[Minor suggestion] Ask during setup to set up common Windows/Super-key shortcuts

Feedback Feature Request
1

Users who use Linux and Windows on a regular basis (I use mostly Windows at work, but only Linux at home) probably would like some sort of common ground when it comes to keyboard shortcuts. In the Windows world, there are some often used shortcuts using the “Windows” key (also reffered to as “Super” in Linux) in particular, for example:

  • Win+R = Run application
  • Win+L = Lock screen
  • Win+E = Open file manager
  • Win+P = Show display projection menu
  • Win+D = Show desktop (minimize all open windows)

It’s simple to add shortcuts like this yourself, for example in XFCE I have added:

  • Win+R = xfce4-appfinder --collapsed
  • Win+L = xflock4
  • Win+E = exo-open --launch FileManager
  • Win+P = xfce4-display-settings --minimal
  • Win+D = Window Manager settings - Keyboard: Show Desktop

So the suggestion is to ask the user (e.g. during setup), if those common shortcuts should be added automatically. I think it would provide extra value for users familiar with Windows shortcuts, if they didn’t have to add those themselves (and new users might not be able to do this themselves). Most, if not all, keyboards have the Super/Windows key anyway, and Linux users often configure it for window manager hotkeys anyway. So it would be a nice default to set them to something familiar (after asking).

Unrelated suggestion: when you want to run executables/scripts via XFCE Run and enter a full path starting with a “/”, XFCE will open a file manager instead. This is unintuitive. The user can change this behavior by opening the application launcher settings and remove the default command of “/” opening a file manager. Then, it works as expected. This should maybe be a default setting. Optimal solution would be: if the entered full path is a directory, open file manager. If it’s an executable, run it.

2

no, just no.
i left windows many years ago, don’t need there shortcuts.

like you say, you can do what you want, your choice.
i don’t want those extra steps.

3

First you have to convince Calamares developers to implement such option/options, then agree on the defaults … Each DE has their particular ways to store that information …

No binary or executable scripts should be run automatically if they are outside of the standard usr/bin or ~/.local/bin/ …

4

Yes, for relative paths, where $PATH comes into play. But this was about absolute paths (starting with a “/”). These work regardless of $PATH setting, if the file is executable. Except in the default XFCE run window, because for some reason it interprets everything starting with a “/” to be opened as a directory with file manager. :wink: Maybe it’s like a weird “security” feature. But it’s inconsistent with shell behavior.

Anyway, it’s just a minor suggestion.

5