Re: changing alt-tab behavior in fullscreen mode

[Liam O'Toole <liam.p.otoole@gmail.com>]

On Thu, 21 Dec 2006 01:10:55 -0500
Kamaraju Kusumanchi <kamaraju@bluebottle.com> wrote:

> Server : Debian, Etch, vncserver 3.3.7-13
> Client : Windows, Xp, vncviewer 3.3.7
> 
> When I access the vnc session in fulscreen mode on the windows
> machine, the alt-tab is not being sent to the Debian machine.
> Pressing alt-tab just switches the windows on the Windows machine.
> How can I make alt-tab switch windows among the vnc session's
> windows? or is there any other shortcut to switch windows among the
> windows session?
> 
> I have read http://www.realvnc.com/faq.html, googled around, searched
> the mailing list archives but could not find any solution to this
> problem!
> 
> If both client, server are on the Debian's machine, then there are no
> problems with the alt-tab behavior. The issue arises only if the
> client is being run on Windows!
> 
> thanks
> raju
> 
> 

This problem annoyed me so much that I wrote a ~/.gnomerc script to
work around it. (Obviously this is helpful to you only if you use
GNOME). The script checks whether the DISPLAY environment variable
starts with ":0". If it does, it applies the default gconf settings.
Otherwise it sets up a low-bandwidth desktop and sets the
window-switching keys to ctrl-tab. If you use this file, don't forgat
to make it executable!

Here is my ~/.gnomerc:

#!/bin/sh

set_gconf_option () {
    /usr/bin/gconftool --set $1 --type string $2
}

# Set various options according to local or remote display
if echo $DISPLAY | grep ^\:0; then
    BACKGROUND_PICTURE_OPTIONS="stretched"
    GTK_THEME="Clearlooks"
    METACITY_THEME=$GTK_THEME
    SWITCH_WINDOWS_KEYBINDING="<Alt>Tab"
else
    BACKGROUND_PICTURE_OPTIONS="none"
    GTK_THEME="Simple"
    METACITY_THEME=$GTK_THEME
    SWITCH_WINDOWS_KEYBINDING="<Control>Tab"
fi

# Apply the options
set_gconf_option /desktop/gnome/background/picture_options
$BACKGROUND_PICTURE_OPTIONS
set_gconf_option /desktop/gnome/interface/gtk_theme $GTK_THEME
set_gconf_option /apps/metacity/general/theme $METACITY_THEME
set_gconf_option /apps/metacity/global_keybindings/switch_windows
$SWITCH_WINDOWS_KEYBINDING

unset BACKGROUND_PICTURE_OPTIONS GTK_THEME METACITY_THEME
SWITCH_WINDOWS_KEYBINDING

The script could be improved by checking for a remote X server or a VNC
server, rather than depending on $DISPLAY.

-- 

Liam