Gnome: I'm looking for a way to make a button on tray or top bar that does what alt-tab function key does

[Dario Lesca]

Some time I want switch to other windows,like alt-tab do, without press
alt-tab button but use the mouse and click on a button or function
present on top bar

I don't think there are any extensions that do this, so I'd like to try
to make one, but I don't know where to start

Someone can help me?

Many thanks

-- 
Dario Lesca
(Inviato dal mio Linux Fedora 38 Workstation)

[Tim]

On Thu, 2023-09-07 at 13:04 +0200, Dario Lesca wrote:
>  Some time I want switch to other windows,like alt-tab do, without
> press
>  alt-tab button but use the mouse and click on a button or function
>  present on top bar
>  
>  I don't think there are any extensions that do this, so I'd like to try
>  to make one, but I don't know where to start 
On old Gnome, and Mate, there's a "window list" app that can be added
to a panel (the top and bottom bars).  Right-click in the top or bottom
bar, and look through the "add to panel" choices it gives you.
 
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[Samuel Sieb]

On 2023-09-07 05:16, Tim via users wrote:
>  On Thu, 2023-09-07 at 13:04 +0200, Dario Lesca wrote:
> > Some time I want switch to other windows,like alt-tab do, without press
> > alt-tab button but use the mouse and click on a button or function
> > present on top bar
> >
> > I don't think there are any extensions that do this, so I'd like to try
> > to make one, but I don't know where to start
>  
>  On old Gnome, and Mate, there's a "window list" app that can be added
>  to a panel (the top and bottom bars).  Right-click in the top or bottom
>  bar, and look through the "add to panel" choices it gives you. 
That's not how Gnome works now.

Install the Gnome extensions app and enable the window list extension. 
The extension appears to be installed by default, but isn't enabled.

[Dario Lesca]

Il giorno gio, 07/09/2023 alle 21.46 +0930, Tim via users ha scritto:
>  On old Gnome, and Mate, 
Thank Tim, but I use new Gnome and no Mate.

I'm looking for a little script in python or something run via line
command or put into a extension that call a Gnome function to switch
windows like alt tab do.

Some extensions programmers can help me?

Many thanks

Dario

[Tim]

On Thu, 2023-09-07 at 18:09 +0200, Dario Lesca wrote:
>  I'm looking for a little script in python or something run via
> line
>  command or put into a extension that call a Gnome function to switch
>  windows like alt tab do. 
Follow Samuel's info, there's a new way to get to having a "window
list," and it does what you originally asked about (giving you a series
of buttons to click on to go straight to a particular window).
 
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[Dario Lesca]

Il giorno ven, 08/09/2023 alle 23.14 +0930, Tim via users ha scritto:
>  Follow Samuel's info, there's a new way to get to having a
> "window
>  list," and it does what you originally asked about (giving you a
>  series
>  of buttons to click on to go straight to a particular window). 
I know gnome shell extension "gnome-shell-extension-window-list", I
have remove it.

I use "gnome-shell-extension-frippery-bottom-panel" instead

But this is not what I looking for.

I'm looking for an extension (which as far as I know doesn't exist yet)
with a top bar icon that allow me to do what alt-tab do with one click
or multiple clicks on it.

I'm trying to build it myself using xdotool, (I do not know do a key
event with GJS) but I don't know how to program in GJS and I'm
struggling. If anyone could help me I would be grateful.

Thanks

Dario

[Samuel Sieb]

On 2023-09-08 08:58, Dario Lesca wrote:
>  I'm looking for an extension (which as far as I know doesn't
> exist yet)
>  with a top bar icon that allow me to do what alt-tab do with one click
>  or multiple clicks on it. 
You want a single button that will do the action of alt-tab?  What is 
the purpose?  And do you realize that doing alt-tab multiple times will 
only switch repeatedly between two windows?

[Dario Lesca]

Il giorno ven, 08/09/2023 alle 10.32 -0700, Samuel Sieb ha scritto:
>  You want a single button that will do the action of alt-tab?  
yes

>  What is the purpose? 
See below

>  And do you realize that doing alt-tab multiple times
>  will only switch repeatedly between two windows? 
yes, but the extension would be more smart, and for example, using left
and right mouse button you can swap more time forward or backward from
open windows

when I have my right hand on the mouse, and I bring up a window in the
foreground or open a new windows, then to return to the previous one
windows I should use my left hand and press alt-tab.
If I had a button on the top bar I would only have to press that to
return to the previous window, and press it more time to swap from two
windows

the extension should simulate the use of alt-tab, so pressing the
button once swaps current window with previous, two quick clicks or
more, swaps two or more windows.

