Because I frequently want to know what is active on my current ‘workspace,’ as well as across all my workspaces, I have enabled and use two tools/approaches:
rofi: rofi provides my ‘whole’ desktop activity listing simply via a standard set of rofi commands. The list/popup created is also active, thus a simple click ‘takes’ me to a desired ‘active task’. In bspwm (in sxhkdrc), I have created the following keybinding.
You will not need bspwm to accomplish your keybinding. You can create this keybinding/command in most any manner supported by your desktop environment or window manager.
# rofi Active Tasks
super + F12
rofi -modi window -show window -show-icons -sidebar-mode
The following image is what the result ‘looks like’.
tint2: tint2 is even easier. The taskbar function within tint2 offers a number of readily selectable options. Check the boxes you like best. You will need to install and run tint2 on your desktop though. I use right mouse-button on an active task button to close the task, when appropriate.
The tint2 arrangement appears in the following image:
In an effort to minimize desktop real estate consumption by tint2, I have divided functions as noted on this page. I, also, have posted an abbreviated version of this page on reddit (see below).