alt shift tab stopped navigating windows

Thanks for your report, Are you running Visual Effects? I'm not running them and the navigation trough that keys works fine here with Gutsy. Does that works with a new user? thanks.

* effets enabled: yes
* new user: not tried, but it has the same problem when I use an old user I haven't used in a long time (last time I used it I was running feisty)

does that help ? or do you really need me to create a new user ?

If you use Visual Effects then is a compiz issue not a metacity one, re-assigning, thanks.

Same issue for me on a clean install of Gutsy RC after installing the nvidia nonfree driver (which automatically enabled Compiz).

I'm hooked on Alt+Tab and Alt+Shift+Tab, so it would be great for this to work for the Gutsy release.

Obviously the workaround is to disable Compiz visual effects.

Setting /apps/metacity/global_keybindings/switch_windows_backward to "<Alt><Shift>Tab" (in gconf-editor) fixes this.

Thanks Philipp. That works for me.

I've been seeing this problem with Alt+Tab and Shift+Alt+Tab for the last 2-3 weeks of the Gutsy development cycle but only just bothered to research it. The gconf apps/metacity/global_keybindings/switch_windows* edits fixed it, although compiz is running by default.

It *may* have been caused by some gconf-data alterations I recall causing a few issues around the same time I first noticed it.

Actually, if one chooses to use Alt-Shift-Tab to switch windows in the gnome keybindings preferences, then Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Tab will switch backwards.

 The issue that you reported is one that should be reproducible with the live environment of the Desktop CD of the development release - Hardy Heron. It would help us greatly if you could test with it so we can work on getting it fixed in the actively developed release. You can find out more about the development release at [WWW] http://www.ubuntu.com/testing/

Alt-Shift-Tab is still broken on Hardy Alpha 5.

I'm surprised this is marked as Importance = Low. This bug is what is stopping me from using compiz.

Marking high importance, this is a regression from standard behaviour in Windows, Mac and most Linux desktop environments.

I can reproduce this on a fresh dapper->hardy upgrade, milestoning

The bug here is that metacity does no longer ship this keybinding. Compiz follows it here.

This bug was fixed in the package metacity - 1:2.22.0-0ubuntu4

---------------
metacity (1:2.22.0-0ubuntu4) hardy; urgency=low

  * 012_default_keybinding.patch:
    - fix default keybinding for shift-alt-tab (LP: #150702)

 -- Michael Vogt <email address hidden> Thu, 10 Apr 2008 10:55:52 +0200

Hello there, I have reassigned this to compiz, since I have experienced this bug on Hardy after dist-upgrade from Gutsy. But after a clean installation of Hardy, I see this bug is FIXED - pressing/releasing <shift> during the switching of windows now does reverse the direction of switching (initiated wiht <alt><tab>), it works as expected.

There is still one inconsistency here though, when the switching dialog is initiated with <shift><alt><tab> (press and hold shift, then press and hold alt, then press tab - in this sequence). At first, it does exactly what I expect. While holding <shift> and <alt>, hitting <tab> switches the windows in the reverse direction. But then if the <shift> is released (and <alt> is still held), the switching is finished, and I think it should not. It's the release of <alt> what should trigger the finish of the switching, not the release of <shift>. The pressing/release of <shift> should only trigger the direction of the switching.

Again, I would not call this an issue, it rather an inconsistency, since it occurs only when <shift><alt><tab> is used to initiate the switching and I would say not many people are using that.

New observation - windows navigation collides with keyboard layout switching, when <alt><shift> is used to switch among keyboard layouts (and it does not have to/should not).

How to reproduce:
1) Assign <alt><shift> to keyboard layout switching: System/Preferences/Keyboard/Layouts/Layout Options/Layout Switching/"Alt+Shift change layout"
2) Now the pressing of <shift> during the windows switching initiated with <alt><tab> has no longer effect on the direction of switching.

<alt><shift> is the MS Windows standard way for switching keyboard layouts and many people may find it convenient to use it (I do), so it would be good if this was fixed.

