Unity

Can't interact with launcher with the arrow keys.

Asked by David Neill

Greetings,
Firstly, I wasn't sure if this was a bug so I didn't file it as one, I just preferred to ask you directly. When you click Alt+F1, the Unity launcher shows up, and you can choose which application you want by moving the arrow keys. Nice! When you keep the "Super" button pressed the launcher also shows, however, now numbers or letters overlay the icons, but you can't use the arrow keys to select the app, you would have to press the specific number/letter. Personally, I'd find it much more functional if besides the overlay, you could also choose the app with the arrow keys. This would be so your hand wouldn't have to move all the way up to the function keys, especially when working on a laptop, in which both hands are used for the trackpad, and moving your left hand from the mouse buttons to the functions keys is a lot harder than moving your hand to the "super" key. I realize you could just use the mouse, but in computers with small trackpads it would be a hassle, and pressing a few keys is much faster.

With this method, you could change applications and summon the dash by just using the super button and the arrow keys. My question, then, would be: Is this current functionality, which doesn't allow interaction with the launcher through the arrow keys when holding "super", subject to change? If not, could you please explain to me the reason why. If yes, could the above issue be filed as a bug and fixed? Or, can you already enable this function somehow?

Thanks a lot. I really think this rather small thing could go a long way into improving functionality.

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Federico Tello Gentile
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Best Federico Tello Gentile (federicotg) said : 		#1

I think it's a matter of preference. The unity team did some usability tests and there's also an accessibility team working on it. Where you prefer <super>+<arrow> others prefer <super>+<number>.
You can also do <super>+<type> and type the name of the program.
There a re many ways of interacting. I'm sure as Unity matures things like that will be a setting so every user can change it. This is the very first Unity version with keyboard navigation ever and it is not even released.

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David Neill (david-h-neill) said : 		#2

Thanks! I didn't answer before because hotmail filtered it as "spam", and only just noticed it.

The <super>+<number> is very useful for quick launching from the keyboard, even quicker than typing the program (given the program is in the launcher). With some use you can instantly know alt+2 is firefox and alt+3 is banshee. But when you have more than ten icons on the launcher (excluding lenses), or if there are programs that aren't usually there/ you don't know its number by memory, then arrow scrolling seems more convenient (especially because you can invoke quicklist with the right arrow). I don't want to replace the numbers just to also be able to navigate with the arrows.

Anyway, I tried changing the keyboard shortcut in gconf-editor to <super>+<alt> instead of <super>+F1, but after a short time the whole OS would hang. I've only tried this in a live usb, so I don't know if this happens in a proper install, but I wonder if this is a known bug. I couldn't find it in launchpad so that's why I'm asking.

Thanks once again thanks a lot!
Keep up the great work cause I know 12.04 will absolutely rock!