How to start a software from keyboard?

[nicrnicr]

Dear All,

There is in the "own keyshorts" "Kmenuedit" in which it should be possible to define how a software starts from keyboard.
I do not succeed in doing it in wheter in Kubuntu 18.04 nor in Kubuntu 16.04.
I already asked in an other forum and nobody could help me.

For instance to start Firefox:
There are 3 tabs. The left one is useless, I tipped alt + E in the center one and I choosed "Firefox web browser" in the right one.
Nothing happens when I tipp alt + E.

Please could someone help me?

[GreyGeek]

I don't know which "three tabs" you are talking about.
I just right clicked on the KMenu (left side of task manager panel) and browsed to "Internet" and selected FireFox. On the Advanced Tab in the right panel I clicked on the shortcut key and pressed "Ctl+F" and then left clicked the save button and closed the menu edit dialog.
Now, when I press Ctl+F my FireFox browser appears. I did the same for Thunderbird and other apps. Works great.

[nicrnicr]

Thank you very much GreyGeek, there are (at least) two ways to define a shortcut: as you wrote & as I wrote; because the shortcut that I defined to open FF was already written as I wanted to define it as you wrote me.
The shortcut was already defined and it didn't work. I also tried another shortcut and it still don't work.

[GreyGeek]

Your problem is probably due to my POOR instructions. I forgot to mention that you should RIGHT CLICK on the KMenu and select "Edit Applications". In that dialog browse to the app you want to assign Ctl+ whatever to and and select it. On the advanced tab in the right panel, at the lower right corner is the "Current Shortcut Key" button. Left click on it, then use the Ctl+whatever key combo you want to use. Then save the edit. You cannot add a shortcut key to a menu level, only to an app in the menu.

[nicrnicr]

Thank you very much GreyGeek.
Your explanation in #2 was alright.
I did what you wrote in #4, but as I already wrote it doesn't work for me.

[GreyGeek]

You posted in the BIonic sections and that feature is part of Plasma for Bionic. Here is mine (in Neon) setting FireFox to open when I press "Ctl+F".

[nicrnicr]

Thank you very much GreyGeek.
You will remark that I have almost the same picture.
The difference is the drawing before "Ctrl". You have two sliders whereas I have a kind of menu.
When I press "alt + F", I have the same kind of menu before "alt".

[GreyGeek]

I believe that the shortcut key in KMenu is only for using the Control key + some other key. I never tried it with Alt, and it works fine with Ctl+F for FireFox, Ctl+K for Konsole, Ctl+T for Thunderbird....

[nicrnicr]

Thank you GreyGeek.
"Strg" means "Ctrl" in german.

[GreyGeek]

Thank you GreyGeek.
"Strg" means "Ctrl" in german.

Doesn’t Ctl+F bring up FireFox?

[nicrnicr]

On my keyboard, it is the "Ctrl" button which is represented by "Strg" on the screen by the german Kubuntu.
What we did doesn't work on Kubuntu 16.04 nor on Kubuntu 18.04. It doesn't work for other letters and also with "Alt" instead of "Ctrl".

[woodsmoke]

enable the terminal to open it

Go to wherever you have some kind of "menu" that has the icon for the app.

Let us say, as an example, Firefox

Right click on the icon and go to the "application" tab.

Go to the "advanced options" button and click it.

check the "run in terminal" box and type into the box a 'command" such as "Firefox" without the quotes " ".

You will have to keep a terminal on the desktop or in the panel.

* * * * * *
the "run box"

The simplest option is Alt+F2 which produces the "run box" and type in the name of the app.

the "run box' will remember the various apps that you and you can get the app going with a couple of letters and hit enter.

* * * * * *

USE the power of the KDE activity and the association of an app with the activity

AFTER ALL this IS a KDE based distro. Use the KDE power.

a) make an activity for the app and name it for the app.
b) Go to the activity and open the app It will stay open even with a shut down if you have the "keep sesson" option ticked
c) go to the top left little symbol for the app in the top left corner and right click and you will see "activities".
d) click the "activities" and you will see listed the various activities that you have, one of which is the one you just made and was named for the application.
e) tick the box next to the activity..
f) close the little box

open the application on the activity it will stay open even with a shutdown if you have the "keep session" option.

You can assign a couple of keystrokes to get to the activity.

And the app is there ready to go.

* * * * *

One right mouse click to get to the activity which is already open on the activity.

a) right click on your present activity to get the activity SWITCHER and click the activity to go to it...

Or... you can use roller wheel to the activity although you will "roll" through all of the activities unless it is directly next door.

the app is open and ready to go.

woodUSETHEPOWEROFKDEsmoke...lol

woodsmoke

[nicrnicr]

Thank you very much woodsmoke for your explanation. I understand it but I do not succeed to apply it in Kubuntu 18.04.
https://askubuntu.com/questions/2539...n-i-do-with-it

I don't know how or where to add an activity.

[GreyGeek]

[nicrnicr]

Thank you very much GreyGeek & thank you again woodsmoke :-)