zlacker

[parent] [thread] 25 comments
1. blacks+(OP)[view] [source] 2021-12-16 22:52:14
Hmm, I find it pretty practical, cmd-tab from one app to another, cmd-backtick to toggle between windows, I mean, it's a different paradigm, sure, but you can still move around from the keyboard? I do find it a little annoying that there aren't consistent shortcuts for moving between tabs in everything that uses them, could be cntrl-tab, could be alt-arrows...
replies(4): >>gunapo+81 >>stormb+fn >>Propha+uv >>alin23+4Z
2. gunapo+81[view] [source] 2021-12-16 22:56:46
>>blacks+(OP)
I have alt-backtick mapped to my favorite terminal app in Linux, and control-backtick mapped to a new browser window. I'd be buggered if I ever switched to Mac!
replies(2): >>jacobm+32 >>dkonof+y8
◧◩
3. jacobm+32[view] [source] [discussion] 2021-12-16 23:02:26
>>gunapo+81
These keybinds are relatively common on Linux too, they're Gnome defaults.
replies(1): >>joomba+dc
◧◩
4. dkonof+y8[view] [source] [discussion] 2021-12-16 23:44:18
>>gunapo+81
Why? Cmd+tilde/backtick is neither of those...
◧◩◪
5. joomba+dc[view] [source] [discussion] 2021-12-17 00:09:58
>>jacobm+32
They're also customisable.
replies(1): >>jacobm+5C1
6. stormb+fn[view] [source] 2021-12-17 01:24:12
>>blacks+(OP)
The problem is cmd-tab brings everything up. For example, if you have a terminal window and a browser window next to each other that you're flipping between, but there's a browser window under the terminal window, cmd-tab will obscure the terminal.
replies(3): >>blacks+et >>waterh+WG >>laserl+r43
◧◩
7. blacks+et[view] [source] [discussion] 2021-12-17 02:14:21
>>stormb+fn
Ah, sure, that makes sense. I guess I tend to be running 2-3 different browsers for different kinds of tasks, Chrome for work, Firefox for personal browsing, Brave for gmail, so I don't typically end up with multiple browser windows in the same browser. If I do for some reason, I tend to minimize all but the one I have been using with cmd-m.
replies(2): >>edoceo+tI >>greggm+ju1
8. Propha+uv[view] [source] 2021-12-17 02:41:28
>>blacks+(OP)
I don't love it (yet). It's probably a combo of my Windows background, my ignorance of MacOS tricks, and actual limitations/flaws.

* Cmd+~ from a fullscreen window does nothing, and non-full windows of the app cycle only among each other. If I have fullscreen windows anywhere in my setup, it breaks my flow and (afaik) makes me mouse to the Window menu. I feel like MacOS's fullscreen paradigm is more to blame here, because it violates a range of other behaviors I'd expect.

* Unlike cmd+tab, cmd+~ doesn't give me a visual overview of my windows (how many? what order?). I can see why, since cmd+tab shows only icons and app names, which isn't enough to differentiate between windows of the same app (unlike alt+tab on Windows, which shows thumbnails, paths, page titles, etc.

* Cmd+~ also cycles in a static order, not most recently used. This feels like fallout from the second point, in that if you're not showing thumbnails it could get confusing.

The first one in particular took me a bit of time to realize; before I did, it just felt broken and made me not rely on cmd+~ at all.

replies(3): >>Somati+LA >>eyelid+G01 >>collin+611
◧◩
9. Somati+LA[view] [source] [discussion] 2021-12-17 03:35:22
>>Propha+uv
Coming to MacOS from Windows (M1 line made me switch) Rectangle provided some nice window management utility that felt more Windows-like (at least for moving windows between monitors and snapping to each side). Never really liked the multiple desktop model
replies(1): >>Propha+KL1
◧◩
10. waterh+WG[view] [source] [discussion] 2021-12-17 04:30:12
>>stormb+fn
I use a free application called Spark, which lets me bind global hotkeys to arbitrary things, and in particular those things can be "bring up the topmost window of application X while leaving the rest where they are". I have it set up so that control-shift-h brings up Terminal, control-shift-c brings up Chrome, control-shift-f brings up Finder, control-shift-n brings up Firefox, etc., and for most of those I have "Bring [to] front the main window only" set. I use the hotkeys many times a day.

https://www.shadowlab.org/softwares/spark.php

replies(1): >>laserl+533
◧◩◪
11. edoceo+tI[view] [source] [discussion] 2021-12-17 04:44:20
>>blacks+et
On my Xfce it's been Super+Tab to cycle through app windows in the current workspace for the last 15+ years.

New stuff is cool and all but Xfce has been so boring for so long I keep forgetting I've upgraded.

One time tho, the buttons on dialog windows moved to the top (GTK thing?) - yea, took like a week to get used to it.

12. alin23+4Z[view] [source] 2021-12-17 07:05:04
>>blacks+(OP)
I found Cmd-Tab to be too slow for me after coming from Windows where I used Win+number.

I had to create a new app to scratch that itch: https://lowtechguys.com/rcmd

I think the consistent shortcuts for switching between tabs are Cmd-Shift-[ and Cmd-Shift-]

It worked in all applications I used so far.

◧◩
13. eyelid+G01[view] [source] [discussion] 2021-12-17 07:22:06
>>Propha+uv
You’re totally right that fullscreen breaks cmd ~. It also breaks cmd tab in unexpected ways.

