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I am running GNOME desktop v2.16.0 on RedHat Enterprise Linux v5.3.

I would like to assign the Alt-Tab key to cycle through the currently running applications like Microsoft Windows does.

I believe I've seen this work on Linux before, how can I configure my system so that this works as desired?

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  • 1
    Can you explain what Alt-Tab is doing currently? Sep 16, 2009 at 17:39
  • Presently, Alt-Tab does nothing.
    – WilliamKF
    Sep 16, 2009 at 18:08
  • xev reports on AltTab: KeyPress event, serial 29, synthetic NO, window 0x2c00001, root 0x1c3, subw 0x0, time 3295777458, (83,27), root:(93,115), state 0x8, keycode 23 (keysym 0xff09, Tab), same_screen YES, XLookupString gives 1 bytes: (09) " " XmbLookupString gives 1 bytes: (09) " " XFilterEvent returns: False KeyRelease event, serial 29, synthetic NO, window 0x2c00001, root 0x1c3, subw 0x0, time 3295777840, (83,27), root:(93,115), state 0x8, keycode 23 (keysym 0xff09, Tab), same_screen YES, XLookupString gives 1 bytes: (09) " " XFilterEvent returns: False
    – WilliamKF
    Sep 16, 2009 at 20:04

4 Answers 4

7

This worked for me in gnome 2.30.

  1. System->keyboard shortcuts -> disable shortcuts for "move between windows using a popup" and "move between windows immediately" (select with mouse and press backspace)

  2. Open terminal and type gconf-editor

  3. navigate to apps-> metacity ->global keybindings

    3a. for the entry : "switch_windows" type "<Alt>Tab" without quotes

    3b. For the entry : "switch_windows_backwards" type "<Shift><Alt>Tab" without quotes

  4. navigate to apps -> metacity -> general

    4a. Disable compositing_manager (this gets rid of the super annoying delay before the popup displays when you press alt+tab)

hope this helps

Cheers/Raj K

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  • in ubuntu14 gnome flashback (metacity), maybe setting by dconf-editor on org.gnome.desktop.wm.keybindings
    – yurenchen
    Oct 16, 2017 at 15:38
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ALT-Tab is the default for cycling running applications in Gnome, like Windows XP does.

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You can use software such as Compiz Fusion.

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To get alt tab in linux machines, click the Alt icon in the menu and press tab key, you can navigate between the windows, once you find your required window, again press alt key from the menu, you will got your page.

The Alt key in the menu will have a title as "Send Alt key press/release."

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