Score:0

Unable to use ubuntu workspace: alwas get red frames around windows

ck flag

any window clicked gets red frame and cannot be entered, only closedworking with ubuntu 18.04, only one workspace, I get a red frame around windows and cannot use the app, only close the window. Clicking into it, I seem to get a normal display, but some seconds later it falls back showing the workspace bar and windows have red frames. What happens?

I dont need workspaces at all. Is there any way to get rid of the workspace feature? (setting number of workspaces does not solve the problems)

Esther avatar
es flag
Hello, and welcome to Ask Ubuntu! Ubuntu 18.04 has reached End of Standard Support, and is therefore off-topic on this site, except for questions about upgrading to a supported release. You should consider upgrading your system to a newer, supported version of the OS.
E Perez avatar
ck flag
The phenomenon is the same with ubuntu 22, anyone working with workspaces should have seen it. There must be a simple solution NOT to work with workspaces.
Esther avatar
es flag
I am unsure what you are talking about, there should not be a red frame around a window. are you opening the workspace switcher by mistake? did you set an interesting theme, or maybe some accessibility setting got enabled by mistake? It would help if you posted a screenshot so we could see what's wrong. And I don't know for sure, but most likely the only way to not use workspaces would be to switch to a different DE; GNOME is not so configurable like that.
E Perez avatar
ck flag
can i send a screenshot in this comment?
Esther avatar
es flag
you can [edit](https://askubuntu.com/posts/1475244/edit) your original question to add the necessary information.
E Perez avatar
ck flag
thank you, I did. see org. question above
user535733 avatar
cn flag
Looks like the system is getting a spurious signal to open the workspaces selector. That spurious signal can come from your workflow ("*I forgot that I have a habit of clicking there*") or from faulty hardware sending the signal.
user535733 avatar
cn flag
You should probably edit your question for 22.04 instead of 18.04. Many folks don't read the comments, and your later claim that oh-it-happens-on-22.04-also happens to be a common lie told by folks seeking support for out-of-support versions. I could see that your screenshot is clearly 22.04, but many folks won't dig that deep.
E Perez avatar
ck flag
thanks for your reply. Faulty hardware? I already changed the mouse -to no avail, what else can it be? shall I change GNOME? to which system?
us flag
There might be a keyboard shortcut for showing workspace which might be receiving ghost keystrokes. I don't use GNOME, so cannot say which shortcut.
E Perez avatar
ck flag
kudos to user535733 and Archisman !!! I changed the keyboard and the behavior now is normal. Apparently a keyboard malfunction always put me in 'workspace selection' mode - I never could do any work. Very impressed by the professionals of this forum. Thank you.
guiverc avatar
cn flag
[Ubuntu 18.04 LTS has reached the end of it's *standard* support life](https://fridge.ubuntu.com/2023/05/13/extended-security-maintenance-for-ubuntu-18-04-bionic-beaver-begins-31-may-2023/) thus is now off-topic here unless your question is specific to helping you move to a *fully supported* release of Ubuntu. Ubuntu 18.04 ESM support is available, but not on-topic here, see https://askubuntu.com/help/on-topic See also https://ubuntu.com//blog/18-04-end-of-standard-support
E Perez avatar
ck flag
thanks Mr guiverc. As I made clear, my question is NOT specific to 18.04, but the phenomenon was experienced in 22.04, too. Maybe a keyboard failure is not very common, but when it happens, it blocks ubuntu completely and should be corrected - or at least made evident - in a new release.
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