Alt-Tab in Gnome 3

[egr]

Anyone knows how to make Alt-Tab useful in Gnome 3? The grouping of the windows seems like a very bad idea.

Also I would like to switch between workspaces horizontally. It does not make sense to lock it at one option. Plus switching horizontally is much quicker since no finger movement is involved.

[jtfolden]

Anyone knows how to make Alt-Tab useful in Gnome 3? The grouping of the windows seems like a very bad idea.

It seems pretty useful to me but Alt-~(the key above tab) might help you out with window switching.

Also I would like to switch between workspaces horizontally. It does not make sense to lock it at one option. Plus switching horizontally is much quicker since no finger movement is involved.

The logic of vertical switching is due to the fact the workspaces are displayed vertically in the overview, iirc.

[RahulSundaram]

Hi

I would suggest sticking to it for a few more days and learn to use alt+~ and see if you can get adjusted to the workflow. From my experience, many users like it after some amount of usage.

If you want to change this behaviour anyway, you can

# yum install gnome-shell-extensions-alternate-tab

Alt+F2, press r and then enter to restart your GNOME Shell. That should help. Also there are quite a few more extensions pre-packaged in Fedora 15

$yum search gnome-shell-extensions -C
Loaded plugins: presto, refresh-packagekit, security, yum-fast-downloader
===================== N/S Matched: gnome-shell-extensions ======================
gnome-shell-extensions-alternate-tab.noarch : Classic Alt+Tab behavior. Window
: based instead of app based
gnome-shell-extensions-alternative-status-menu.noarch : For those who want a
...: power off item visible at all the time
gnome-shell-extensions-auto-move-windows.noarch : Assign specific workspaces to
: applications
gnome-shell-extensions-common.noarch : Files common to GNOME Shell Extensions
gnome-shell-extensions-dock.noarch : Shows a dock-style task switcher
: permanently
gnome-shell-extensions-drive-menu.noarch : Disk device manager in the system
: status area
gnome-shell-extensions-native-window-placement.noarch : Arrange windows in
...: overview in a more native way
gnome-shell-extensions-places-menu.noarch : Places menu indicator in the system
: status area
gnome-shell-extensions-user-theme.noarch : Lets the user select a custom theme
: for the shell
gnome-shell-extensions-windowsNavigator.noarch : Keyboard selection of windows
: and work-spaces in overlay mode

[Cygnia]

I just wanted to say I really like the Alt-Tab and Alt-~ behavior in Gnome 3. You can get to any other window of any other application easily by holding down Alt and alternating the other two keys. It's the best implementation of app switching I've ever experienced on any OS and DE. If you give it a chance you might get to like it.

[egr]

Thank you, everyone! Alt-~ or in my case Alt-| worked, however feels a bit unusual.
Thanks Rahul, it worked! However one negative thing, it alt-tabs all windows an all workspaces, when I'd rather see only windows on the current workspace.

---------- Post added at 07:07 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:05 AM ----------

Although in some way I guess it makes sense since I cannot see the list of open applications anymore

[screamin_jesus]

I just wanted to say I really like the Alt-Tab and Alt-~ behavior in Gnome 3. You can get to any other window of any other application easily by holding down Alt and alternating the other two keys. It's the best implementation of app switching I've ever experienced on any OS and DE. If you give it a chance you might get to like it.

Completely agree Gnome 3's alt tab is so polished compared to gnome 2/compiz too. Nice sharp icons and proper thumbnails!

[solinem]

At first it might seem as a good idea, but it is true that this package introduces a bug, and she shell crashes when you do an ALT-TAB, so, I had to erase it, and apparently my system returned to normality (if you can tell it "normal")

[Mariusz W]

Anyone knows how to make Alt-Tab useful in Gnome 3? The grouping of the windows seems like a very bad idea.

I began using it in gnome-shell and I find it useful.

---------- Post added at 12:10 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:07 PM ----------

At first it might seem as a good idea, but it is true that this package introduces a bug, and she shell crashes when you do an ALT-TAB, so, I had to erase it, and apparently my system returned to normality (if you can tell it "normal")

I am using Alt+Tab on average dozens times per a login session, sometimes more than one hundred times, yet I haven't experienced a single crash caused by Alt+Tab.

[cracky]

I began using it in gnome-shell and I find it useful.

---------- Post added at 12:10 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:07 PM ----------



I am using Alt+Tab on average dozens times per a login session, sometimes more than one hundred times, yet I haven't experienced a single crash caused by Alt+Tab.

He meant it crashes after you install the alternate-tab extension. Not in general. It's the same case with me too. Alternate Tab extension causes gnome-shell to crash when I use Alt+Tab. So I've begun to train myself to use Alt+~ when needed...

[db94wookie]

I'm sorry, I've been trying to get used to the ALT-Tab, ALT-~ usage for well over a month, and I still think it sucks. It's usable, but I often switch back and forth between two windows via a quick ALT-Tab. With the new functionality, the last used window is no longer the first one that I can switch to, so instead of a quick ALT-Tab, I have to ALT-Tab, pause, figure out the window I want, ALT-Tab over to it, ALT-~ to pick from the group. Seriously. How is that better? Someone, please explain that to me, because all I'm seeing here is "wow, it's awesome!"

I get the idea of grouping, I do. I just don't think it works. It really interrupts my workflow, despite making a concerted effort to relearn it.

Tried to go back to the gnome-shell-extension-alternate-tab which, of course, crashes the shell. Slick.

