Re: [Usability] Using Control-Esc and Windows keys to access the start menu

[Ritesh Khadgaray <khadgaray gmail com>]

On Sun, 2006-08-20 at 20:29 +0100, Alan Horkan wrote:
> On Sun, 20 Aug 2006, Lennart Borgman wrote:
> 
> > Date: Sun, 20 Aug 2006 16:00:31 +0200
> > From: Lennart Borgman <lennart borgman 073 student lu se>
> > To: Usability gnome org
> > Subject: [Usability] Using Control-Esc and Windows keys to access the
> >     start menu
> >
> > Hi,
> >
> > I am new to this list. I have subscribed mainly because I want to become
> > a GNU/Linux user.
> 
> (Gnome runs on FreeBSD and Solaris and many others too.  I want to be a
> Gnome user.)
> 
> > Now I installed Ubuntu. Quite nice installation as far as I know.
> > However when the installation was finished I was not able to do
> > anything. I had no mouse at all on that computer.
> 
> Ubuntu does make some customisations beyond stock Gnome so do keep that in
> mind.  I am very displeased at how they removed the Run Dialog (they hid
> it away making it totally undiscoverable but if you are lucky enough to
> arleady know Alt+F2 it is still available).
> 
afaik, gnome removed run dialog during there over-simplification
process. aargh :(

> > I tried Control-Esc and the Windows keys to access the start menu,
> 
> If I recall correctly this used to work when Gnome had the old layout more
> like windows with a main/start menu in the bottom left corner.  Novell is
> one of the few distributions to go back to this kind of layouts and I
> would hope they got the keybinding right too but you would need to try
> yourself to be sure.  (I tried adding back the main menu applet to the
> lower panel on Ubuntu but Ctrl+Esc doesn't work.)
> 
> > but none of them worked. I would really appreciate if they do. Is there
> > any reason that they should not work the same way as on MS Windows?
> > Would not that attract MS Windows users?
> 
> In ubuntu if you go to System, Preferences, Keyboard shortcuts you can
> reassign the shortcut for the Application menu to be Ctrl+Escape or the
> the Super key (aka Windows Key).  I was not able to add the menu menu
> applet and assign the keybinding to it instead.
> 
> There are all kinds of things we could do the same and I personally prefer
> it when developers embrace and extend and can confidently say they are
> doing "the same or better, not just different".
> 
> Rather than get into it too much I use the level of disagreement in this
> very discussion to show you how difficult it is to build conscensus on an
> issue.  Also there is the fundamental problem that we must design Gnome so
> that it can be used on keyboard that do not have a Super key.  (Granted
> you did also mention Ctrl+Esc.)
> 
> > PS: This is my second try with GNU/Linux. The last time I backed off for
> > exactly the same reason.
> 
> Things are going to be different, and some have argued that trying too
> hard to copy windows only makes the differences more painfully obvious.
> 
> Sometimes it is better for Gnome to be interntally consistent and
> predictable within itself rather than copying.  However if enough people
> wanted to we could probably have it both ways and make it easier to do
> what you want.
> 
> > Well, and that the dual boot that came with Ubuntu trashed my MS Windows
> > partition.
> 
> Backups are the only answer, depending on your circumstances either Ubuntu
> or Windows could have been the problem.  I also had to learn the hard way
> how easy it is to shoot onself in the foot with partition tools and more.
> 
> I would strongly advise you to try out VMWare Player, by far the safest
> way I can think of to try distribtions like Ubuntu.  In particular there
> is one VMWare image I really like which allows you to try out Live CD
> based distributions without needing to burn them to a CD.  This allows me
> to try out many more distributions beyond those especially packages for
> VMware.
> 
> Sincerely
> 
> Alan Horkan
> 
> Inkscape http://inkscape.org
> Abiword http://www.abisource.com
> Open Clip Art http://OpenClipArt.org
> 
> Alan's Diary http://advogato.org/person/AlanHorkan/
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Usability mailing list
> Usability gnome org
> http://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/usability
-- 
Ritesh Khadgaray
LinuX N Stuff
Ph: +919822394463
Eat Right, Exercise, Die Anyway.