You’re also right about lack of visual feedback, which is disappointing given the various stuff that I think is still currently branded Mission Control, where obviously the fundamentals are already there.

Cmd ~ isn’t statically ordered though, it’s either application specific or based on recent use in a weird (easy to confuse) heuristic. It follows a similar (maybe identical?) pattern to recent use for cmd tab, and even app switching on iOS.

replies(1): >>Propha+bJ1
◧◩
14. collin+611[view] [source] [discussion] 2021-12-17 07:26:52
>>Propha+uv
I wasn't initially a fan either but I find that it's forced me to organize my tabs / windows by what I'm working on and I actually prefer it now.

Maybe you need some more time, maybe you need to surrender to the ~ or maybe it's not your jam and that's ok too.

replies(1): >>Propha+yN1
◧◩◪
15. greggm+ju1[view] [source] [discussion] 2021-12-17 11:32:04
>>blacks+et
I use one browser with multiple profiles. But even if I ran different browsers to solve that issue I'd have to do the same for everything else. Run 3-5 different editors instead of one editor with 3-5 windows. Run 3-5 different terminals apps instead of one Terminal app with 3-5 different windows. etc....
◧◩◪◨
16. jacobm+5C1[view] [source] [discussion] 2021-12-17 12:33:00
>>joomba+dc
Are they not customizable on macOS?
replies(1): >>joomba+UJ1
◧◩◪
17. Propha+bJ1[view] [source] [discussion] 2021-12-17 13:24:44
>>eyelid+G01
To your third point, is this a setting somewhere? I tested before I posted w/ 4 Brave windows, but they stay in the same order.

Makes sense, since cmd+~ immediately switches on key down to the next window; cmd+tab (like alt+tab in Win) lets you keep the selection open and choose an out-of-order app, which alters the MRU. How would you do that here? The only way I've affected it is creating/killing windows at points in the cycle. Using cmd+shift+~ for me just goes backward in the same static order.

replies(2): >>eyelid+mo2 >>CRConr+Ukf
◧◩◪◨⬒
18. joomba+UJ1[view] [source] [discussion] 2021-12-17 13:28:25
>>jacobm+5C1
Yes they are.
◧◩◪
19. Propha+KL1[view] [source] [discussion] 2021-12-17 13:39:13
>>Somati+LA
Same here, mostly. My laptop since 2015 has been a MBP, so I've had plenty of MacOS experience, but day to day has always been 90/10 Windows. Now that I have the M1 I'm trying to use it daily, so the little grievances are more apparent (but I also have more motivation to solve them).

I've always felt like multiple desktops (on all 3 OSes) have untapped potential, but like you its never worked for me. But hope springs eternal - I try it again every now and then. I'd like to hear more about how some people use it.

Heard good things about Rectangle. I'll check it out.

replies(1): >>gnubis+Z4b
◧◩◪
20. Propha+yN1[view] [source] [discussion] 2021-12-17 13:47:36
>>collin+611
I use all 3 OSes ~daily and have nits w/ all of them. This one's minor even as it stands, but if I can make it "click" - at least for MacOS-specific workflows - I'd love to. Each OS shines the best if I adapt to its idioms (vs. trying to make Mac feel like Win, etc.).
◧◩◪◨
21. eyelid+mo2[view] [source] [discussion] 2021-12-17 16:22:33
>>Propha+bJ1
Some kind of interaction with the window usually (again can be app specific) … reverses the order to the window where this sequence started, then may or may not continue the original order.

I’ve seen this most consistently in apps where I commonly have too many windows open, VSCode iTerm and Chrome being the worst offenders. Edit: my worst offenders, the apps don’t do anything unusual here.

◧◩◪
22. laserl+533[view] [source] [discussion] 2021-12-17 19:05:37
>>waterh+WG
I’ve done the same using BetterTouchTool [0]. It’s named very unfortunately because it is able to assign a system-wide function to any input device, even MIDI devices. It is highly customizable.

[0] https://folivora.ai/

◧◩
23. laserl+r43[view] [source] [discussion] 2021-12-17 19:10:54
>>stormb+fn
It’s unfortunate that cmd-tab behavior cannot be customized not to bring all windows in front. It makes a pain working with multiple apps. And, this behavior hasn’t been the case all along, IIRC.
◧◩◪◨
24. gnubis+Z4b[view] [source] [discussion] 2021-12-20 17:56:12
>>Propha+KL1
…you know that there are more than three operating systems, right…?
replies(1): >>Propha+4Ts
◧◩◪◨
25. CRConr+Ukf[view] [source] [discussion] 2021-12-22 00:41:46
>>Propha+bJ1
Chose another window with the mouse to change the MRU order, then test the key combos again?
◧◩◪◨⬒
26. Propha+4Ts[view] [source] [discussion] 2021-12-26 20:43:41
>>gnubis+Z4b
Sure, and I'm positive you knew which three I meant when I said it: the three that together probably comprise 4 nines of overall desktop use, and which are compared all over this thread.

UX does differ somewhat between, Linux distros & WMs (and Chrome OS, to the extent you consider it Linux proper), and between releases of all three OSes; but within families they maintain broad continuity. I use multiple variants - again daily - and my point stands that all have untapped potential.

But I doubt you supposed otherwise, nor honestly think I'm unaware of other OSes... so why take the time to ask? Pedantry? Did I slight an OS you favor?

[go to top]