Useful commands or shortcuts for GNOME's Alt+F2 dialog (Run Application)

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1

When, while holding the Alt key, we press the F2 key the “Run Application” dialog of GNOME appears.

There we can type the name of an application and then press the Enter or Return key (or click on the Run button) so the desired application opens. For example if we enter gedit the gedit text editor opens.

We can also type the address of a folder so Nautilus opens in that place. For example if we enter /tmp Nautilus opens in this directory.

This dialog helps us entering the data. For example if we type gca automatically gcalctool is offered.

This dialog can run any of the many applications inside /usr/bin .

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Here is a list of the ones I use more often:

gedit: gedit (text editor)

gnome-control-center : GNOME Control Center (control panel)

gnome-terminal : GNOME Terminal (terminal emulator)

xset dpms force off : switches the screen off (useful for laptops)

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Other ones:

eog : Eye of GNOME (image viewer) (not necessary because it opens when we click on an image showing that image -if it’s the default application for the image format-)

file-roller : File Roller (archive manager) (not necessary because it opens when we click on a compressed file we want to decompress; and there is a Compress… entry on the menu when we right click after having selected one or more files we want to compress)

gcalctool : gcalctool (calculator)

gconf-editor : Configuration Editor (user preferences and system configuration data editor for the GNOME Desktop and many applications)

gnome-search-tool : Search for Files (file searcher)

gnome-session-save --logout-dialog : “Log Out of the Session” dialog (to finish or close the session; or to switch or change the user)

gnome-session-save --shutdown-dialog : “Shut Down the Computer” dialog (to turn the computer off, reboot it, suspend it or hibernate it)

totem : Totem (movie player; also plays audios)

xcalc: xcalc (calculator)

xterm: xterm (terminal emulator) (gnome-terminal’s scroll is easier to manage)

2

Thanks for taking the time to put these together. The Alt-F2 also works in KDE and so do the apps you list if loaded and/or when you also have Gnome and KDE Installed at the same time. For instance, I can press Alt-F2 in KDE and enter Totem, since I have it loaded and it will start, just as you suggest in Gnome.

Thank You,

3

Thanks for putting this together. As jdmcdaniel3 said Alt+F2 works in KDE as well

4

Not at all & thanks to you.

Another advantage of gnome-terminal vs xterm is that the first one allows to copy and paste.

I’ve just posted a new thread related to this one: Comparison of openSUSE applications: KDE vs GNOME vs Xfce vs LXDE (run dialog, Alt + F2, commands)

5

On 2011-01-05 22:36, j6w2 wrote:
>
> Not at all & thanks to you.
>
> Another advantage of gnome-terminal vs xterm is that the first one
> allows to copy and paste.

I copy and paste every day on xterms, under gnome.

–
Cheers / Saludos,

Carlos E. R.
(from 11.2 x86_64 “Emerald” at Telcontar)

6

Thanks for reminding me it (copy & paste possibility with xterm). I think I new it some time ago but I had forgotten it because lately I use normally gnome-terminal.

I’ve been practicing and found some problems (I think I used to find them also in the past), and solved some of them. In these pages they explain the problems and give solutions:
Reconciling xterm and firefox clipboards
xterm hacks

By default gnome-terminal is better integrated with firefox, gedit, …, at least in copy&pasting. So probably because of this (and the easier scroll managing) I haven’t used much xterm lately.

7

On 2011-01-06 17:06, j6w2 wrote:
> By default gnome-terminal is better integrated with firefox, gedit,
> …, at least in copy&pasting. So probably because of this (and the
> easier scroll managing) I haven’t used much xterm lately.

The difference in copy/paste with xterm is that it is a different paste
buffer than the gnome apps share. Xterm is not binded to any desktop.

–
Cheers / Saludos,

Carlos E. R.
(from 11.2 x86_64 “Emerald” at Telcontar)

8

I’ve just learned that there is a hidden menu in xterm with an option that allows to copy to the clipboard selection buffer instead to the primary one. The menu appears by holding the Ctrl key and then clicking on the middle button of the mouse (or, if just 2 buttoned, left and right at the same time) (the left and the right buttons open 2 other menus).

gedit uses only the clipboard buffer but firefox uses both of them.

9

Thanks j6w2 I didn’t know about the xterm menu :slight_smile:

10

On 2011-01-15 20:06, j6w2 wrote:
>
> I’ve just learned that there is a hidden menu in xterm with an option
> that allows to copy to the clipboard selection buffer instead to the
> primary one. The menu appears by holding the Ctrl key and then clicking
> on the middle button of the mouse

It is a documented menu. One of the three menus.

–
Cheers / Saludos,

Carlos E. R.
(from 11.2 x86_64 “Emerald” at Telcontar)

11

2 more commands:
gucharmap or gnome-character-map : GNOME Character Map
setxkbmap xx : change the keyboard layout (xx may be it or gb or es or fr …)