Question is in the title: What is the supposed workflow for vanilla Gnome for keyboard users?
Is there any video/design documents which explain, how the workflow is supposed to be?
Assume, I have a full screen web browser on workspace 1. Now I want to have a terminal… I hit the super-key, type terminal, hit enter … and then I have a terminal which does not start maximized on workspace 1, so I can either maximize the terminal and switch between the applications, arrange them side by side… or I can navigate to workspace 2, start the terminal there (the terminal will not start maximized again on an empty workspace 2) … and switch between the two workspaces (AFAIK there are no hotkeys specified by default to navigate directly to a workspace)…
What I simply do not understand: Does the vanilla Gnome workflow expect you to use mouse and keyboard? Like hit super, use mouse to go to next workspace, type terminal, click to maximize terminal (or use super-up)?
It just seems like a lot of work/clicks/keys to achieve something simple. And to my understanding Gnome expects you to use basically every application with a full screen window anyway, so why does it not open a new application on the next free workspace full screen by default?
Meta+arrow keys to manage windows: left or right to get a split, up to maximize.
Meta+pgup/pgdn to switch workspaces. Add shift to move the current window with you.
Those are the main ones I use all the time, but there’s a full list (some that aren’t bound by default) in the settings. I would probably remap pgup and pgdn to something closer to my fingers on a regular keyboard, but I use an ergo split 60% so I already have those keys on my home row.
Tbh GNOME feels best with a combo of mouse and keyboard, like Meta+mousewheel scrolling lets you switch workspaces very smoothly. And I think I had to map this myself, but I use right click drag + Meta to resize windows dynamically. But the above keys let me do 90% of what I want to with windows.
If you really want a fully keyboard-driven window management scheme you should probably check out a standalone window manager. I love sway personally.