← Back to team overview

unity-design team mailing list archive

Re: Is there a reason Ctrl+Alt+Left/Right/Up/Down was disabled?

 

I propose that the "Super+" shortcut key only be used when it involves a Launcher related or Dash related activity:

Super+1-0 launches or focuses the Launcher item.
Super+W reveals the Spread while simultaneously revealing the Launcher.
Super+F or A, or M reveals Dash Lenses
Super+Tab cycles the Launcher
etc.

making Super+ also apply to switching Spaces (e.g., changing Ctrl+Alt+right, etc), minimizing and maximizing windows (e.g., Super+D, Super+Down, etc) is not a natural extension of how the Super+ keyboard combos are or should be used in Ubuntu. Instead it is very reminiscent of how Microsoft Windows makes use of the "Windows Key."

I urge the unity design team to reconsider these keyboard shortcut changes. They are not good for Ubuntu, nor user productivity.

From: nrundy@xxxxxxxxxxx
To: isantop@xxxxxxxxx; unity-design@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: RE: [Unity-design] Is there a reason Ctrl+Alt+Left/Right/Up/Down was disabled?
Date: Mon, 27 Feb 2012 18:51:04 -0500







I too am wondering about the logic of these new keyboard shortcuts. Many of them having serious problems.

These new keyboard shortcuts are NOT as good as the old ones. Here's an example for why not to adopt Microsoft Windows window controls:

It is not good to adopt the "Super+Down" shortcut key to restore and 
minimize windows. This is inconvenient because when users want to 
minimize a window that is presently maximized they have to press 
Super+Down+Down instead of simply pressing Alt+F9.


Using thunderbird is a good example. When Thunderbird is opened, user
 maximizes window, deals with emails and then taps Alt+F9 to minimize 
the window. Later the user notices new emails have arrived so he taps 
Super+3 and opens Thunderbird. Done he again taps Alt+F9. This is much simpler than having to tap 
Super+Down+Down every time to minimize the window.



 It is better to
 be able to tap Alt+F5 and KNOW you get a restored window. Or tap Alt+F9
 and KNOW you get a minimized window.


I don't understand why these NEW keyboard shortcuts are necessary. The existing ones are longstanding and have worked fine for years.



