[opensuse] switching to gnome, a question
So, I am tired of KDE hanging up so much, so I am going to try switching to gnome. I have been using it for 2 days now, and so far much better. It is more stable, and the applications just seem to run smoother. For example, here using Thunderbird, when in KDE, it seems to hang and slow down. When using it in Gnome, it doesn't seem to do that. There, however, some features that I miss with KDE that I haven't figured out yet in Gnome. Here is one. In KDE, I could switch between open windows using alt-tab. In KDE, alt-tab switches between open applications, but not between windows within an application, like this email I am typing and the main thunderbird screen. I tried hitting the windows key and tab also, but it does the same thing as alt-tab. I like having a key that switches between applications, as they have it set up, but it would be nice to also have a key shortcut that only switches between windows. Like may to set things so that alt-tab switches between windows, whether or not they are the same application, and windows_key-tab switches between applications. And then also another shortcut to switch between workspaces. Is there a way to do that? -- George Box: 42.1 | KDE Plasma 5 | AMD Phenom IIX4 | 64 | 32GB Laptop #1: 42.1 | KDE Plasma 5 | Core i7-4710HQ | 64 | 16GB Laptop #2: 42.1 | KDE Plasma 5 | Core i5 | 64 | 8GB -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org To contact the owner, e-mail: opensuse+owner@opensuse.org
08.08.2016 06:56, George from the tribe пишет:
So, I am tired of KDE hanging up so much, so I am going to try switching to gnome. I have been using it for 2 days now, and so far much better. It is more stable, and the applications just seem to run smoother. For example, here using Thunderbird, when in KDE, it seems to hang and slow down. When using it in Gnome, it doesn't seem to do that.
There, however, some features that I miss with KDE that I haven't figured out yet in Gnome. Here is one. In KDE, I could switch between open windows using alt-tab. In KDE, alt-tab switches between open applications, but not between windows within an application, like this email I am typing and the main thunderbird screen. I tried hitting the windows key and tab also, but it does the same thing as alt-tab.
I like having a key that switches between applications, as they have it set up, but it would be nice to also have a key shortcut that only switches between windows. Like may to set things so that alt-tab switches between windows, whether or not they are the same application, and windows_key-tab switches between applications. And then also another shortcut to switch between workspaces.
Is there a way to do that?
And your openSUSE and GNOME versions are ... ? -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org To contact the owner, e-mail: opensuse+owner@opensuse.org
On 08/08/2016 12:00 PM, Andrei Borzenkov wrote:
08.08.2016 06:56, George from the tribe пишет:
Is there a way to do that?
And your openSUSE and GNOME versions are ... ?
Sorry haven't changed my sig yet on the bottom to reflect gnome. OpenSUSE 42.1. I am running the standard gnome version that comes with 42.1. Hard to know for sure which gnome version I am running though - that is another question I have about gnome - how to determine for sure which version you are running. Most of the gnome packages I have installed have 3.16 listed with them when I run a zypper se -s gnome, so I assume I am using 3.16. If I type in the following gnome-panel --version It says the command is not found. KDE was easy to figure that out - all you have to do is look at the "about" screen on any KDE application. -- George Box: 42.1 | KDE Plasma 5 | AMD Phenom IIX4 | 64 | 32GB Laptop #1: 42.1 | KDE Plasma 5 | Core i7-4710HQ | 64 | 16GB Laptop #2: 42.1 | KDE Plasma 5 | Core i5 | 64 | 8GB -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org To contact the owner, e-mail: opensuse+owner@opensuse.org
On Mon, Aug 8, 2016 at 9:09 AM, George from the tribe <tech@reachthetribes.org> wrote:
On 08/08/2016 12:00 PM, Andrei Borzenkov wrote:
08.08.2016 06:56, George from the tribe пишет:
Is there a way to do that?
And your openSUSE and GNOME versions are ... ?
Sorry haven't changed my sig yet on the bottom to reflect gnome. OpenSUSE 42.1. I am running the standard gnome version that comes with 42.1.
Actually that's strange - GNOME 3.x defaults to exactly the same behavior - different hotkeys for switching between applications (Alt-TAB) and application windows (Alt-`). IIRC correctly it required external extension to restore old behavior ... hmm, apparently this extension is installed as part of gnome-shell-classic package. Do you have it installed by any chance? Check for Alternate Tab extension if this is active. -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org To contact the owner, e-mail: opensuse+owner@opensuse.org
On 08/08/2016 02:30 PM, Andrei Borzenkov wrote:
On Mon, Aug 8, 2016 at 9:09 AM, George from the tribe <tech@reachthetribes.org> wrote:
On 08/08/2016 12:00 PM, Andrei Borzenkov wrote:
08.08.2016 06:56, George from the tribe пишет:
Is there a way to do that?
