Hi,

I'm a recent convert to Linux from Mac OS X, and hence I'm used to the app-centric alt-tab switcher (as per Macs). That is, when you press alt-tab, you switch between applications that are open, rather than all windows. I can achieve this behaviour in KDE using System Settings > Task Switcher > Main > List windows > Current Desktop Grouped by Applications.

Unfortunately, I cannot find a way to then switch windows of the current application. In Mac OS X, I can press alt-` to do this. This is also the default behaviour in Unity. I was wondering if there were a way to switch windows of the current application only in KDE?

Cheers.

Bump?

Alt+` works for me as you describe: it switches between the windows of only a single application. (I'm using KDE 4.9 on Arch Linux.) Could you try again to confirm whether this behavior does not work for you? Which version of KDE in which Linux distro are you using?

Thank you for the response.

However, Alt-` doesn't work out of the box for me. I'm using KDE 4.8.2 via kubuntu. If it's relevant, it's running on a Macbook Pro.

Even if it does work out of the box for you, I would have thought the keyboard shortcut, etc. would have been configurable from somewhere, but I can't find this anywhere! I rechecked System Settings > Window Behaviour >Task Switcher, where I expected it to be, but found nothing.

Thanks again.

I also tried to look at System Settings > Shortcuts and Gestures > Global Keyboard Shortcuts > KDE component = KWin. There are a few shortcuts named "Walk Though..." (e.g. Walk Through Windows), but none seem to walk through windows of the current application.

The "Walk Through Windows of Current Application" is where I find the Alt+` defined. Does your system have this shortcut set up?

If you create a new user account, does the shortcut it work there? If not, it might be something to file a bug report about (or see if other Kubuntu users can reproduce the issue).

Hopefully you'll be able to get it working. I've haven't played with shortcuts since KDE 3.x, and if I've ever used Alt+` before today, it was by accident. I can definitely see the utility in being able to switch between windows of a single application. Good luck!

Do you see that in System Settings > Shortcuts and Gestures > Global Keyboard Shortcuts > KDE component = KWin?
If so, it's quite odd then. I don't see that option there at all (see screenshot here).

The specific shortcut was introduced with 4.9 but you should be able to mimic this "abusing" the alternate tabbox to only step through windows of the current application.
Detail of behavior selection for tabboxes was vastly extended in general for 4.9

Could you please detail how to "abuse" the other tabbox? I'm not sure that I understand. Are you talking about System Settings > Window Behaviour >Task Switcher > Alternative? If so, on my version there is no relevant option, only "Current Desktop" or "All Desktops", with the additional option for both to have it "Grouped By Application".

Thanks for the advice though. If this doesn't pan out I might just wait for 4.9.

Cheers.

No sorry - i fear this feature was really added first with 4.9
It was only available with the Present Windows effect in 4.8

EDIT: Sorry, clicked on “Reply” before reading all answers.

sparhawk wrote:However, Alt-` doesn't work out of the box for me. I'm using KDE 4.8.2 via kubuntu. If it's relevant, it's running on a Macbook Pro.

Even if it does work out of the box for you, I would have thought the keyboard shortcut, etc. would have been configurable from somewhere, but I can't find this anywhere! I rechecked System Settings > Window Behaviour >Task Switcher, where I expected it to be, but found nothing.

I don't know about 4.8 but under 4.9 it's exactly there.
In 4.9 it's in the left column, then there are two groups: Visualization and Shortcuts. Under Shortscuts you have “All windows” and “Current application” – the latter is what you are looking for.

However, there is also another way. Open System Settings, then in the top group open “Shortcuts and Gestures”, then go to Global Shortcuts and select “KDE component: KWin”.

Thank you for your answers everyone! It's very much appreciated. I'll try and install 4.9 from the ubuntu backports.

Cheers.