Actually this is not a bug in metacity/compiz, but an oversimplification in the keyboard layout switching. When "Alt+Shift change layout" is set, then whenever <alt> is down and <shift> is pressed, the layout is switched (and <shift> press does not propagate), regardless of the history of presses and/or releases (it does not wait neither to the release of <shoft> nor <alt>; to see this, add "Keyboard indicator" to a panel).

When using "Alt+Shift change layout", the keyboard layout should be switched _only_ when: (beginning with no key on the keyboard pressed) first <alt> was pressed and held and then <shift> was pressed (and possibly released and pressed again, possibly multiple times) and then <alt> was released, _with no other key (than <shift>) being pressed while <alt> was held_. Pressing any other key then <shift> (<tab> for example) while <alt> is held should simply invalidate the possibility of the layout switch (...until the release of all the keys). During the actual layout-switch, the <shift> could be possibly pressed (and released) multiple times, the number of _presses_ (release not required) determining how many steps to advance in the (wrapped around) list of available keyboard layouts (this is mostly about the case when there is more than two layouts).

In other words, the keyboard layout changing should work much like windows navigation (probably also with the reordering of the list of layouts, as <alt><tab> does with the list of windows, i.e. the most recently used layouts would be easily switchable), except for the <tab> being substituted with <shift> and the fact that the layout changing could be possible only in one direction.

The keyboard layout switching problem is already reported here:

https://bugs.launchpad.net/xorg-server/+bug/36812

https://bugs.freedesktop.org/show_bug.cgi?id=865

Please don't set bugs to in progress unless you're really working on them.

set here also fix released, as it works now

here also fix released as it works now

These fixes aren't working for me. I have a related bug already posted listing all my info.

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+bug/450190

I am confirming that this problem still exists in Ubuntu 9.10. No fixes are working for this.

Agreed that this problem still exists in Karmic. Setting /apps/metacity/global_keybindings/switch_windows_backward worked for me.

This bug is still in karmic with compiz (not with metacity)

A workaround is to correct it in ccsm, but it should be corrected by default!

After upgrading to Karmic, setting /apps/metacity/global_keybindings/switch_windows_backward to "<Alt><Shift>Tab" worked. Thanks, Philipp!

Broken in default Karmic... Any chance that a post-release-update can change the default behavior to the Metacity one?

+1 to an SRU

Another +1 to an SRU.

BTW, this is also fixable by installing compizconfig-settings-manager and setting the "Prev window" key binding in the "Static Application Switcher" plugin config (it's disabled by default). I don't know if that configurator is tweaking the Metacity gconf db behind the scenes, but it seems to allow arbitrary key bindings rather than just re-enabling the reverse switching.

Someone got this with a clean install of karmic? I still cannot reproduce unless I manually disable the option. No matter how I make compiz go back to default settings I always have a working shift-alt-tab.

I had it with a clean install of Karmic and visual effects set to 'normal'. I had to use the old fix using gconf-editor to make it work.

@Travis: Hmm, I did a clean install (system + user account) from Karmic beta and upgraded all packages everyday until release. That is almost entirely a clean install at least...

Happens on Karmic Live CD with Desktop effects enabled, setting the "Prev Window" keybinding in the Static Application Switcher fixed it for me.

as per comment #30

alt-shift-tab setting is missing in the 'static application switcher' configuration.

Using Karmic from clean install

The gconf-editor solution (/apps/metacity/global_keybindings/switch_windows_backward) did not work for me in Karmic. However, Andy Buckley's advice (compizconfig-settings-manager) did the trick.

Thanks to all!

I do have this also on 9.10 clean install. Im not using Compiz though and setting it in the metacity global keybinding doesn't resolve my problem

when i first installed Karmic, <alt><shift>Tab worked. after an update several months ago, it stopped working.

Has not worked in 9.04 nor 9.10 clean installs. I've removed the compiz package and restarted. Alt-Shift-Tab still not working (switches forward through app list) -- affects multiple machines.

