[SOLVED] Disable the Windows Key Popping up Launcher

[wrender]

Most graphic professionals switch the Alt key to the Windows/Meta key to free it up for their software.

However I still use the Meta key for all the window management (ie. resize move etc)... though I can't seem to find how to stop the Applications Launcher from popping up when I press the Windows/Meta Key.

ps. I'm running the KDE Neon 18.04

[oshunluvr]

Have you tried:


Here, I have the WIN key as my meta key. If I press and hold it and then press another key, the menu doesn't open. It only opens if I press and release the win key.

[wrender]

I have the Win key mapped as Meta through classic KDE way inside the WindowsBehavior>WindowsActions>ModifierKey setting. I didn't realize there was another way to do that through the keyboard layout. But I still don't see how to disable the Win/meta key from popping up the Applications launcher.

But like you said it works fine as long as I press the Win/Meta key with another button. However there are so many times when my hand is hovering over the alt key to move around inside the graphics program and I accidentally hit the Win/Meta key.

[kubicle]

You can try this oneliner:

kwriteconfig5 --file kwinrc --group ModifierOnlyShortcuts --key Meta ""

(it writes a config key in ~/.config/kwinrc that should prevent the meta key from opening the launcher...you may need to re-login into plasma for this to take effect. )

[wrender]

That worked perfectly! Thank you so much you are a life saver!

ps. for the sake of leanring what does it mean to be a part of the modifier only shortcut group? I tried reading an article about how it was ported from wayland but It wasn't clear to me.

[kubicle]

ps. for the sake of leanring what does it mean to be a part of the modifier only shortcut group? I tried reading an article about how it was ported from wayland but It wasn't clear to me.

It's just the way config key are organized in kde config files:

[Group]
Key1=Value1
Key2=Value2
...

Haven't checked kwin source code for this, but I assume it sets a default value for a modifier only shortcut for the Meta modifier key (that opens the launcher menu), and that default can be overridden by setting the "Meta" key value to empty ("") in the [ModifierOnlyShortcuts] group in user kwinrc, which it what the command I posted does. It basically adds the following snippet to the ~/.config/kwinrc file (or modifies it if the group/key/value already exists):

[ModifierOnlyShortcuts]
Meta=""

Of course, many of the config keys can be changed with GUI settings, but seems to be one of the "hidden" config keys that aren't represented in GUI settings.

[chimak111]

You can try this oneliner:

kwriteconfig5 --file kwinrc --group ModifierOnlyShortcuts --key Meta ""

(it writes a config key in ~/.config/kwinrc that should prevent the meta key from opening the launcher...you may need to re-login into plasma for this to take effect. )

There's an alternative to re-login here:

qdbus org.kde.KWin /KWin reconfigure

[wrender]

Interesting. Thanks again!