lxde-keyboard shortcuts

**rkonrad** · 22-Aug-2011, 22:21

I am very happy using low resource lxde. However, I miss the keyboard shortcut options under kde. For instance, I would like to open various software (Chromium, Gimp, etc) with a simple F2, F3 etc. I am assuming I will need to load a start-up application/script to do this. Are there any recommendations?

Thanks for your help

Richard

**please_try_again** · 23-Aug-2011, 00:04

LXDE is not a window manager on its own. It uses the keyboard shortcuts of the window manager it is associated with. It could be compiz, metacity, kwin, whichever you start - but by default, it will be openbox. I don't know a GUI tool to define keyboard shortcuts for openbox - it doesn't mean that there isn't any - but it is not difficult to write keyboard shortcuts manually. They are saved in the file ~/.config/openbox/rc.xml that you can edit with a text editor (I guess leafpad is installed with LXDE). I recommend making a backup of this file before changing it.

Code:

cd ~/.config/openbox
cp rc.xml{,.org}
leafpad rc.xml

Of course you can use any plain text editor you like.

As the name indicates, this is a xml file. You'll find a section starting with

Code:

<keyboard>

amd ending with

Code:

</keyboard>

Inside this section, you can define <keybind> entries to start applications.

Some examples:

Code:

<!-- Keybindings for running applications -->
<! -- start sylpheed, an email program, with the EMail special key (most keyboards have this key) -->
  <keybind key="XF86Mail">
    <action name="Execute">
      <startupnotify>
        <enabled>true</enabled>
        <name>Mail</name>
      </startupnotify>
      <command>sylpheed</command>
    </action>
  </keybind>


<! -- start firefox, with the home special key (most keyboards have this key) -->
  <keybind key="XF86HomePage">
    <action name="Execute">
      <startupnotify>
        <enabled>true</enabled>
        <name>Homepage</name>
      </startupnotify>
      <command>firefox</command>
    </action>
  </keybind>

<! -- start chromium, with the search special key (most keyboards have this key) -->
  <keybind key="XF86Search">
    <action name="Execute">
      <startupnotify>
        <enabled>true</enabled>
        <name>Search</name>
      </startupnotify>
      <command>chromium</command>
    </action>
  </keybind>


<! -- start firefox with CTRL-ALT-F -->
  <keybind key="C-M-f">
    <action name="Execute">
      <startupnotify>
        <enabled>true</enabled>
        <name>Firefox</name>
      </startupnotify>
      <command>firefox</command>
    </action>
  </keybind>


<! -- start chromium with CTRL-ALT-C -->
 <keybind key="C-M-c">
    <action name="Execute">
      <startupnotify>
        <enabled>true</enabled>
        <name>chromium</name>
      </startupnotify>
      <command>chromium</command>
    </action>
  </keybind>



<! -- start LXDE terminal whith ALT-F12 -->
 <keybind key="A-F12">
    <action name="Execute">
      <startupnotify>
        <enabled>true</enabled>
        <name>LXTerminal</name>
      </startupnotify>
      <command>lxterminal --geometry=152x60</command>
    </action>
  </keybind>



<! -- raise,lower,mute sound volume with amixer -->
  <keybind key="XF86AudioRaiseVolume">
    <action name="Execute">
      <startupnotify>
        <enabled>true</enabled>
        <name>AudioRaiseVolume</name>
      </startupnotify>
      <command>amixer set Master 10%+ -q</command>
    </action>
  </keybind>

  <keybind key="XF86AudioLowerVolume">
    <action name="Execute">
      <startupnotify>
        <enabled>true</enabled>
        <name>AudioLowerVolume</name>
      </startupnotify>
      <command>amixer set Master 10%- -q</command>
    </action>
  </keybind>

  <keybind key="XF86AudioMute">
    <action name="Execute">
      <startupnotify>
        <enabled>true</enabled>
        <name>AudioMute</name>
      </startupnotify>
      <command>amixer set Master toggle -q</command>
    </action>
  </keybind>

You don't need the comments in grey. The shortcuts will be available at next login.

**please_try_again** · 23-Aug-2011, 00:25

Originally Posted by please_try_again

They are saved in the file ~/.config/openbox/rc.xml .

Actually I guess it is ~/.config/openbox/lxde-rc.xml. If could be symlinked to ~/.config/openbox/rc.xml to use the same keyboard shortcuts under LXDE and on 'naked' openbox.

**djh-novell** · 23-Aug-2011, 03:33

rkonrad wrote:
> I am very happy using low resource lxde. However, I miss the keyboard
> shortcut options under kde. For instance, I would like to open various
> software (Chromium, Gimp, etc) with a simple F2, F3 etc. I am assuming
> I will need to load a start-up application/script to do this. Are there
> any recommendations?

http://stray-notes.blogspot.com/2011...shortcuts.html

**JoergJaeger** · 23-Aug-2011, 13:10

On 08/22/2011 10:26 PM, rkonrad wrote:
>
> I am very happy using low resource lxde. However, I miss the keyboard
> shortcut options under kde. For instance, I would like to open various
> software (Chromium, Gimp, etc) with a simple F2, F3 etc. I am assuming
> I will need to load a start-up application/script to do this. Are there
> any recommendations?
>
> Thanks for your help
>
> Richard
>
>

Have a look at here.
http://wiki.lxde.org/en/LXDE:Questio...uttons_work.3F

--
Euer Komputerfriek Joerg
using LXDE on 11.4 x64 and happy with a cup of real hot coffee....
http://mzl.la/o4n9Yw

**rkonrad** · 24-Aug-2011, 19:58

Thanks everyone! That was so helpful. I've used many linux distributions and in comparison, the support here is second to none!

Richard

**rkonrad** · 24-Aug-2011, 23:01

Well...just one more query. All seems to work but I can't get the control key to work. In keybindings, is ctrl the correct term? ctrl-F2 as an example doesn't work whereas alt-F2 does. Also, what would be the correct term for the space bar. "space' and "spacebar" don't seem to work.

Cheers

Richard