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I have a new Dell XPS Developer Edition that came with Ubuntu pre-installed. One of the first things I did was install CompizConfig Settings Manager and enable work-spaces (4×4).

When I press Ctrl+Alt+←, the active window shrinks to half size and moves to the left side of the screen without moving the desktop. Similar happens with Ctrl+Alt+→.

Ctrl+Alt+↑ maximizes the current window. The only one that works properly is Ctrl+Alt+↓. If no windows are active, I can move between desktops no problem. Also, using Alt + Shift+Ctrl+(arrow) works just fine.

  • In CompizConfig Settings Manager, Desktop Wall is enabled.
  • in CompizConfig Settings Manager, Desktop-based Viewport Switching is disabled.
  • In Keyboard → Shortcuts → Navigation, the shortcuts are correctly set (e. g. Switch to workspace above is set to Ctrl+Alt+↑). I do not see any settings in the keyboard shortcuts that conflict.

Any suggestions as to how to figure out what is overriding these settings and fix this issue?

David Foerster
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a user
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2 Answers2

2

Please verify that the Compiz keyboard shortcuts for your desired actions don't clash with those of a different actions. It's relatively easy to assign the same key combination to multiple actions accidentally.

Unfortunately I know of no easier way than to go through the configuration of all enabled Compiz plug-ins and check their shortcut combinations manually.

David Foerster
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2

As mentioned by @David Forester, the conflict is within Comipiz shortcuts. The obvious solution would be to install the compizconfig-settings-manager package. However in my experience when I changed the proper key bindings using this tool something would immediately set it back.

What I found would stick is making the change with dconf, which has the added benefit of already being installed. Launch dconf and browse to org.compiz.profiles.unity.plugins.grid. When I did this the keys left-maximize and put-maximize-key where the only two defined. I had to the other two. You need to have the following values.

put-maximize-key: <Control><Super>Up
put-restore-key:  <Control><Super>Down
left-maximize:    <Control><Super>Left
right-maximize:   <Control><Super>Right

After making these changes sanity was restored for me.

As a side note, other keybindings are non-standard when using the Ubuntu version shipped by Dell. Use another machine with a vanilla install as reference and edit the keys at org.gnome.desktop.wm.keybindings.

achiang
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David Baucum
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