Score:0

Ubuntu

set shortcut to move between windows in reverse

neverdimed

5/21/23, 3:32 PM

version: Ubuntu 18.04

i want to move between windows and work spaces in a "vim-like" way.

I set ctrl+alt u/d to move up/down work spaces, and changed alt tab (switch between windows -->) to ctrl+alt+l. And I want to move in reverse order (<--) using ctrl+alt+h.

The documentation suggests this is done using the shift key: https://help.ubuntu.com/stable/ubuntu-help/shell-windows-switching.html.en.

But I cannot see it listed in the settings where i can change it. Under keyboard shortcuts i see only "switch windows" (where i easily changed it from alt tab to ctrl+alt+l) but not switch windows in reverse order.

How can i set the shortcut to switch windows in reverse order?

0 + 0

vim

keyboard

shortcut-keys

vanadium

5/21/23, 3:56 PM

This depends on the desktop environment and window manager. We have no idea what desktop environment you use, although there is a strong suspicion it will be the standard Ubuntu desktop with Gnome Shell. *Edit* your question and add system specs: Ubuntu version and desktop environment.

neverdimed

5/21/23, 4:09 PM

sorry, it slipped my mind: ubuntu 18.04

Score:1

Ubuntu

vanadium

5/21/23, 5:48 PM

With following commands, you can bind Ctrl+AltL/H to directly switch windows forward and backward. The commands given preserve the default bindings as well:

gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.wm.keybindings cycle-windows "['<Alt>Escape', '<Control><Alt>l']"
gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.wm.keybindings cycle-windows-backward "['<Shift><Alt>Escape','<Control><Alt>h']"

Alternatively, you could switch forward and backwards in the window popup with the commands.

gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.wm.keybindings switch-windows "['<Control><Alt>l']"
gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.wm.keybindings switch-windows-backward "['<Control><Alt>h']"

Depending on the Ubuntu version, these keys may already be bound to Alt+Tab, so you could add <Alt>Tab or <Shift><Alt>Tab.

The latter binding can be set in "Settings", "Keyboard", but that interface allows to set only one binding at a time.

To undo your changes and return these settings to default, replace set by reset and remove the last argument.

0 + 0

neverdimed

5/21/23, 9:39 PM

thanks a lot for this. I'm trying to add it using the interface in settings: name: Switch windows backward / command: switch-windows-backward / shortcut: [i just enter the keys and it records them] / i guess i have the command wrong?

vanadium

5/21/23, 10:41 PM

My bad: arguments in commands should be quoted: corrected this.

neverdimed

5/22/23, 8:44 AM

excellent, it works!, cheers

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EN: set shortcut to move between windows in reverse

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