Change Run Command Keybinding to Match Gnome-Do (KDE Converts)
I’ve been spending some time recently in KDE 4.4.x. It seems with each new release it gets more and more polished, and I want to thank the dev team for their hard work. Some of the oddities that I find in KDE though, I think, are based on my familiarity to GNOME. This post outlines how to change the Run Command Keybinding (ALT-F2) to match that of GNOME-Do (Super-Space). This gives you basically what GNOME-Do does (granted not quite the same, but good enough for quick-launching apps), without installing GNOME-Do and its dependencies.
System Settings – Global Keyboard Shortcuts
- To quickly get to the System Settings and the Global Keyboard Shortcuts configuration, use the Run Command interface by pressing ALT-F2 and enter “Global Keyboard Shortcuts”.
- In the drop-down menu labeled “KDE Component”, select “Run Command Interface”.
- Select “Run Command” in the Action (left) column.
- Click the “Custom” box.
- Click the input box to the right of “Custom” and press the key combination “Super-Space” (Super is the Windows Key).
- Click Apply.
General Usage
I admit that the Run Command interface doesn’t give all of the same options as GNOME-Do, but it does do quite a bit. You can, of course, quickly launch applications. You can switch between applications (type the name of a currently running app, and select it. It’ll switch focus, or switch to the desktop running that app). Do you have any suggestions on how to use the Run Command interface for more efficient desktop usage?
Conclusion
If you’re trying out KDE and want your transition to be a little smoother, try changing some of the little things to make you feel more at home. Changing this keybinding, for those used to GNOME-Do, is just one small step along the way.