Data

Tools

Indexes

Applications

Experiments

Awesome

An open API service indexing awesome lists of open source software.

https://github.com/mityax/gnome-extension-touchup

An extension for Gnome Shell that enhances the user experience for devices with a touchscreen.
https://github.com/mityax/gnome-extension-touchup

gnome gnome-extension gnome-extensions gnome-touch linux-mobile linux-on-surface linux-touch mobile-linux surface-linux

Last synced: 4 months ago
JSON representation

An extension for Gnome Shell that enhances the user experience for devices with a touchscreen.

Awesome Lists containing this project

README 

          

# TouchUp



An extension for Gnome Shell that enhances the user experience for devices with a

touchscreen – primarily focused (and tested) on tablets.



TouchUp aims to provide an intuitive, configurable, clean and 

seamless interface. However, please be aware that this is not always 

possible nor easy since Gnome extension development does not come without 

challenges or limits and has a steep learning curve.



## Installation



Get it on GNOME Extensions



🛠️ or build and install from source: `npm run enable:release`



## Roadmap & Implementation Status



This is a rough overview over this extension's implemented features and goals

(in no particular order). It's a lot, and it's changing, mostly due to 

new ideas or unforeseen complications – so please don't take this as a fixed 

plan but more as an idea of the direction TouchUp is heading. Also, I have

limited time to work on this project, so please don't expect new features 

very frequently – you can help speed up progress by [donating](#support).



 - [x] Navigation bar, as known from Android/iOS

   - [x] Gesture mode

   - [x] Buttons mode

   - [x] Invisible gestures mode

   - [x] Compatibility with:

     - DashToDock (move the dock up)

     - DashToPanel (move the panel up) – not yet released [[more info]](https://github.com/mityax/gnome-extension-touchup/issues/17#issuecomment-3590091058)

 - [ ] Edge swipe actions (left/right edge: back, top/bottom edge:

       show panel and navigation bar)

 - [x] Touch gestures for Gnome Shell notifications

   - [x] Touchscreen swipe gesture

   - [ ] Touchpad two-finger gestures

 - [ ] Add "copy"/"open" button in notifications for elements like 2FA

       codes or links

 - [x] Onscreen Keyboard (OSK)

   - [x] Key popups

   - [x] "Extended" keys (make padding between keys reactive)

   - [ ] Compatibility with the "GJS OSK" extension (?)

   - [x] Swipe-close keyboard

   - [ ] Single-tap locale button or swipe space bar to switch input methods

   - [ ] Show a quick paste action in suggestion bar after having copied 

     something to the clipboard

 - [ ] Virtual Touchpad (use device as touchpad when connected to a

   second monitor) \[WIP]

 - [x] Floating temporary screen rotation button when auto-rotation

       is disabled but device is being rotated (as in android)

 - [ ] Pattern unlock

 - [ ] Improved swipe gestures in the overview

   - [x] Swipe up windows in overview to close them

   - [x] Single-finger swipe left/right to switch workspace

   - [x] Hold and move to drag and drop windows

   - [x] Single-finger swipe up/down to open/close overview/app list

   - [ ] Move windows to another screen via dragging to the corner

 - [ ] Gesture-driven top menu pull down animations \[WIP]

 - [ ] Touch-enabled volume controls

 - [ ] Voice input in onscreen keyboard

 - [ ] Option to display individual windows instead of workspaces when navigating

   using gesture navigation bar

 - [ ] Run arbitrary commands on touch-mode change

 - [x] Double-tap top panel, lockscreen or desktop background to sleep

 - [ ] Hide window close buttons in touch mode



Each of these features can be enabled/disabled individually and most can be 

further customized in the extension settings.



In case you'd like to suggest a feature or work on one yourself, please don't

hesitate to [create an issue](https://github.com/mityax/gnome-extension-touchup/issues/new) 

so we can discuss it!



## A Note on Compatibility



TouchUp is developed for and actively tested on upstream Gnome Shell. It is not

tested on derivations thereof, such as in Ubuntu, and I don't have capacity to 

include those at the moment (should you be willing to contribute as a long-term 

beta tester, and to investigate issues on a specific shell derivation yourself, 

please

[open an issue](https://github.com/mityax/gnome-extension-touchup/issues/new) 

to get in touch).



However, TouchUp will automatically disable features that fail to initialize,

and show a notification for these. Other features _might_ work on your shell

derivation. Consider logging out and back in when a feature failed to 

initialize – this way you ensure the failed feature leaves no traces in your 

session.



By the way: TouchUp does not even load the code for disabled features into

memory – thus you only 'pay' for features you actually enable.



## Why an Extension?



Developing this functionality in the form of a Gnome extension allows a seamless

interplay between a touch-centered usage and one based on keyboard and mouse. It

facilitates a dual usage of devices such as tablets with removable keyboards or

convertibles, without the need to manually switch between login sessions or to

compromise on awkward user interfaces. Elements of the interface that are useful

in both, touch and non-touch mode (e.g. notification swipe gestures) will always

be active, while elements that are useless or annoying when having a keyboard

and touchpad at hand (e.g. the gesture navigation bar) will only be active in

touch mode.



This also means that users can just use their well-known and stable Gnome

Shell (with their favorite extensions) and can add the additional touch

functionality at the press of a button; There is no need to set up and get used

to a different, possibly unpolished or permanently-in-beta shell, just to have

decent touch interaction with the device.



Lastly, as the development of an extension like this one is decoupled from Gnome

Shell itself, it can make faster iterations and profit off using more modern

tooling such as Typescript (though extension review can of course also take its

time).



## Contributing



Should you want to contribute, which I'd greatly appreciate, please first

have a look at [CONTRIBUTING.md](./CONTRIBUTING.md). This is especially

important if you plan to contribute more than just a simple typo- or bugfix.



## Support



Your support fuels this work and helps TouchUp to make Gnome an 

alternative to corporate touch operating systems. It'll also allow me to 

allocate more time to this project, thereby making progress faster. Even a 

dollar a month helps!



To donate, choose a platform below:



Buy Me a Coffee at ko-fi.com


Recommended! Most payment methods, one-time or recurring donations, no sign up required.



Buy Me a Coffee


Donate by card, no sign up required.