And your openSUSE and GNOME versions are ... ?
Sorry haven't changed my sig yet on the bottom to reflect gnome. OpenSUSE 42.1. I am running the standard gnome version that comes with 42.1.
Actually that's strange - GNOME 3.x defaults to exactly the same behavior - different hotkeys for switching between applications (Alt-TAB) and application windows (Alt-`). IIRC correctly it required external extension to restore old behavior ... hmm, apparently this extension is installed as part of gnome-shell-classic package. Do you have it installed by any chance? Check for Alternate Tab extension if this is active.
That was it, thanks! after installing gnome-shell-classic, I can now switch between open windows of the same application using alt-`, as long as those windows are the only ones in a single workspace. -- George Box: 42.1 | KDE Plasma 5 | AMD Phenom IIX4 | 64 | 32GB Laptop #1: 42.1 | KDE Plasma 5 | Core i7-4710HQ | 64 | 16GB Laptop #2: 42.1 | KDE Plasma 5 | Core i5 | 64 | 8GB -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org To contact the owner, e-mail: opensuse+owner@opensuse.org
On 08/07/2016 11:56 PM, George from the tribe wrote:
There, however, some features that I miss with KDE that I haven't figured out yet in Gnome. Here is one. In KDE, I could switch between open windows using alt-tab. In KDE, alt-tab switches between open applications, but not between windows within an application, like this email I am typing and the main thunderbird screen. I tried hitting the windows key and tab also, but it does the same thing as alt-tab.
I don't know why KDE hangs on you; it doesn't hang for me. That being said, my experimentation with video players (see other thread) is producing some hangs, but KDE itself, not. However I'm on 13.1/13.2 not LEAP) KDE is configurable. The action for any and all ctls and alt and "meta" (the window key, the menu key, the 12 extra keys on my "multi-media keyboard from IBM") are all configurable. Some are configurable within applications, some take global priority. Just about everything about configuring KDE is under 'systemsettings'. parerie -> Desktop Effects You are then presented with a number of control modules that are plugins and the option of downloading more. many of these are pure eye-candy, like the wobbly screen and the screen breakup, but there are a couple that relate to workstpace, window and application selection. One I saw at a Mozilla-organized FOSS meetup a few years ago impressed me, it was the 3-d rotating polygon of the windows. "Desktop cube animation" under "General" However, relevant to your question, there are a number of modules and option that appear under "All Effects" realted to tab and windowkey (with and without ctl and alt) behaviour. Scroll down to "Window management" and you will see some modules. They offer a variety of ways to present and change the windows and applications. Some of these are bound to specific key combinations if you enable them so that there is no conflict. I very STRONGLY suggest that you spend some time experimenting with these. I found options that I liked, preferred to what I thought I wanted when I started. Some of the modules are quite imaginative and even impressed a conservative old fart Greybeard like myself. its this imagination and attitude towards innovation that has held me to KDE though its various growing pains. You will also want to investigate systemsettings -> Window behaviour -> Task Switcher Well maybe you want to try that first :-) it makes the point that window switching and task/application switching are bound to a different set of keys, in fact keys that you have not considered. However, once again, this being KDE, those keys are configurable! Finally, you will want to have a summary of what all the keybindings are: systemsettings -> Common Appearance and Behaviour -> Shortcuts and Gestures There you can also define "shortcut" key bindings within applications. Of course there are many default settings to all this; they are just not all the same as MS-Windows and differ in many places from Gnome. KDE is nothing if not comprehensive. Yes it takes time to learn all this, something many reviewers do not have the patience for or willingness to explore and experiment with. And yes it does take that willingness. However once learned, KDE is wonderful. -- A: Yes. > Q: Are you sure? >> A: Because it reverses the logical flow of conversation. >>> Q: Why is top posting frowned upon? -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org To contact the owner, e-mail: opensuse+owner@opensuse.org
On 08/08/2016 05:51 AM, Anton Aylward wrote:
On 08/07/2016 11:56 PM, George from the tribe wrote:
There, however, some features that I miss with KDE that I haven't figured out yet in Gnome. Here is one. In KDE, I could switch between open windows using alt-tab. In KDE, alt-tab switches between open applications, but not between windows within an application, like this email I am typing and the main thunderbird screen. I tried hitting the windows key and tab also, but it does the same thing as alt-tab.
I don't know why KDE hangs on you; it doesn't hang for me. That being said, my experimentation with video players (see other thread) is producing some hangs, but KDE itself, not. However I'm on 13.1/13.2 not LEAP)
KDE is configurable. The action for any and all ctls and alt and "meta" (the window key, the menu key, the 12 extra keys on my "multi-media keyboard from IBM") are all configurable. Some are configurable within applications, some take global priority.
