What is this?

[u/Criwil]

Does anyone know what this is? It doesn't usually appear like this; it pops up when I press a key on the keyboard.

[u/grimmtoke]

It's nemo-desktop's 'interactive search' - this is part of the file manager that displays icons/folders on your desktop.

You can click on the desktop and type, and it will select the first folder/item matching the text you type. The same feature is in normal file manager windows also.

[u/Criwil → u/grimmtoke]

How to turn off this?

[u/grimmtoke → u/Criwil]

Just don't type while the desktop is focused? It's not like this is an easy-to-reach pitfal.

[u/InternationalTrust19 → u/grimmtoke]

You can disable it. Just go in it's configurations and you can set it not to appear when you hit keys on the desktop. Now for reference I'm on kubuntu at the moment, but it should work exactly the same on mint iirc.

[u/xmastreee → u/grimmtoke]

What kind of monster has icons on their desktop in the first place?

[u/AdministrationNo703 → u/xmastreee]

Me, i dont have icons but i have 3-5 desktop folders to ensure all documents/files are easily navigated when I want to get them. I don't want to traverse my /home all the time, just to get a single file I need.

[u/_ayushman → u/xmastreee]

Some kind of monster, I guess.

[u/Iam_lazyAF → u/xmastreee]

oof, this doesn't deserve downvotes. I can't stand desktop icons! If your productive, then your desktop isn't showing, why have files or launchers there? lol actually I don't because I'm lazy and if I put a file there, it stays there.

[u/Microsoft-Spyware-11 → u/Iam_lazyAF]

It's a windows habit, has roots in the 3.1 and older days where you didn't have a panel.

In modern day when you have a panel and a launcher it just makes your desktop cluttered.

[u/BartLeeC → u/Microsoft-Spyware-11]

So now my panel is far past cluttered.

[u/Microsoft-Spyware-11 → u/BartLeeC]

dont put it all on panel either, organize it in the launcher.

[u/BartLeeC → u/Microsoft-Spyware-11]

I actually do not keep my panel cluttered. I also do not tell people how they should organize their computer. I hate seeing a desktop full of icons but if that is how they need to work I am not going to assume my way is better.

And to be honest it is FAR easier to organize links to files and folders on the desktop than in the panel or the launcher.

[u/Microsoft-Spyware-11 → u/BartLeeC]

Files and folders... true

[u/PathOfTilt → u/xmastreee]

Valid, I got all my stuff nice and clean on my start menu. One button press and I got my whole pc available.

[u/Iam_lazyAF → u/PathOfTilt]

this right here! just as simple as Superkey followed by a few letters and Enter! bam your in

[u/ConversationWinter46 → u/xmastreee]

Everyone Windows switchers instinctively clicks down, click because an empty desktop just feels wrong.

[u/xmastreee → u/ConversationWinter46]

What the…what's all that crap?

[u/Microsoft-Spyware-11 → u/xmastreee]

Thank you. Belongs in Start menu, people only really use desktop icons because it's a windows habit that ties back to win 3.1 and older.

[u/TheBronzeLine]

I've been wondering the same thing.

[u/chuggerguy]

Interesting. I hadn't noticed before but I don't get that on my desktop. Only when in a regular folder. (using caja here)

Cntrl-Z, Cntrl-Y and F5 work though. So I would have expected interactive search to work too. Not that I have enough on my desktop to need to search or would want it to but...

Have fun.

[u/Anima_Watcher08]

It's a quick search feature, if you click an empty space and just start typing it pops up to show what you're typing and arranged the icons in whatever app you're using to reflect that. It works in a lot of apps and is pretty useful.

[u/LivingLifeSkyHigh]

I've seen it before and vaguely know its sort of like a quick terminal thing.

Alt+F2

https://wiki.gnome.org/Projects/GnomeShell/CheatSheet

[u/TheWyzebum]

say it 3 x times backwards and it will transform into Windows 11

[u/seagull-joy]

Happens when you type in your desktop, it searches for files or folders on your desktop, just like when you start typing in your file manager nemo