Re: Keyboard shortcuts for launching applications

[Gregory Merchan <merchan phys lsu edu>]

On Wed, Oct 23, 2002 at 07:01:31PM +0200, Gaute Lindkvist wrote:
> Since Metacity does have a reasonably simple way of adding keyboard
> shortcuts for launching applications, and Metacity seems to become the
> default GNOME WM, if not for stock GNOME, then for most distributions, I
> think there should be a default set of keyboard shortcuts for commonly
> used applications.
> 
> I would be more than happy to add these to Metacity in a patch myself,
> since it is pretty simple, but
> there needs to be a consensus about what exact keycombinations to use.
> 
> First I have a suggestion to what apps to provide this for:
> 1. Open up a new filemanager window without having to focus an existing
> window. (for instance: some combination + f)
> 2. Open up the default Web Browser (some combination + w)
> 3. Open up the default text editor (some combination + e)
> 4. Open up the control center (some combination + c)
> 5. Open up the help index (some combination + h)
> 6. Open up the default terminal app (some combination + t)
> 
> What should this combination be? Should this even be done? Is the list of
> default apps good? Should there be more or less of them?

Except insofar as special keys exist for these, or a convention like
"F1 is always something helpful", I not convinced this should be done.

In any case, the Windows version is here:
  http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/dnwue/html/appxB.asp

And the relevant section reprinted here:

Application key  Display shortcut menu for the selected object
Windows key      Display Start button menu
Windows+F1       Display Help Topics browser dialog box for the
                 main Windows Help file
Windows+TAB      Activate next application window
Windows+E        Explore My Computer
Windows+F        Find a file
Windows+CTRL+F   Find a computer
Windows+M        Minimize All
SHIFT+Windows+M  Undo Minimize All
Windows+R        Display Run dialog box
Windows+BREAK    Reserved for system function
Windows+number   Reserved for computer manufacturer use

("Application key" is the thing that looks like a menu-and-arrow or an oven,
 depending on whom you ask. "Windows" is the MS "flying window" logo.)

Cheers,
Greg Merchan