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I think these problems bother me with the native alt-tab app:

  • It feels a bit sluggish - it takes about 0.3 seconds for the alt-tab window to appear.
  • I'd like to configure Alt-Shift-Tab to go one window backwards (not sure who to do this with the native one).
  • I don't like how the only visible window is the window I'm switching too - I'd like a behavior similar to Windows' alt-tab.
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2 Answers

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Alt-Tab is controlled by your Window Manager. Gnome uses either metacity or compiz if effects are turned on. They each behave slightly differently with Alt-Tab. I don't have any delay with either WM, Alt-Tab is quite fast on my system. If your using Compiz, you try turning down effects in ccsm or try switching to Metacity. Alt-Shift-Tab also works with both WMs. I'm not completely thrilled with Metacity's behavior. When going backwards, it initially skips minimized Windows. Luckily, I rarely find a need to minimize, but it's annoying when I do. Based on your third point, it sounds like the Alt-Tab behavior of Compiz which is just like how Windows 7 ruins Alt-Tab if I hold on one Window for too long. That behavior can be configured with ccsm under Window Management -> Static Application Switcher -> Appearence -> Selected Window Highlight. Try turning Opacity to 100% and/or changing Hilight Mode. Your second issue might be a problem with Key Bindings. Key Binding for Compiz are under Window Management -> Static Application Switcher -> Bindings.

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How do I reach ccsm? (Just running ccsm isn't working. Does it mean I'm not using Compiz? How do I find out what I am using?) – ripper234 Apr 21 '11 at 10:18
Opacity solves my 3rd problem completely. 1st problem solved by setting "popup window delay" to 0. 2nd point - alt-shift-tab does work, but only if you do it from the start. If you start alt-tabbing, but after a few alt-tabs hold shift, it doesn't start going in reverse (very useful if you pass the target window by just one window) . This is still unsolved, but I'll accept your answer because it's great and solved my other issues - thanks. – ripper234 Apr 21 '11 at 13:44
Yes, not having a way to go backwards can get annoying, but I can't seem to reproduce your problem with my Compiz setup. I still suspect it's a binding problem. My binding for Alt-Tab and Shift-Alt-Tab is Next Window and Prev Window, respectively. I also have bindings for Cntrl-Alt-Tab and Cntrl-Shift-Alt-Tab which are Next Window (All Windows) and Next Window (All Windows). It sounds like you finally found ccsm. It was in a separate package on my Ubuntu computer called compizconfig-settings-manager. I've also seen the command spelled out on some systems as well. Hope you get it working! – penguin359 Apr 21 '11 at 15:59
@ripper I forgot to mention you in my reply. I did not notice any difference in behavior between the Control and non Control variation. – penguin359 Apr 21 '11 at 16:00
up vote 0 down vote

The Alt-Tab handler is not an "app" and doesn't have "replacements" as in Windows. It is part of the window manager.

In GNOME 2 with effects enabled, the WM is Compiz. You can use the ccsm tool to adjust behavior of the "Window Switcher" plugin. (There are two such plugins, by the way.)

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On the contrary, the Alt+Tab handler is an ordinary application under Unix. It can be (and usually is) the same application that does other things such as provide window frames and a task bar. – Gilles Apr 17 '11 at 15:33
@Gilles: Like I said, the window manager. – grawity Apr 17 '11 at 15:36

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