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Bug 652301 - Alt+F9 minimize shortcut no longer available
Alt+F9 minimize shortcut no longer available
Status: RESOLVED DUPLICATE of bug 682887
Product: gnome-shell
Classification: Core
Component: general
3.4.x
Other Linux
: Normal normal
: ---
Assigned To: gnome-shell-maint
gnome-shell-maint
Depends on: 643609
Blocks:
 
 
Reported: 2011-06-10 16:01 UTC by Reinout van Schouwen
Modified: 2013-04-25 17:32 UTC
See Also:
GNOME target: ---
GNOME version: 3.3/3.4



Description Reinout van Schouwen 2011-06-10 16:01:09 UTC
Note: this is not about the titlebar button, but about the keyboard shortcut associated to Minimize.

For some reason, the keyboard shortcut disappeared together with the minimize titlebar button. Even though it is possible re-enable it through the keyboard settings, I see no clear reason to disable this shortcut by default. If a window can still be minimized using the context menu, why not by keyboard shortcut? In contrast, Alt+F10 for Maximize still works (even though Mutter doesn't show it in the window context menu, curiously).
Comment 1 gatlin 2011-10-05 21:10:47 UTC
http://mail.gnome.org/archives/gnome-shell-list/2011-February/msg00192.html
It says that the keyboard shortcut should work. This feature makes using only the keyboard a lot harder.
Comment 3 Reinout van Schouwen 2011-10-06 23:10:03 UTC
The bug report referred to in the commit message specifically states:

[ I don't see alt-f9 as so much of a problem: it's further away from common
application shortcuts, and recovering one window from the overview is a lot
simpler than recovering all your windows. ]

Therefore, I'm reopening this bug.
Comment 4 Jeremy Newton 2012-03-05 00:36:27 UTC
(In reply to comment #0)
> Note: this is not about the titlebar button, but about the keyboard shortcut
> associated to Minimize.
> 
> For some reason, the keyboard shortcut disappeared together with the minimize
> titlebar button. Even though it is possible re-enable it through the keyboard
> settings, I see no clear reason to disable this shortcut by default. If a
> window can still be minimized using the context menu, why not by keyboard
> shortcut? In contrast, Alt+F10 for Maximize still works (even though Mutter
> doesn't show it in the window context menu, curiously).

I believe this reason of not including the minimize function in default configuration is due to the same reason the minimized button was removed from the window

(In reply to comment #3)
> The bug report referred to in the commit message specifically states:
> 
> [ I don't see alt-f9 as so much of a problem: it's further away from common
> application shortcuts, and recovering one window from the overview is a lot
> simpler than recovering all your windows. ]
> 
> Therefore, I'm reopening this bug.

Can you clarify the reason for reopening this bug? I don't quite understand what the problem is, as minimizing windows are not seen as a default function of gnome shell. If one still would like to use minimize, they can re-enable the shortcut and/or re-enable the button on the window, but else wise it was chosen that minimizing is no longer a part of the default gnome experience.
Comment 5 Ramon 2012-03-29 19:09:52 UTC
Hi, I recently tried out Gnome shell and encountered this issue.  Even if the Alt+F9 hotkey combination is assigned to the Minimize action, it doesn't do anything when you hit Alt+F9.  The context menu also does not show that Alt+F9 has been assigned to Minimize although it does show Alt+F10 assigned to Maximize contrary to a previous comment.
Comment 6 Reinout van Schouwen 2012-03-29 21:28:05 UTC
(In reply to comment #4)

> Can you clarify the reason for reopening this bug? I don't quite understand
> what the problem is, as minimizing windows are not seen as a default function
> of gnome shell. If one still would like to use minimize, they can re-enable the
> shortcut and/or re-enable the button on the window, but else wise it was chosen
> that minimizing is no longer a part of the default gnome experience.

I am fully aware that the minimize button is no longer visible by default in Gnome Shell and I have no problem with that. However, as you state yourself, minimizing windows is still supported. Removing the keyboard shortcut that has been associated with minimizing a window for as long as anyone cares to remember, therefore needs a good justification. And removing the Alt+F9 keyboard shortcut doesn't have that. It was removed as a result of bug 643609 that asked ONLY to remove the  control-alt-d shortcut. The reporter, Owen Taylor, even specifically stated that he didn't see Alt+F9 as so much of a problem. So there you have the reason.
Comment 7 Reinout van Schouwen 2012-03-29 21:34:33 UTC
(In reply to comment #5)
> Hi, I recently tried out Gnome shell and encountered this issue.  Even if the
> Alt+F9 hotkey combination is assigned to the Minimize action, it doesn't do
> anything when you hit Alt+F9.  The context menu also does not show that Alt+F9
> has been assigned to Minimize although it does show Alt+F10 assigned to
> Maximize contrary to a previous comment.

Please file that as a separate bug. It's a different issue and one that I can't reproduce (Gnome 3.4, Mageia Cauldron)
Comment 8 Matthias Clasen 2012-03-30 22:54:49 UTC
> The reporter, Owen
> Taylor, even specifically stated that he didn't see Alt+F9 as so much of a
> problem. So there you have the reason.

And ? When the bug was fixed, it was decided that it was better to not leave that trap in there for unaware users.

If you care deeply about Alt-F9, nothing stops you from using the keyboard shortcuts panel to re-enable it on your system. That is why we have that configuration, after all.
Comment 9 Matthias Clasen 2012-03-30 22:56:07 UTC
Assigning Alt-F9 to minimize works as expected here, in 3.4.0
Comment 10 Ramon 2012-03-30 23:11:39 UTC
Recently upgraded to 3.4.0.  Every shortcut key works except minimize.  It must be specific to my setup if it works for both of you.  I'll file a separate bug if necessary after more investigation.  Thanks for trying it out.

Also, I was wrong before and Reinout was right.  Alt+F10 does not appear next to the command entry in the right-click menu even if assigned.
Comment 11 Reinout van Schouwen 2012-03-31 21:28:09 UTC
Hi  Mathias,
(In reply to comment #8)

> And ? When the bug was fixed, it was decided that it was better to not leave
> that trap in there for unaware users.

Alt+F9 is ‘a trap’? Well in that case, I'm surprised you left Alt+F4 in, because its effects are much more detrimental.
You don't need to explain to me how to re-enable Alt+F9. *I* know how to do that. I just think that removing that - hard to hit by accident - keyboard shortcut by default is an unjustified decision.
Comment 12 Florian Müllner 2013-04-25 17:32:40 UTC
We re-added a default shortcut for hiding windows in bug 682887, so closing. (It might make sense to make <alt>f9 an alternative for muscle memory reasons, dunno)

*** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of bug 682887 ***