Just about everything about configuring KDE is under 'systemsettings'.
parerie -> Desktop Effects
You are then presented with a number of control modules that are plugins and the option of downloading more. many of these are pure eye-candy, like the wobbly screen and the screen breakup, but there are a couple that relate to workstpace, window and application selection.
One I saw at a Mozilla-organized FOSS meetup a few years ago impressed me, it was the 3-d rotating polygon of the windows. "Desktop cube animation" under "General"
However, relevant to your question, there are a number of modules and option that appear under "All Effects" realted to tab and windowkey (with and without ctl and alt) behaviour.
Scroll down to "Window management" and you will see some modules. They offer a variety of ways to present and change the windows and applications.
Some of these are bound to specific key combinations if you enable them so that there is no conflict.
I very STRONGLY suggest that you spend some time experimenting with these. I found options that I liked, preferred to what I thought I wanted when I started. Some of the modules are quite imaginative and even impressed a conservative old fart Greybeard like myself. its this imagination and attitude towards innovation that has held me to KDE though its various growing pains.
You will also want to investigate
systemsettings -> Window behaviour -> Task Switcher
Well maybe you want to try that first :-) it makes the point that window switching and task/application switching are bound to a different set of keys, in fact keys that you have not considered.
However, once again, this being KDE, those keys are configurable!
Finally, you will want to have a summary of what all the keybindings are:
systemsettings -> Common Appearance and Behaviour -> Shortcuts and Gestures
There you can also define "shortcut" key bindings within applications.
Of course there are many default settings to all this; they are just not all the same as MS-Windows and differ in many places from Gnome. KDE is nothing if not comprehensive. Yes it takes time to learn all this, something many reviewers do not have the patience for or willingness to explore and experiment with.
And yes it does take that willingness.
However once learned, KDE is wonderful.
Very good explanation, and All very true. The biggest problem KDE has with regard to configuration is trying to remember where all the settings are squirreled away in the Settings panel. And then, once you change something, trying to figure out what you were thinking when you decided to deviate from the well thought out plan KDE came with. That said, some people don't want configurable systems. They all carry iPhones, that was good enough for St Steven, and its good enough for them, and they will thank you to get all this KDE falderall off their lawn. ;-) Undomesticated equines could not drag me away from KDE. -- After all is said and done, more is said than done. -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org To contact the owner, e-mail: opensuse+owner@opensuse.org
On 08/09/2016 12:09 AM, John Andersen wrote:
On 08/08/2016 05:51 AM, Anton Aylward wrote:
However once learned, KDE is wonderful.
Very good explanation, and All very true.
The biggest problem KDE has with regard to configuration is trying to remember where all the settings are squirreled away in the Settings panel.
And then, once you change something, trying to figure out what you were thinking when you decided to deviate from the well thought out plan KDE came with.
That said, some people don't want configurable systems. They all carry iPhones, that was good enough for St Steven, and its good enough for them, and they will thank you to get all this KDE falderall off their lawn. ;-)
Undomesticated equines could not drag me away from KDE.
In truth I agree with everything you said, and I do like KDE. It just seems that it was more configurable and more stable in 13.2, and when they went to Leap, some features were left lacking, and there was not enough effort into making KDE stable. My system hangs, frequently kwin_x11 of plasmashell faults, and this has happened ever since. Some of the plasmoids I used to really like, like yawp and the picture window, are no longer available. I don't have the same stability problems on my larger laptop, but I do on my smaller laptop. Also, it might not totally be a KDE problem - I am having some hardware issues with my desktop. One of my raid drives just failed and one of the headphone jacks stopped working. All part of living in a hot and humid tropical environment and trying to run a computer in a room without air conditioning and frequent power outages. But so far I have found that running Gnome, my system is more stable and seems to run a little faster without hanging up on things. Even operating Thunderbird is faster, while it hangs a lot when in KDE. I like having a configurable system, but I don't have time to fool with it constantly to get it stable. Once I have it configured the way I like, I need it to just work. I seem to have found that in Gnome, at least for the time being. I am still going back to kde from time to time to see how it is working after updates, and to see if it will do better. -- George Box: 42.1 | Gnome 3.16 | AMD Phenom IIX4 | 64 | 32GB Laptop #1: 42.1 | KDE Plasma 5 | Core i7-4710HQ | 64 | 16GB Laptop #2: 42.1 | KDE Plasma 5 | Core i5 | 64 | 8GB -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org To contact the owner, e-mail: opensuse+owner@opensuse.org
participants (4)
-
Andrei Borzenkov -
Anton Aylward -
George from the tribe -
John Andersen