> From: isantop@xxxxxxxxx
> Date: Mon, 27 Feb 2012 16:14:31 -0700
> Subject: Re: [Unity-design] Is there a reason Ctrl+Alt+Left/Right/Up/Down was disabled?
> To: shrouded.cloud@xxxxxxxxx
> CC: nrundy@xxxxxxxxxxx; unity-design@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> 
> > On a slightly related note, aren't we over-using the <super> key? At this
> > point, if you want to be a shortcut afficionado, your finger will never
> > leave the <super> key except perhaps to hit alt. There are a couple more key
> > combinations that still don't use <super>, somebody quick, file bugs! ;)
> 
> I don't have a problem with this, to be honest. To me, the Super Key
> was always underused; now it feels like it's stepping into the light
> again. It's got an OS icon on it, and that (in my opinion) makes it
> perfect for OS-level functions.
> 
> On Mon, Feb 27, 2012 at 12:07, Jonathan Meek <shrouded.cloud@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> > I'd like to point out that the new key combination presents quite an
> > annoying behavior as well: Whenever I test <super>+shift+arrow, if I delay a
> > little too long, the shortcuts overlay pops up and obscures my view of the
> > content. And If I'm just trying to check what's on that desktop, that's a
> > usability issue, no?
> >
> > On a slightly related note, aren't we over-using the <super> key? At this
> > point, if you want to be a shortcut afficionado, your finger will never
> > leave the <super> key except perhaps to hit alt. There are a couple more key
> > combinations that still don't use <super>, somebody quick, file bugs! ;)
> >
> >
> > On Mon, Feb 27, 2012 at 11:21 AM, nick rundy <nrundy@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> >>
> >> The only conflict I've come across with Ctrl+Alt+left/right is in VLC. VLC
> >> has a feature where the user can jump five minutes ahead/back in a playing
> >> video by tapping Ctrl+Alt+right/left. But VLC's keyboard shortcut
> >> configuration dialog easily allows the user to change this combination to
> >> whatever they want. So not really a problem.
> >>
> >> ________________________________
> >> From: krnekhelesh@xxxxxxxxx
> >> Date: Mon, 27 Feb 2012 14:09:08 +0100
> >> To: frederik.nnaji@xxxxxxxxx
> >> CC: unity-design@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> >> Subject: Re: [Unity-design] Is there a reason Ctrl+Alt+Left/Right/Up/Down
> >> was disabled?
> >>
> >> Hi all,
> >>
> >> I propose that the keyboard shortcut be changed back to Ctrl + Alt + arrow
> >> keys since the new implementation Super + Shift + arrow keys sometimes
> >> displays the keyboard shortcut overlay or the dash when you try to switch
> >> workspaces. This can be fixed by modifying the delay time etc...but why
> >> change something which ain't broken. Ctrl + Alt + arrow has been used for a
> >> long time and is still in many distros. Considering this is a LTS, this
> >> change will break that behavior which is not recommended.
> >>
> >> Nekhelesh
> >>
> >> On Mon, Feb 27, 2012 at 11:28 AM, frederik.nnaji@xxxxxxxxx
> >> <frederik.nnaji@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> >>
> >> AH.. now i see..
> >> i think it's better for blender3d users..
> >>
> >>
> >> On Mon, Feb 27, 2012 at 05:42, Stephen Rees-Carter
> >> <stephen@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> >>
> >> Hi all,
> >>
> >> Is there a reason Ctrl+Alt+Left/Right/Up/Down was disabled?
> >>
> >> I realise that this combination has been switched over to the new
> >> "Super+Shift+Left/Right/Up/Down" combination, but I don't understand
> >> why the existing one was broken in the process.
> >> The bug report requesting the change,
> >> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ayatana-design/+bug/891757, says the
> >> following:
> >>    "However where there is no conflict between the existing keyboard
> >> shortcuts and the new shortcuts, the existing shortcuts should always
> >> be preserved."
> >>
> >> Given that the Ctrl+Alt+Arrow combination has been around for years
> >> and it works in every other distro I've ever used. I don't see how the
> >> Ctrl+Alt+Arrow combination could be a conflict for any other function.
> >> It seems like a stupid change which will annoy a lot of people,
> >> particularly for an LTS...
> >>
> >> There is a bug report about it:
> >> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/compiz/+bug/940085
> >>
> >> It's also worth nothing, the new Super+Shift+Arrow combination is
> >> broken for Super+Shift+Right for me:
> >> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/compiz/+bug/940803
> >>
> >> Thanks,
> >> ~Stephen
> >>
> >> --
> >> Stephen Rees-Carter ~ Valorin
> >> http://stephen.rees-carter.net/
> >>
> >> --
> >> Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~unity-design
> >> Post to     : unity-design@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> >> Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~unity-design
> >> More help   : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> --
> >> Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~unity-design
> >> Post to     : unity-design@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> >> Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~unity-design
> >> More help   : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> --
> >> Nekhelesh Kandasamy Ramananthan
> >> Bachelors of Aerospace Engineering
> >> TU Delft
> >>
> >> -- Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~unity-design Post to :
> >> unity-design@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Unsubscribe :
> >> https://launchpad.net/~unity-design More help :
> >> https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp
> >>
> >> --
> >> Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~unity-design
> >> Post to     : unity-design@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> >> Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~unity-design
> >> More help   : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp
> >>
> >
> >
> > --
> > Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~unity-design
> > Post to     : unity-design@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~unity-design
> > More help   : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp
> >
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> Ian Santopietro
> 
> Please avoid sending me Word or PowerPoint attachments.
> See http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/no-word-attachments.html
> 
> "Eala Earendel enlga beorohtast
>  Ofer middangeard monnum sended"
> 
> Pa gur yv y porthaur?
> 
> Public GPG key (RSA):
> http://keyserver.ubuntu.com:11371/pks/lookup?op=get&search=0x412F52DB1BBF1234
 		 	   		   		 	   		  

References