WORK-AROUND
===========

Keyboard Layout switching was set to Alt-Shift. After disabling "Keyboard Layout Options" >> "Key(s) to change layout", then Alt-Shift-Tab does display applications in reverse!

(I would still consider this a bug as both Alt-Shift and Alt-Shift-Tab are standards in other window environments [including older versions of Gnome/Ubuntu and MS Windows])

Re: #40: All "Key(s) to change layout" options were already deselected for me, so it doesn't appear related to the problem I am experiencing.

Re: #30: Gconf-editor already has the correct compiz keybindings: <Shift><Alt>Tab is listed as the key for prev_key in the static switcher plugin, even though it doesn't work. I reassigned a different keybinding, then changed it back and it now works. It did NOT work when I simply tried to disable the prev_key binding and then re-enable. I had to change it to something else (I used <Control><Alt>T) and change it back.

No downloading/installing compizconfig-settings-manager necessary.

I confirm this on a clean install of Karmic, with visual effects set to Normal. Alt+Tab works, Shift+Alt+Tab does not.
Turning off visual effects fixes the problem.

This bug report does not seem to me to be related to the layout keyboard conflict - as none of the workarounds actually work when you have the layout switching set. I think this bug is a problem with Compiz (as obviously disabling it works as a solution for some people).

I changed the dups of bug #300470 and bug #322068, both of which seem to be about the layout switching conflict, to be dupes of bug #36812 that is linked to the relevant X.org bug. I suggest moving all layout switching related discussion to there.

I can confirm this bug on Karmic. Michael, can you comment on it please?

Mark

I just wanted to mention a few things, since I had been involved with another bug:

I'm using a fresh Karmic install, no compiz, no visual effects, and I *am* able to remap alt-shift-tab how I want (which is to lower the focused window, rather than navigating), which I was previously unable to do. Previously, it seemed to be hard-wired and I was unable to change the behavior. So for what I need, the bug has gone away. Thanks!

From a clean install of Ubuntu Karmic (x86_64) (rather than in-place upgrade from Jaunty), and mounting the existing /home/ volume into it (so the user settings are all inherited) I've checked and this bug isn't affecting this PC.

The only difference I can see with regard to Compiz settings is I have custom settings (not 'Normal' or 'Extra'' visual effects) because I have the 3D cube configured on two X screens.

It looks as if the problem is in the source package generation and the patch itself.

The patch to fix this is "debian/patches/012_default_keybinding.patch" which patches "src/metacity.schemas.in" which is generated by automake (from "src/metacity.schemas.in.in"). These lead to 'make' creating "src/metacity.schemas".

However, when the package is built 'make' regenerates "src/metacity.schemas.in" thus wiping out the changes made by the patch:

------
$ fakeroot debian/rules build
...
Trying patch debian/patches/012_default_keybinding.patch at level 1 ... success.
...
Generating keybinding schemas... ./metacity.schemas.in.in
./schema_bindings ./metacity.schemas.in.in ./metacity.schemas.in
LC_ALL=C /usr/bin/intltool-merge -s -u -c ../po/.intltool-merge-cache ../po metacity.schemas.in metacity.schemas
Generating and caching the translation database
Merging translations into metacity.schemas.
...
------

This is obvious if you try to do a package clean:

------
$ fakeroot debian/rules clean
...
Trying reverse patch debian/patches/012_default_keybinding.patch at level 1 ... 0 ... 2 ... failure.
make: *** [reverse-patches] Error 1
------

So the obvious fix would be for the patch to be applied to "src/metacity.schemas.in.in".

However, looking at the contents of the patch it isn't clear to me *why* that should work since it affects the "/apps/metacity/window_keybindings/move_to_workspace_12" key, not "/apps/metacity/global_keybindings/switch_windows_backward".

