If you are one of the many people using the popular Xfce 4 desktop environment you are no doubt missing out on some of the great efficiency features provided. Here is a list of keyboard shortcuts that will help you with day-to-day tasks, along with many other helpful tips.
Keyboard Shortcut Settings
Remember Xfce also provides a convenient graphical user interface allowing users to customize all of their own useful keyboard shortcuts for many common tasks.
Window Manager Settings
To find your keyboard shortcut settings you will have to open the Xfce4-settings manager and look for the window manager settings option. From the window manager settings dialog just select the keyboard tab.
With the Xfce 4 window manager or Xfwm 4 the user has full control over window focus settings. Window focus works similarly with most modern window managers. This means that you will have to give focus to a window before sending mouse or keyboard input to that window. When a window becomes focused it will have its decorations highlighted. Windows that are focused will also appear raised above other windows.
Focus Switching
You can switch the focus between open windows simply by clicking on the one you want. You can also use the keyboard to switch window focus, just use the shortcut listed below.
Atl + Tab
You can also move your open windows to different locations on the Xfce 4 desktop. To do this you can drag any Xfce 4 window title bar.
Moving Window Between Workspaces
Move a window to a different workspace by dragging the title bar through the screen edge, the window will then appear on the next workspace. You can also move Xfce 4 windows to different workspaces by selecting the send to button in the window menu.
Alt + F4
You can even resize many of your open windows. Just click the window border or the corner of the window and drag it to the size you want.
Like other window managers users can also maximize or unmaximize windows at any time. This will make the window expand to use the entire display space. Here are some shortcuts to help you maximize windows, use the same shortcut again to unmaximize them.
Maximizing Windows
To maximize Xfce 4 windows users can select the maximize button from the window title bar or the window menu. You can also use the following shortcut.
Alt + F5
Vertical Maximize
You can also expand windows vertically with the next shortcut.
Alt + F6
Horizontal Maximize
Use the next shortcut to maximize your windows horizontally.
Alt + F7
Fullscreen Windows
You can also use fullscreen mode for many of your windows, this removes the window borders completely making the window contentsencompass the entire workspace. Use the next shortcut to make windows fullscreen.
Alt + F11
Keep Above
The next shortcut will let you keep the highlighted window above fullscreen windows.
Alt + F12
You can even hide windows that are not currently in use. You can do this by clicking on the hide button inside the window title bar, or from the window menu. The following keyboard shortcut is also available.
Alt + F8
Xfce 4 also supports window shading, use this to shrink a window into its title bar. You can look for the shade option in the window menu bar, or use your mouse wheel on the title bar. The following shortcuts will also work.
Alt + F9
Users can also stick windows so they will appear on all Xfce 4 workspaces. Just select the stick window option from the window menu, or use the following shortcut.
Alt + F10
Cycle Windows
You can easily cycle between your open windows with the next shortcuts.
Alt + Tab
Or cycle backwards through your windows with this shortcut.
Alt + Shift + Tab
Cycle Single Application
Use the next shortcut to cycle between open windows for the currently highlighted application. This only works when you have more than one window open for the same application, such as file browsers.
Meta + Tab
Here are a few of the other helpful shortcuts available for the Xfce 4 desktop.
Window Menu
You can also open a window menu containing several helpful window actions. Access this menu with the shortcuts below.
Alt + Space Bar
Window Scrolling
The standard keyboard shortcuts for window scrolling are still available.
Up, Down, Left, Right
Cancel
You can cancel many actions and operations with the next shortcut.
Escape
| Posted in Desktop
