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Joel
Asked: 2011-04-30 22:42:46 +0800 CST

Is there a feature like Alt + Tab for groups?

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If you have ever used Cmd + Tab on OS X you know what I'm looking for. This is actually one of the few features of OS X I love.

I'm using Compiz and in the Static Application Switcher I have set it so I can switch between applications in the same group using Alt + ~. I've looked through all the different plugins and have searched around on the internet but haven't been able to find anything that lets me switch between the groups. Something that lets me hit Alt + Tab and it'll pop up only one option for all the open apps. Is there any way to do this?

Edit:

I use Gnome3/Shell at work and have noticed that Gnome3 implements this feature. Would be nice if we could get it in Unity, too. :)

11.04

5 Answers

  1. I understand what you are asking but I don't know of any way to do exactly what you are asking, however with Unity you can press Super + [NUMBER] to show the most recently open applications in a group and then the same combination again to show all of the open windows of that app, using the scale plugin.

    e.g. Chromium is the second app down in my launcher and if I were to be currently in a different app but wanted to switch to Chromium I would press Super + 2 and I would be there, I could then press it again and it would show all of my windows.

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  2. As of 16.04 this feature is implemented.

    If AltTab is pressed it shows application groups

    enter image description here

    Once you pause over a group, or press ` while holding Alt it expands to window switcher

    enter image description here

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  3. Unity in Oneiric behaves like this now (via Compiz' Unity Plugin).

    It does not provide an option to easily switch between all windows now though (you can press Alt-Down to open a group, but thats not that convenient in the long run).

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  4. I never used Mac so I'm not sure what is it you are trying to reproduce. Maybe try Ctrl + Alt + Tab or Ctrl + Shift + Tab or Super + Tab. By group, do you mean windows of the same application or workspace|virtual-desktop?

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  5. As far as I can tell, there is no way to replicate that.

    However, the Unity launcher is similar - it only shows one entry for each program that is running. So you can use that instead of alt-tab.

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