When copying files and the focus is changed the file copy status window is no longer available

Question

In Ubuntu 11.10 using Gnome Shell I use Nautilus to copy or move files between open tabs. When I press Alt Tab and change focus to a different application and then come back to Nautilus to check the status of the task I sometimes can not access the file copy status window.

There seems to be no handle on the file copy/move/delete status window so I have to guess using disk space and disk activity when the copy is complete. How can I make this status window persistent.

Answer 1

You need to manually minimize all your active windows. Its actually in the background.

The file copy progress has a problem of not showing in the task list when you alt-tab and not showing in the application bar either.

Also this would point out that if you minimize your file operation status window, then you will never see it again, up till all the file operations are complete.

Or

Ctrl+Alt+Tab and select the "File Operation" that you will get the copy-past progress window.

Answer 2

try right-clicking the "file operations" window, and click "always on top"

do that before you are moving to another program with alt+tab or clicking any application bar.

it is still invisible in alt+tab operations or "activities" tab (for gnome-shell users), but once you choose any program to work with, the "file operation" window is still there. it's a bit annoying, especially for large file operations.

...and yes, i think you should do the trick everytime you are copying/moving files. haven't tried it myself though.

Answer 3

The same just happened to me on Ubuntu 11.10 & Gnome3. And no, the progress window is neither available through Activities nor by minimizing. I filed a bug report.

Answer 4

@afronoia:

you can use devilspie (or more easily the gui gdevilspie) to automatically make the window always on top.

Here is how I have if configured (in german):

( if 
( begin 
( is ( application_name ) "nautilus" )
( is ( window_name ) "Dateioperationen" )
) 
( begin 
( above )
( println "match" )
)
)

However you have to adjust the ( is ( window_name ) "Dateioperationen" ) line to fit your language.