Also, the patch is described as a fix for this bug in comment #15 and a changelog entry is shown there which is in the Hardy package changelog; however that entry *does not* appear in the current source package's changelog (or any since Hardy), instead the patch itself is referenced but no specific mention of this bug reference:

------
metacity (1:2.23.21-0ubuntu1) intrepid; urgency=low
...
  * debian/patches/012_default_keybinding.patch:
    Fix default keybinding for shift-alt-tab

 -- Pedro Fragoso <email address hidden> Tue, 03 Jun 2008 18:36:06 +0100
------

Inspecting the contents of the patches for Hardy (created my Michael) and the patch that is in Intrepid and later (from Pedro's changelog report) the difference is obvious - they are being applied to different key-bindings:

------
$ diff -Nu metacity-2.22.0/debian/patches/012_default_keybinding.patch metacity-2.28.0/debian/patches/012_default_keybinding.patch
...
+@@ -1348,7 +1348,7 @@
+ <applyto>/apps/metacity/window_keybindings/move_to_workspace_12</applyto>
        <owner>metacity</owner>
        <type>string</type>
 - <default>disabled</default>
 + <default>&lt;Shift&gt;&lt;Alt&gt;Tab</default>
        <locale name="C">
- <short>Move focus backwards between windows using popup display</short>
...

I looked into the bug and there are two problems here:

a) metacity handles switch_window special by adding a implicit binding for backwards that is the forward binding plus the "Shift" key (even if switch_window_backwards is disabled) - this confuses compiz that tracks switch_window and switch_window_backwards
b) the setting for swtich_window_backwards in our metacity package got broken during a merge in 1:2.27.1-0ubuntu1 (Sep 2009)

I attach a patch that fixes the problem on the compiz level by adding code to follow that implicit behavior. But for a SRU it is probably more suitable to add the gconf default back (but we need to test if that is sufficient).

This bug was fixed in the package metacity - 1:2.28.0-2ubuntu4

---------------
metacity (1:2.28.0-2ubuntu4) lucid; urgency=low

  * debian/metacity-common.gconf-defaults:
    - use the correct gconf key for the backward setting
      (LP: #150702)
 -- Michael Vogt <email address hidden> Mon, 25 Jan 2010 15:59:40 +0100

Launchpad Bug Tracker wrote:
> This bug was fixed in the package metacity - 1:2.28.0-2ubuntu4
>

Thanks Michael - you're a gem!

Accepted metacity into karmic-proposed, the package will build now and be available in a few hours. Please test and give feedback here. See https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Testing/EnableProposed for documentation how to enable and use -proposed. Thank you in advance!

Thanks Martin!

Mark Shuttleworth [2010-02-02 17:20 -0000]:
> Thanks Martin!

Credit goes to Michael Vogt. I just push the process buttons. :-)

Martin
--
Martin Pitt | http://www.piware.de
Ubuntu Developer (www.ubuntu.com) | Debian Developer (www.debian.org)

Hi,

does the metacity fix also fix this in Compiz, or is that a separate issue?

Excellent, works for me. Both with "normal" visual effects and "none" visual effects.

This bug was fixed in the package metacity - 1:2.28.0-0ubuntu2

---------------
metacity (1:2.28.0-0ubuntu2) karmic-proposed; urgency=low

  * debian/patches/012_default_keybinding.patch:
    - removed, was broken
  * debian/metacity-common.gconf-defaults:
    - make shift-alt-tab the default keybinding for reverse
      window (LP: #150702)
 -- Michael Vogt <email address hidden> Mon, 25 Jan 2010 15:55:57 +0100

upgraded to lucid - and now alt-tab, and alt-shift-tab do not work ?

Quoting:

mvo: zyga: right, this is a bug we need to fix, could you check if its already in LP and if not file it? then I target it for beta-2

This bug is not fixed yet. Michael - unfortunately I cannot set milestone to beta-2

This bug seems to be caused by missing:

gconftool-2 --set --type string /apps/compiz/plugins/staticswitcher/allscreens/options/prev_key "<Shift><Alt>Tab"

The compiz plugin used to inherit metacity configuration but this is no longer the case. A separate set of defaults has to be set to have this keyboard shortcut work as expected when running in compiz mode.

