Gnome 3 -- liking it more each day !?

[William Case]

Hi; 

Would like to have a conversation about somethings I would like to see
added to Gnome 3.  If I can get some agreement or advice, I will submit
it as a Request for Enhancement to Gnome.

After using Gnome 3 for about 3 weeks I really, really, want a toolbox
or several of them.  A toolbox is combination of the current Desktop
file, a file, a favourites bar and a docker. Here is how I see a toolbox
working.  

Toolbox:
A toolbox is no more than a file or container into which I could put
programs and applets which used to go on my panel.  The problem with the
panel was that I had to put all my 'tools' on the panel even though I
only used a few of them at a time depending on the project I was working
on.  I kept my projects separated on desktops or workspaces or
viewports.

Going from desktop to overview to open one tool after another as I need
it is a bit of a PIA.  Putting all of my tools ahead of time on a
desktop is a messy PIA.  I don't want to revert to a half-assed version
of Gnome 2.  I really like the cleanliness and motions, and key strokes
of Gnome 3.

In overview:
a) I would be able to open a file shown as a toolbox icon and drag and
drop those 'tool' programs or applets that I use regularly for one type
of job or project. I could then close it with only the icon view of the
toolbox file showing.
b) The toolbox file icon would automatically be stored in the
applications (menu) view.
c) From the Applications view, if I wished, I could drag and drop the
file into the favourites bar/view, or replace the favourites bar
entirely with my toolbox file.
d) I could if I wished drag the toolbox file onto a desktop from either
the favourites bar or from the Applications view.
e) Could make as many toolboxes as I wanted.

By the way, I understand that applets are gone in gnome 3 and will be
replaced, perhaps, over time with stand alone applications.  But the
older terminology is convenient.

On the desktop:
1) when I opened a desktop containing a toolbox along with the major
application I was about to use, the toolbox icon would appear on the
desktop, not opened but as an icon, like an iconized version of the
docker.
2) when I needed an application from the toolbox I could click on it or
Alt+Tab to it and it would open displaying all my tools. 
3) within the toolbox file I could select an application or applet which
I could then click on or ALT-Tab to and run that tool  application.
4) on closing the tool application it would be returned to the toolbox.
5) the toolbox when opened would be movable and reshape-able with the
usual handles.

With the above described 'toolbox' I could get all the extraneous icons
that I now have off of my desktop.  I could have only those tools which
I use most often for each kind of job or project handy. And I could have
the equivalent of a clean and simple panel that I could place anywhere
in in any shape I wished.

I think most of the elements of what I am asking for are already
available in Gnome3.

> Couldn't a toolbox be like a dock? tooldock?

Very much.  But I see a couple of extra advantages. I could create a
toolbox ahead of time and keep it in my applications menu. I could place
it and reshape on my it desktop as I wanted.  I could make the toolbox
icon appear on my desktop as small and as unobtrusive as I wanted.  And
I could have several toolboxes with different content for different
jobs, projects or uses.

The Gnome3 developers have put much greater emphasis on using desktops.
I like that.  The only drawback I keep running into is that my smaller
tools are no longer easily available. For example, when I am working in
Writer, I am used to using the Dictionary, Thesaurus, character selector
and calculator applets.  My main browser is Firefox kept on a different
desktop, but I am used to using epiphany for a quick web lookup.  I have
a couple of other writing tools.  Altogether maybe 7
applets/applications that I use fairly regularly when I am writing
something.  

My panel and desktop used to have over 30 icons, because I wanted access
to them when I was doing something else, say graphics.  In graphics I
mainly used Inkscape, but I wanted the Gimp launcher handy as well as
agave and a few other graphics applets and applications.  Here too I
would want epiphany to search for images.  But I don't need quick access
to all my writing tools.  I would therefore like to be able to configure
different toolboxes for different tasks.

I don't think what I am suggesting is much different from the way most
people work however they choose to divide up their desktop usage.

TWO MORE WANTS!

I would like the Gnome developers to double check that everything that
can be done on a keyboard can also be done with a mouse movement or
click.  For example, I would like to have a mouse equivalent to Ctrl+Alt
+up arrow/down arrow.  Perhaps a brisk up or down motion with the mouse
cursor -- or something. It is the constant switching and reaching from
the keyboard to the mouse and back again that is a PIA. I am equally as
happy using just one or the other.

Also, I would like an equivalent to Alt+F2 that gets the little black
'run' pop up but for searching the internet.  I presently have my
epiphany as my favourite browser (actually I use Firefox which is open
on its own desktop as my main browser but for quick and dirty searches I
prefer epiphany. So I use both) set to google as its home page.  I have
and alias 'goo'+ search word for the command line that opens epiphany
and searches on google for the word.  I would like something like that
that is really simple and fast for a familiar or simple search. I
envision a shortcut like Alt+F3 that opens a popup like 'run' into which
I can simply type my search criteria and epiphany (pick your browser)
appears with the search completed.

I know I have run three ideas together in one message.  But since I am
only looking for comments at this point, I thought it would be
acceptable.

-- 
Regards Bill
Fedora 15, Gnome 3.0.2
Evo.3.0.2, Emacs 23.2.1