Super (Win?) key and global shortcuts/hotkeys, issues

vort3 · 2026-03-27 17:50

I'm not even sure if this topic is a question, a bug report, or support request, just some annoying things thins I wanted to share and maybe get some advice if someone else solved it before.

1. Super key (technically, I think it's called Super_L, some people call it Win key) is kinda weird. By default it launches the start menu (whatever it's called, in Plasma it's called Kicker I think). It's great, I like it. However, I can't assign it as a modifier key, for example move windows with left click while holding Super key. There's a checkbox in Keyboard Shortcuts settings that allows to make it a modifier, but then it does not invoke the start menu. Is there a workaround? I think it could wait until I release the Super key and invoke the start menu on Super KEYUP event rather than Super KEYDOWN event? Is there a way to achieve this? Also, this action is bound to Alt+F1 which is a great hotkey as well, but I think in modern Plasma Alt+F1 was made to be a "special" combination, basically the window where you set hotkeys won't let you just press Super key alone (since it's a modifier, not a "standalone" key), but somehow if you set Alt+F1 there, pressing Super will trigger whatever is bound to Alt+F1 under the hood. Can this be set up in Trinity?

2. Global hotkeys simply don't work. I go to global hotkeys tab in keyboard settings and add a few typical Ctrl+Alt+Letter hotkeys, like Ctrl+Alt+T for Terminal (konsole). Pressing the hotkey doesn't do anything. How do I debug? I have no idea. I know keyboard settings can be a mess, for example sometimes things like setting Left Alt + Shift to change keyboard layout somehow break things and now a DE sees this keyboard event as "ISO_Next_Group" rather than left alt or left shift. Also making compose key to be Right Alt can break things that are bound to Alt+Letter keys. I'm not sure what exactly is the problem here, but for reference I do use left alt + shift to switch layouts (I use 2 layouts) and I do use right alt as compose key. Anyone have any idea why Alt+Ctrl+T can't launch my Terminal?

My version is Q4OS 6.6 as far as I know (where's the "About" or "Version" or "Info" in start menu so I can confirm?).

theasmitkid · 2026-03-28 14:33

For 1. especially, I've made a few tutorials,
TDE: Configure Win Key to Allow Win+<Key> Combinations

If you want more features, there's
TDE: Keyboard Binding for Window Tiling
You can create global hotkeys by adding keycommand to your .config (for example, link to default config attached)

Last edited by theasmitkid (2026-03-28 14:37)

q4osteam · 2026-03-28 15:08

vort3 wrote:

Global hotkeys simply don't work. I go to global hotkeys tab in keyboard settings and add a few typical Ctrl+Alt+Letter hotkeys, like Ctrl+Alt+T for Terminal (konsole).... Anyone have any idea why Alt+Ctrl+T can't launch my Terminal?

Please make this one as a separate topic and post the detailed way you are trying setup the shortcut. We can't find "keyboard settings" module in the Trinity control panel. Creating Ctrl+Alt+T custom shortcut to launch Konsole terminal is easy and works fine within the default Q4OS Trinity installation.

vort3 · 2026-03-28 16:46

q4osteam wrote:

Please make this one as a separate topic and post the detailed way you are trying setup the shortcut. We can't find "keyboard settings" module in the Trinity control panel.

Done. Topic here: https://www.q4os.org/forum/viewtopic.php?id=6018

q4osteam wrote:

Creating Ctrl+Alt+T custom shortcut to launch Konsole terminal is easy and works fine within the default Q4OS Trinity installation.

Please post the detailed way to create the shortcut "easy". I agree it's supposed to be easy, but what I did does not work. I am also using "default Q4OS Trinity installation", unless by "default" you mean "with user installed packages". I installed the Q4OS Trinity version from official installer and then installed a few packages I need on top. Trinity is the only installed DE. Most of the settings are the default settings.

vort3 · 2026-03-28 16:56

theasmitkid wrote:

For 1. especially, I've made a few tutorials,
TDE: Configure Win Key to Allow Win+<Key> Combinations

Thanks! I used:

xcape -e 'Super_L=Alt_L|F1'

This is the hotkey to bring launcher and sometimes I also use this, so this is what I used as my xcape option.

Now it's the time to set up some hotkeys like Super+D, Super+E etc!

Is there any specific reason I should be using Trinity autostart manager instead of adding the xcape command to my .bashrc ?

seb3773 · 2026-03-28 20:17

vort3 wrote:

Is there any specific reason I should be using Trinity autostart manager instead of adding the xcape command to my .bashrc ?

A lot.
-> Session vs shell and single instance : .bashrc runs for every interactive shell (terminal), not once at desktop login. That can start duplicate xcape instances when you open a terminal. TDE autostart ensures one instance per session; .bashrc may spawn multiple conflicting instances.

->Proper startup timing: Autostart runs after the X/desktop environment is ready; .bashrc may run before X is fully initialized (or not at all if you never open a shell !), causing commands that require X to fail...

->Management and visibility: Autostart lets you enable/disable, edit, remove the entry from a GUI and shows it as a session startup item very easily whithout editing a file.

So: best practive is using TDE autostart feature :-)

Q4OS Forum

#1 2026-03-27 17:50

Super (Win?) key and global shortcuts/hotkeys, issues

#2 2026-03-28 14:33

Re: Super (Win?) key and global shortcuts/hotkeys, issues

#3 2026-03-28 15:08

Re: Super (Win?) key and global shortcuts/hotkeys, issues

#4 2026-03-28 16:46

Re: Super (Win?) key and global shortcuts/hotkeys, issues

#5 2026-03-28 16:56

Re: Super (Win?) key and global shortcuts/hotkeys, issues

#6 2026-03-28 20:17

Re: Super (Win?) key and global shortcuts/hotkeys, issues

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