/.zsh_aliases ~/.zshrc ~/.config/.zsh_workspaces ~/.local/bin/./workspace-startup.sh ~/.config/.zsh_commands"
alias reload="exec zsh"

source ~/.config/.zsh_aliases
source ~/.config/.zsh_commands
source ~/.config/.zsh_workspaces

export EDITOR="code"


# TODO: Ruby doesn't work otherwise. I should fix it
export PATH="$PATH:$HOME/.rvm/bin"

# TODO: Vs Code doesn't work otherwise. I should fix it
export PATH="$PATH:/usr/share/code/bin"

[[ -s "$HOME/.rvm/scripts/rvm" ]] && source "$HOME/.rvm/scripts/rvm"

export NVM_DIR="$HOME/.nvm"
[ -s "$NVM_DIR/nvm.sh" ] && \. "$NVM_DIR/nvm.sh"  # This loads nvm
[ -s "$NVM_DIR/bash_completion" ] && \. "$NVM_DIR/bash_completion"  # This loads nvm bash_completion

Here are the ~/.config/.zsh_workspaces. I use this to quickly go into projects and open an editor.

  
# Full setup
# We run the script with "." to ensure that the terminal used to run the script is used for the workspace
alias work=". $HOME/.local/bin/./workspace-startup.sh"


# Set useful aliases for changing directories to workspaces and opening vscode quickly
alias wo='cd ~/Programming/work'
typeset -A work_projects=(
  woa "$HOME/Programming/work/project1"
  wob "$HOME/Work/blog"
  woc "$HOME/Programming/work/company/some_project"
  woe "$HOME/Programming/personal/rails/some_project"
  wog "$HOME/Programming/work/some_project"
  woi "$HOME/Programming/work/company/some_project"
  woj "$HOME/Programming/personal/rails/some_project"
  wom "$HOME/Programming/personal/rails/some_project/"
  wor "$HOME/Programming/personal/rails/some_project"
  wot "$HOME/Programming/personal/rails/some_project"
  wow "$HOME/Programming/work/company/some_project"
)


# Loop through array and create aliases
for alias_base in ${(k)work_projects}; do
  alias $alias_base="cd '${work_projects[$alias_base]}'"
  alias ${alias_base}c="cd '${work_projects[$alias_base]}' && code ."
done

Custom zsh commands in ~/.config/.zsh_commands:

  
mkvmp4() {
  if [ -z "$1" ]; then
    echo "Usage: mkvmp4 <input.mkv>"
    return 1
  fi

  input="$1"
  output="${input%.mkv}.mp4"

  ffmpeg -i "$input" "$output"
}

mp43() {
  if [ -z "$1" ]; then
    echo "Usage: mp43 <input.mp4>"
    return 1
  fi

  input="$1"
  output="${input%.mp4}.mp3"

  ffmpeg -i "$input" "$output"
}

difftext(){
  diff <(echo "$1") <(echo "$2")
}



# Open file explorer
fex(){
    if [ "$#" -ne 1 ]; then
        gio open . >/dev/null 2>&1 &;
    else
        gio open $1 >/dev/null 2>&1 &;
    fi
}



# Make a dir and cd into it
mkcdir(){
    mkdir -p -- "$1"
    cd -P -- "$1"
}



## Make a custom alias
## == not working in zsh for some reason
# addalias() {
#     if [ "$#" -lt 1 ]; then
#         echo "Usage:"
#         echo "  addalias <alias_name> <command>   - Add a custom alias"
#         echo "  addalias -c <alias_name>          - Create an alias to cd into the current directory"
#         return 1
#     fi

#     if [ "$1" == "-c" ]; then
#         if [ -z "$2" ]; then
#             echo "Usage: addalias -c <alias_name>"
#             return 1
#         fi
#         ALIAS_NAME="$2"
#         ALIAS_COMMAND="cd $(pwd)"
#     else
#         if [ "$#" -ne 2 ]; then
#             echo "Usage: addalias <alias_name> <command>"
#             return 1
#         fi
#         ALIAS_NAME="$1"
#         ALIAS_COMMAND="$2"
#     fi

#     # Check if a command with the same name exists
#     if type "$ALIAS_NAME" &>/dev/null; then
#         echo "Error: '$ALIAS_NAME' is already a command. Choose a different alias name."
#         return 1
#     fi

#     # Check if the alias already exists in ~/.config/.zsh_aliases
#     if grep -q "^alias $ALIAS_NAME=" ~/.config/.zsh_aliases; then
#         echo "Alias '$ALIAS_NAME' already exists in ~/.config/.zsh_aliases. Use a different name."
#         return 1
#     fi

#     # Add a newline before adding the alias for better readability
#     echo -e "\nalias $ALIAS_NAME=\"$ALIAS_COMMAND\"" >> ~/.config/.zsh_aliases
#     echo "Alias '$ALIAS_NAME' added successfully."

#     # Reload ~/.bashrc to apply changes
#     source ~/.bashrc
# }

I don’t use this anymore, bc I just sleep my computer, but it is useful for an automatic startup after reboot ~/.local/bin/./workspace-startup.sh:

  
#!/bin/bash

# Spotify in "Music" workspace (Workspace 5)
spotify &
sleep 2
wmctrl -r "Spotify" -t 5
wmctrl -r "Spotify" -b add,maximized_vert,maximized_horz

# Discord in "Coms" workspace (Workspace 0)
flatpak run com.discordapp.Discord &

# Terminal, VS Code, and Brave in "Axlessoft" workspace (Workspace 1)
wmctrl -s 1
gnome-terminal --working-directory=$HOME/Programming/work/company/project &
sleep 1
wmctrl -r "Programming/work/company/project" -e 0,0,0,960,1080
wmctrl -a "Programming/work/company/project"
brave-browser &
code --new-window $HOME/Programming/work/company/project &
sleep 1

# Move discord, after we have given it enough time to load
wmctrl -r "Discord" -t 0
wmctrl -r "Discord" -b add,maximized_vert,maximized_horz

exit 0

Programming, Setup

This post is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0 by the author.

Flying in Linux Mint

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Recommended setup

My setup

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