Just noticed that if chromium has focus, shift-alt-tab navigates through previous HTML elements.

Is that still an issue on current lucid? It works fine here.

Confirmed to work by two other people, closing for now. Please yell if it still happens for you on current lucid. Thanks!

Hi Martin! That definitely is still an issue on Lucid Beta with 'normal' and 'extra' visual effects (i.e. compiz). I'd vote this bug to be one of a hunded papercuts, if that project is still active.

just tested this again on Lucid Beta 2 with all updates and it does work with compiz as with metacity.

There shows a different issue though:
When pressing Alt+Tab the switching order is from right to left, adding Shift reverses it - but when
you start out with Alt+Shift+Tab the order is also from right to left, releasing Shift also reverses that.

^^switching order problem only with metacity

Hello, I still experience the problem with alt+shift+tab under a freshly downloaded and installed (yesterday) Lucid version. I installed the standard (Desktop) version on a Samsung NC10 (this should not be any issue, though). The installed metacity package is 1:2.30.1-0ubuntu1 (the fix from #47 should be in there, right?). I observed that working with the compizconfig-settings-manager and try to configure shortcuts (in static application switcher), I cannot even grab the key combination, when I click on "grab key combination", when I press <Alt>+<Shift> it displays "<Alt>ISO_Prev_Group", when I then add Tab, it displays "<Alt>Tab". Is there something wrong with detecting the Shift key?

ps: For now I made a workaround with <Alt><Control>Tab with:
gconftool-2 --set --type string /apps/metacity/global_keybindings/switch_windows_backward "<Alt><Control>Tab"

best
Alex

I forgot to add, this is still a problem with compiz as well as in the normal mode (i.e., compiz switched off). I tried to set it via compizconfig-settings-manager and gconf-editor (in /apps/metacity/global_keybindings), I tried various possibilities, but none of them fixed the problem.

thanks
Alex

This bug appears anyway if you bind alt+shift to change keyboard layouts.
If I change alt+shift to ctrl+shift for example, alt+shift+tab works fine.
Is there any solution to make work both combinations: alt+shift for changing layout and alt+shift+tab to switch windows?

I'm experiencing the same issue as fabiaN. It is also impossible to reverse the direction of task switching after pressing Alt-Tab (and still holding Alt depressed) by depressing Shift and hitting Tab (thus, the same Alt-Shift-Tab combination).

To apavlov and others who are having trouble using Alt-Shift-Tab to switch: are you using the patch enclosed in this bug report, or are you using version 0.8.2-0ubuntu1 of simple-ccsm, which has been the shipping version since Jaunty?

The same here:

Package: compizconfig-backend-gconf
State: installed
Automatically installed: no
Version: 0.8.4-0ubuntu2

Package: compizconfig-settings-manager
State: installed
Automatically installed: no
Version: 0.8.2-0ubuntu1

simple-ccsm is not installed

Jeff Epstein, i have installed simple-ccsm version 0.8.2-0ubuntu1. No patch.

Hi all,

I had the keyboard layout switch set to shift+alt, and it caused the problem. I set it to ctrl+shift and the shift+alt+tab now works fine to shift the windows backward.

Cheers.

Maverick is affected as well, it doesn't matter if compiz is active or not. Just as others pointed out, the problem can be avoided by not using Alt+Shift as the keyboard layout switch. The same kind of problem arises when one wants to use Ctrl+Shift short-cut for keyboard layout switching though. This time, it affects cycling backward between panels in Chrome/Firefox.

Any chance to get this one fixed anytime soon :-)?

In 11.04 alpha it seem to have moved to Shift->CapLock. It working as expected, but I think it a REALLY unnatural default key switch for language.

Karmic is past End of Life, and is no longer supported. As such, this bug is being marked "Won't Fix" against the Karmic bug task.