GNOME Bugzilla – Bug 570079
Replace the stock alt-tab window switcher with superswitcher ( http://code.google.com/p/superswitcher/ )
Last modified: 2009-04-07 13:30:30 UTC
Please consider replacing the stock alt+tab switcher with superswitcher ( http://code.google.com/p/superswitcher/ ). Doing so will bring the following usability improvements: 1) The switcher will show windows from all desktops. 2) Adding or removing virtual desktops on the fly will be a snap. 3) The switcher will show a vertical window list with the title of every window as opposed to the current behavior of a horizontal icon list with the title of the current window only ( resulting, for example, in a dozen firefox icons with no indication as to which browser has which address open ). 4) Navigation with the arrow keys in the window list will be possible. 5) Clicking on a window from the list to select it will be possible In short, it will be a massive improvement. Additionally, all the code for this is already written and under the GPLv2. Other information:
Sounds neat. Is there any performance downside to using this? Does it feel responsive/laggy? I find the switcher in compiz to be unusable b/c it takes to long to draw it. Here's a blog post I found about this: http://blogs.gnome.org/nigeltao/2007/06/17/p1mp-my-switcher/ It has a screenshot: http://blogs.gnome.org/nigeltao/files/2007/06/superswitcher-composite.png
(In reply to comment #1) > Is there any performance downside to using this? Not to my knowledge - it's as responsive as a switcher can get, but I don't use compiz. > I find the switcher in compiz to be unusable b/c it takes to > long to draw it. Interesting. Do you mean the stock switcher or superswitcher ?
(In reply to comment #2) > > I find the switcher in compiz to be unusable b/c it takes to > > long to draw it. > Interesting. Do you mean the stock switcher or superswitcher ? > I'm referring to the alt-tab switcher in Compiz which shows window previews and slides sideways as you continue pressing tab. I find that one slow to the point of being unusable. When I want to switch tasks I expect to do it *fast*. With that compiz switcher I sometimes spent more time waiting for the switcher to render than I spend looking at the window I switch to. </rant>
I just discover superswitcher and adopte it, for two reasons: 1) I like the vertical display of windows name and the ability to see windows from all desktop 2) It is quick. Metacity alt-tab switcher is really too slow. Please, update the metacity switcher or use this switcher.
If you want the Metacity switcher to be changed in some way, please raise separate bugs about that. I'm rejecting this for two reasons: 1) If the system is under heavy load, say above 30.0, it is difficult to launch new processes. Switching to another window is such a basic function that it must possible to do it in process. 2) If you want superswitcher you only have to disable Metacity's alt+tab option and make alt-tab load superswitcher; it's pretty trivial. Could be done with a script.
> 2) If you want superswitcher you only have to disable Metacity's alt+tab option > and make alt-tab load superswitcher; it's pretty trivial. Could be done with a > script. How exactly do I do that ? I didn't know it was possible.
(In reply to comment #5) > If you want the Metacity switcher to be changed in some way, please raise > separate bugs about that. He doesn't want it changed, he wants it exchanged. :) By the way, wouldn't replacing the stock alt-tab switcher with superswitcher mean integrating it into Metacity's code anyway, thus not resulting in a separate process? > 1) If the system is under heavy load, say above 30.0, it is difficult to launch > new processes. Switching to another window is such a basic function that it > must possible to do it in process. Perhaps I completely misunderstand how processes work, but both Metacity and SuperSwitcher say that they are "sleeping" in my System Monitor. It seems to me that as far as "activating" either Metacity's or SuperSwitchers switching process goes there's thus not much of a difference? Additionally, SuperSwitcher is an awful lot faster though, admittedly, my system isn't under heavy load right now. > 2) If you want superswitcher you only have to disable Metacity's alt+tab option > and make alt-tab load superswitcher; it's pretty trivial. Could be done with a > script. I'm still in the process of discovering Gnome/Linux, so I have no idea how I would go about that. I thought I'd begin at the Keyboard Shortcuts settings, but even after disabling "Move between windows, using a popup window," alt-tab still loads Metacity's window switcher. I did manage to "disable" it after assigning a different keyboard shortcut (ctrl+shift+tab), but the actual result is that although it's "disabled," now ctrl+shift+tab still results in the window switcher. At least alt-tab is free now. SuperSwitcher's source code contains grab (XK_Super_L); grab (XK_Super_R); which I could edit to whatever the keymap of alt is I'm sure, but given your phrasing I didn't think that's what you meant, anyway. P.S. My apologies for wasting your time with my presumably n00bish questions.