Plus, there are two versions of the extension available via yum:

Available Packages
gnome-shell-extension-alternate-tab.noarch
3.0.2-3.20110630git939994d0.fc15 updates
gnome-shell-extensions-alternate-tab.noarch
3.0.0-5.6d56cfgit.fc15 fedora


I love Gnome 3. Used a Gnome 2 system the other day and it felt slow and clunky. But Gnome 3 still has some really annoying "features" which I hate. I hated the lack of minimize, but have managed to learn how to do without that. Amusingly enough, adding _that_ capability back doesn't crash the shell.

[cracky]

I'm sorry, I've been trying to get used to the ALT-Tab, ALT-~ usage for well over a month, and I still think it sucks. It's usable, but I often switch back and forth between two windows via a quick ALT-Tab. With the new functionality, the last used window is no longer the first one that I can switch to, so instead of a quick ALT-Tab, I have to ALT-Tab, pause, figure out the window I want, ALT-Tab over to it, ALT-~ to pick from the group. Seriously. How is that better? Someone, please explain that to me, because all I'm seeing here is "wow, it's awesome!"

I get the idea of grouping, I do. I just don't think it works. It really interrupts my workflow, despite making a concerted effort to relearn it.

Tried to go back to the gnome-shell-extension-alternate-tab which, of course, crashes the shell. Slick.

Plus, there are two versions of the extension available via yum:

Available Packages
gnome-shell-extension-alternate-tab.noarch
3.0.2-3.20110630git939994d0.fc15 updates
gnome-shell-extensions-alternate-tab.noarch
3.0.0-5.6d56cfgit.fc15 fedora


I love Gnome 3. Used a Gnome 2 system the other day and it felt slow and clunky. But Gnome 3 still has some really annoying "features" which I hate. I hated the lack of minimize, but have managed to learn how to do without that. Amusingly enough, adding _that_ capability back doesn't crash the shell.

You can add minimize to the windows. It's no big deal at all.
There's a program called "gnome-tweak-tool" in the yum repositories. Install it. You'll find what you need under "Shell -> Arrangement of Buttons on the Titlebar"

[db94wookie]

You can add minimize to the windows. It's no big deal at all.
There's a program called "gnome-tweak-tool" in the yum repositories. Install it. You'll find what you need under "Shell -> Arrangement of Buttons on the Titlebar"

I know there's a gnome-tweak-tool. I've installed it, reconfigured the middle button on the titlebar to minimize, and added the minimize button. As I said:

...I hated the lack of minimize, but have managed to learn how to do without that. Amusingly enough, adding _that_ capability back doesn't crash the shell...

I figured out how to add minimize back, but have also learned to work with the new "no minimize" mindset. However, despite spending quite a bit of time trying to learn to like the new Alt-Tab functionality, I do not. Plus, the "fix" for it crashes the shell. That was the point of my post.

[MuadNu]

I'm sorry, I've been trying to get used to the ALT-Tab, ALT-~ usage for well over a month, and I still think it sucks. It's usable, but I often switch back and forth between two windows via a quick ALT-Tab. With the new functionality, the last used window is no longer the first one that I can switch to, so instead of a quick ALT-Tab, I have to ALT-Tab, pause, figure out the window I want, ALT-Tab over to it, ALT-~ to pick from the group. Seriously. How is that better? Someone, please explain that to me, because all I'm seeing here is "wow, it's awesome!"

As anyone figured out a way around this? I like the grouping behavior, but I'd really like it if hitting alt+tab brought me back to the last used window used for an app instead of the first one I opened, it is much more natural...

[cmuAdamson]

I'd have to agree, this change to a basic productivity feature like ALT-TAB is absolutely obscene. I've been working with Linux since 1991, and this is the stupidest change I have seen, I don't know what got into the skull of whomever thought to change this.

Most of my time I have and editor like Emacs and a terminal window, and I alt-tab between them back and forth making changes in the editor and testing them in the terminal window. Back and forth, all I do is tap alt-tab. And now some idiot in Gnome HQ says hey, people are being productive, we gotta stop that! I never thought I'd see the day when working in Linux is harder than working in Windows.

This should NOT be an addon or extension to "make it the way that makes sense" -- this change SHOULD be the extension to "make it work the stupid way".

[screamin_jesus]

I'd have to agree, this change to a basic productivity feature like ALT-TAB is absolutely obscene. I've been working with Linux since 1991, and this is the stupidest change I have seen, I don't know what got into the skull of whomever thought to change this.

Most of my time I have and editor like Emacs and a terminal window, and I alt-tab between them back and forth making changes in the editor and testing them in the terminal window. Back and forth, all I do is tap alt-tab. And now some idiot in Gnome HQ says hey, people are being productive, we gotta stop that! I never thought I'd see the day when working in Linux is harder than working in Windows.

This should NOT be an addon or extension to "make it the way that makes sense" -- this change SHOULD be the extension to "make it work the stupid way".

Oh, calm down. I think the new alt tab makes perfect sense, especially considering window management in gnome-shell is more application based, than task based. I personally prefer the new behavior, and its very easy to change it back to the old method with one of the official extensions. It would be nice to have an option in there to change that, but yum install gnome-shell-extensions-alternate-tab isn't exactly difficult...

The default alt tab also does provide both methods of switching. Alt + Tab to switch between apps, and alt + ~ to switch between windows.

The terminal example you posted works fine without even needing an extension if you use alt + ~... Just because you can't use it properly doesn't mean its bad