[SOLVED] "walk-through-windows" tool configuration

[tomcloyd]

I believe this tool is called the "task switcher", in Windows. The only name I could find for it in Kubuntu 10.04 was by looking in the global keyboard shortcuts list in System Settings, by searching for the keyboard shortcut that activates it: Alt + Tab.

Two problem frustrate me:

1. The list of tasks I usually run exceeds the height of the window containing the list, and there's no scroll functionality that I can find. Tasks just disappear off the bottom and when I move focus down past the last visible task, there is no scroll-up. The shading which indicates focus just disappears. Not very usable. This is especially a problem on my laptop (where I run regular KB).

2. The list order keeps changing, so that the tasks are sorted in order of how recently they were accessed. This isn't always a bad idea, but I'd like some say in the matter.

How/where is this thing configured? I cannot find any information about this anywhere.

Thanks for any help!

Tom

[doctordruidphd]

Re: "walk-through-windows" tool configuration

SystemSettings > Window Behavior > Navigate Through Windows

You can configure Main and Alternative schemes for this action.

I don't know how "configurable" it ultimately is, though.

[tomcloyd]

Re: "walk-through-windows" tool configuration

Thanks for your response.

The correct click path for the setting to which you direct my attention is System Settings > Look and Feel > Window Behavior.

Unfortunately, this isn't a help, as it's not specific enough. It addresses windows in general - not my problem at all.

I need to get control of this specific function.

Does anyone have any other ideas. As it now stands, this is an area of conspicuous dysfunction on my OS. (The previous version also didn't work right, but it had a different problem. arrrrgh!).

[Teunis]

Re: "walk-through-windows" tool configuration

Lets call it the Task Switcher, generally invoked by Alt+Tab.

Just like in that other OS you can inverse the scroll direction by simultaneously using the Shift key.
On my computer the list is as large as needed be for the number of applications running, this screen will show some 20 before the list is taller than the screen.

There are more fancy options like various rotating windows in the Compiz set up.
(System Settings/Desktop Effects/General/Windows Switching Effects)

[tomcloyd]

[SOLVED] Re: "walk-through-windows" tool configuration

I found where this feature's settings can be accessed:

System settings > Look and feel > Window behavior > Navigate through windows.

Finally.

A huge problem is the inconsistent vocabulary. It's called "Navigate through windows" in the System settings sidebar menu, and the caption of the window where the settings may be accessed. In that actual window it's called, about half the time, "Walk through windows". Elsewhere in system settings (I forgot where) it's called "Window switching". This makes searching for information difficult. I basically didn't find any, either using Google or System settings search tool. This is nuts.

if one sets the task switcher (what it SHOULD be called, for pete's sake) using the "configure layout" button in the above mentioned window, to tabular layout, with small icons, then checks the "show selected item" option, then fiddles with the setting for that item, one can get a rough approximation to the Windows task switcher.

At least now I no longer have tasks scrolling off the bloody screen. The tool is actually usable now.

[Snowhog]

Re: [SOLVED] "walk-through-windows" tool configuration

I hope that you do not take this the wrong way, but I have observed that, through your posts, you are still (it seems) insistent on making Kubuntu 'behave' like Windows. You are doggedly sticking to your Windows mindset, and IMO, that is keeping your from (more quickly) picking up how Kubuntu does things.

That Kubuntu has some similarities to Windows (but so does Mac OS X) does not mean that it does things in the Windows way. You will be less frustrated, if you just forget about Windows completely while you are using Kubuntu. Kubuntu is a new language. You are in a foreign country. The natives don't speak Windows. Think 'immersion course' - you are an American who only speaks English and your are enrolled in an Alaskan Athabascan immersion course. Only Athabascan is spoken there. As a student, you have to learn the language. Initially, you are the one at the disadvantage - the teachers does speak/understand your language, but you don't (yet) speak/understand theirs.

Again, I do not intend this as a put down - far from it.

This said, I'm glad that you figured out the solution to your question. Self discovery. Revel in it. It's a very good thing.

[tomcloyd]

Re: [SOLVED] "walk-through-windows" tool configuration

Well, I can see why you'd say that, certainly. And your great courtesy is a credit to you. (I've always much appreciated your help and comments.) You language learning analogy works for me. I've had serious exposure to three languages, and much enjoy the different way things are handled in each (except for French verbs, which are simply insane).

I like very much many of the differences between Windows and Kubuntu which I see - in the OS, the community, the relationship I have with both. I think my expectations of Kubuntu are more along the line of wanting SOMETHING to just work. Being familiar with Windows, I expect whatever I find in Ubuntu to be approximately as good or better, generally. To have something like a "task switcher" which has three different names - IN THE INTERFACE (wow), and a default configuration that plainly doesn't work right (in the last two OS versions) - with that situation, my complaint isn't at all about it's not being like Windows. It's about it not working adequately.

Consider, this is a major major part of the interface. How do YOU switch from one running program to another? If you don't use the task switcher keyboard shortcut, you would have to use your mouse, clicking on the "taskbar". That's not a viable alternative for a power user who's necessarily always in a hurry. It has to be the task switcher. Which for an entire OS version (9.04-9.10) had fonts that were only half visible - on both my computers. Then, on this new version, we have an entirely different problem: half the tasks on my always loaded machine (lots of tasks) aren't visible in the switcher.

If I knew NOTHING about windows, this still wouldn't work for me, or for anyone else.

I'm really curious to know if this is a problem only for me (that would be odd - two quite different boxes - an HP workstation and an HP netbook, both with the same OS malfunction, and it's just for me?) or not. When I brought the problem here, it was evident that either my language wasn't working, or that they problem was not being seen elsewhere. People didn't seem to recognize what I was talking about, but I didn't know how do any better. Grim.

Well, I hope that clears things up a just a bit. The task switcher still doesn't work as well as the equivalent functionality on Windows XP, but it works way better than it did out of the box, and I'm grateful for that. That said, I do love Lucid, and the upgrade was very smooth. Terrific job, I'd have to say. Thanks for your thoughts, as always.

[Snowhog]

Re: [SOLVED] "walk-through-windows" tool configuration

One of the issues you may be dealing with is accessing a selectable list of all running apps on all desktops. I have four desktops. In K > System Settings > Desktop > All Effects > Window Management I have Cover Switch and Flip Switch checked, which provides the Windows Vista equivalent of Flip 3D Task Switcher. The problem is that it only applies to the current Desktop. It won't present to you for selection, apps that are running on the other Desktops. Now I'm reasonably sure that it is possible - can't believe that it would not be - but I haven't found out how to do it.

[tobs]

Re: [SOLVED] "walk-through-windows" tool configuration

sorry, my setup is in german, thus i try to 'translate' wherer to find the setup to have all desktops in then taskswitcher.

System settings > Look and feel > Window behavior > Navigate through windows.
the first entry ('fenster auflisten' no idea what this is in english) has values like 'current desktop', 'all desktops', 'current sorted by'...

default is 'current desktop', i just switched to 'all desktops' and am fine now...

[Snowhog]

Re: [SOLVED] "walk-through-windows" tool configuration

Beautiful!! That did it! I knew there was a way.

Okay, for the English among us:

K > System Settings > Window Behavior > Focus and check Traverse windows on all desktops

With this checked, and the other items previously mentioned, one gets the 3D Flip Switch of all running applications on all desktops.

Thank you!