Keybindings: Laptop-friendliness & convenience
@fbruetting
Submitted by Frank Brütting Link to original bug (#777723)
Description
I'd be happy if we could discuss my proposals, because I have comprehensible arguments for all my proposals. I know there is no optimal solution for everybody, but I really think keybindings will get more convenient this way. ;)
Laptop-friendliness
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• Default keybindings should not contain keys like "PgUp", "Pos1" etc. since nowadays full keyboards aren't standard anymore and many laptops don't have either numpads nor this 6-key-block (if they have those keys through Fn keys, then those are cumbersome to reach and different placed from one keyboard to another, so this should be prevented for common used keys). Also consider small bluetooth keyboards for HTPC usage and the like (we have small keyboards in our laboratory because of better workbench usage, for example).
Better Convenience
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• "Ctrl + Alt + Up/Down" switch workspaces but these bindings aren't listed in keyboard settings at all?!
• Switching workspaces: "Ctrl + Alt + Left/Right" versus "Super + PgUp/PgDown"
– Totally inconvenient. Example: At home I have one large monitor behind my laptop (monitors vertically, workspaces horizontally) while it work I have three monitors horizontally and therefore workspaces vertically – why should I have to learn different combos for each setup?
– "Ctrl + Alt + Up/Down" works already and makes more sense, why isn't this listed as default?
– This also circumvents the need for having "PgUp/PgDown" extra keys, like mentioned in my first point.
• Moving windows to workspaces: "Shift + Ctrl + Alt + Left/Right" versus "Shift + Super + PgUp/PgDown":
– Solution: Using "Shift + (Ctrl + Alt + `<Arrow>`)", so it is "Shift" + "aforementioned keys".
Suggestion for a completely new and even more convenient approach
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I think workspaces are more heavily used than monitors, because nowadays by far the most people use laptops without any further attached monitors. Therefore the shorter combo ("Super") should be tied to "workspaces" while the longer and harder to reach combo ("Ctrl + Alt") should be joint to "monitors". Don't underestimate this argument – this is why people use English keyboard layouts instead of German ones for programming, or even Dvorak or Neo!
• Using "Super + `<Action-Key>`" for workspace actions and "Ctrl + Alt + `<Action-Key>`" for monitor actions:
– New combos:
· Switching workspace: "Super + Alt + Arrow/Number"
· Moving to workspace: "Super + Shift + Arrow/Number"
· Moving to monitor: "Ctrl + Alt + Arrow/Number"
– Maximum number of simultaneous pressed keys is reduced from 4 to 3.
· What is really advantageous for not-n-key-rollover-keyboards!
– This results in a faster workflow, because all (window size and) workspace modifications are shortened by the usage of just "Super" [+ "`<Action-Key>`"] + "Direction/Position".
· This in turn also makes it easier encouraging the usage of this key – really no non-geeks use this key, you know that!
– "Ctrl + Alt" is harder to reach and thus it is harder to accidentally leaking confidential information e.g. on a projector in front of an audience.
– "Super" as workspace modificator makes it much easier for usage in combination with numbers – for putting an application directly to a specific workspace, instead of having to drag it across several workspaces. Leaking private data in front of an audience can also be prevented better this way.
• What's the difference between "Alt + Tab" and "Super + Tab" or "Alt + key-over-tab" and "Super + key-over-tab"? I didn't notice any. Can we please use "Super + Tab" and "Super + key-over-tab" by default for switching through all applications or application windows of just the current workspace? This is an often sought-after feature. Notice: "Super" here means "workspace", too. Convenience! ;)