dx-packages team mailing list archive

[Ben Ritter <benjaminaritter@xxxxxxxxx>]

When Alt+Tab is presented as an application switcher, it MUST ACT AS AN
APPLICATION SWITCHER. /steam from ears

This is how I, Andreas, and I assume most people new to Unity understand the Alt+Tab and Alt+` behaviour:
"Alt+Tab switches to the previously open application. Alt+` switches to the previously open windows within the current application. Multiple invocations of either will switch to the second, third, etc. most recent application / window."

The behaviour you are advocating sounds something like this:
"Alt+Tab switches to the previously open application. Unless your previous window* is from your current application, in which case it will switch to that. If you press Alt+Tab twice it you will switch to your second most recent application, unless your previous windows is from your current application, in which case it will switch to your most recent application, no matter what your second most recent window was. Alt+` switches to the previous window..."

* Alt+Tab is an application switcher, not a window switcher.

It is utterly bizarre and the cognitive load associated with tracking
how many presses needed to get to each window is ridiculous (and totally
unnecessary). Like Andreas, I was convinced that my setup was exhibiting
some strange bug that I couldn't reproduce that caused Alt+Tab to fail
on unspecified occasions. I've come here today, after years of enduring
it, because it still frustrates me.

This Ask Ubuntu question[1] indicates that ~16000 people are also
surprised by the current behaviour. Over the years, how many of those
visitors do you think saw the only viable answer "don't use Unity
switcher" and had positive thoughts about Unity? It looks unpolished and
lazy and I'm astounded that there is no change 2 years on, while the
alternatives fall out of the defaults.

(Collective) you must absolutely change the default behaviour and I
implore you to make the change a top priority.


[1] http://askubuntu.com/questions/133046/can-i-configure-alt-tab-to-always-switch-applications

P.S. I'm sorry Marco, that it means breaking your workflow but
simplicity must prevail. What you want is a window switcher, not an
application switcher. Your exact workflow can remain supported through
non-default settings though I put to you that unless the behaviour can
be fully explained in one concise sentence, then it doesn't even deserve
a place in the GUI.

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/998285

Title:
  Tapping alt-tab switches between windows of the same application
  sometimes

Status in Unity:
  Won't Fix
Status in “unity” package in Ubuntu:
  Invalid

Bug description:
  Normally, tapping alt-tab switches between applications, and tapping
  alt-` switches between windows of the front-most application. However,
  if the two front-most windows are from the same application, then alt-
  tab will switch between these windows instead, instead of moving to
  the second-front-most application. Hence, in this case, alt-tab
  duplicates the action of alt-`.

  Here is an example:
  1) create the stack with two nautilus windows at the top, e.g. Nautilus window 1 (N1), Nautilus window 2 (N2), and Firefox window (F1) (but you can use any applications). Create the stack either by [clicking F1, N2, N1] or [switching to Nautilus with alt-tab, then alt-` to the other Nautilus window].
  2) Tap alt-tab.

  What happens: I switch to the other nautilus window.

  What I expected: to switch to the other application (i.e. Firefox).

  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
  Package: unity 5.12-0ubuntu1
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-24.37-generic 3.2.14
  Uname: Linux 3.2.0-24-generic x86_64
  ApportVersion: 2.0.1-0ubuntu7
  Architecture: amd64
  CompizPlugins: [core,composite,opengl,compiztoolbox,decor,vpswitch,snap,mousepoll,resize,place,move,wall,grid,regex,imgpng,session,gnomecompat,animation,fade,unitymtgrabhandles,workarounds,scale,expo,ezoom,unityshell]
  Date: Sat May 12 10:17:21 2012
  InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.10 "Oneiric Ocelot" - Release amd64 (20111012)
  SourcePackage: unity
  UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to precise on 2012-04-29 (12 days ago)

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