I believe that a function like this could be useful and simple to
build, but I'm not a programmer and I struggle to implement it.
So I used argos + xdotool and it works.

Thanks Dario

[Tim]

On Fri, 2023-09-08 at 17:58 +0200, Dario Lesca wrote:
>  I'm looking for an extension (which as far as I know doesn't
> exist yet)
>  with a top bar icon that allow me to do what alt-tab do with one click
>  or multiple clicks on it. 
Or mouse wheel?  If you hover the mouse anywhere over the window list
and scroll the mouse wheel you can whiz between the windows.

But if you want the alt-tab behaviour that I see on Mate (which isn't
just between two windows out of how ever many you have open), what
about something that does a keyboard macro from the mouse?
 
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[Dario Lesca]

Il giorno sab, 09/09/2023 alle 07.49 +0930, Tim via users ha scritto:
>  Or mouse wheel?  If you hover the mouse anywhere over the window
> list
>  and scroll the mouse wheel you can whiz between the windows. 
Also mouse wheel is good for a new extension.
But now none that I know do that.
>  
>  But if you want the alt-tab behaviour that I see on Mate (which isn't
>  just between two windows out of how ever many you have open), what
>  about something that does a keyboard macro from the mouse? 
This is what xdotool do.

Probably this need is only mine.

Thanks

Dario

[Dario Lesca]

I have fount this shell solution:
https://linuxhint.com/xdotool_stimulate_mouse_clicks_and_keystrokes/

Run this line command for one tab:
   xdotool keydown alt key Tab sleep 0.1 keyup alt
   
and this for two tabs:
   xdotool keydown alt key Tab sleep 0.1 key Tab sleep 0.1 keyup alt
   
I have put it into a argos extension function, es.:
   echo "Alt tab|iconName=object-flip-horizontal terminal=false bash='xdotool
keydown alt key Tab sleep 0.1 keyup alt'"
https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/1176/argos/

Now I can switch from windows using only mouse.

While waiting for a better solution, this work for me.

Thanks
Dario

Il giorno gio, 07/09/2023 alle 21.46 +0930, Tim via users ha scritto:
> On Thu, 2023-09-07 at 13:04 +0200, Dario Lesca wrote:
> > Some time I want switch to other windows,like alt-tab do, without
> > press
> > alt-tab button but use the mouse and click on a button or function
> > present on top bar
> > 
> > I don't think there are any extensions that do this, so I'd like to
> > try
> > to make one, but I don't know where to start
> 
> On old Gnome, and Mate, there's a "window list" app that can be added
> to a panel (the top and bottom bars).  Right-click in the top or
> bottom
> bar, and look through the "add to panel" choices it gives you.
>  
> -- 
>  
> uname -rsvp
> Linux 3.10.0-1160.95.1.el7.x86_64 #1 SMP Mon Jul 24 13:59:37 UTC 2023
> x86_64
>  
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> list.
>  
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[Jonathan Billings]

On Sep 7, 2023, at 13:19, Dario Lesca <d.lesca(a)solinos.it&gt; wrote:
>  
>  Run this line command for one tab:
>    xdotool keydown alt key Tab sleep 0.1 keyup alt
>  
>  and this for two tabs:
>    xdotool keydown alt key Tab sleep 0.1 key Tab sleep 0.1 keyup alt 
xdotool only works if you’re using X11, and doesn’t work with Wayland.

-- 
Jonathan Billings

[Dario Lesca]

Il giorno gio, 07/09/2023 alle 21.14 -0400, Jonathan Billings ha
scritto:
>  xdotool only works if you’re using X11, and doesn’t work with
>  Wayland. 
I know.

I never use Wayland, there are no benefits to using it

X11/Xorg is ok for me.

Thanks

Dario

[Jonathan Billings]

On Sep 8, 2023, at 11:41, Dario Lesca <d.lesca(a)solinos.it&gt; wrote:
>  
>  I never use Wayland, there are no benefits to using it 
Other than security, better features like fractional scaling, and the simple matter that
X11 is on its way out…

>  X11/Xorg is ok for me. 
That’s fine, but yours isn’t a general solution because Fedora defaults to using Wayland.



--
Jonathan Billings

[Joe Zeff]

On 09/08/2023 03:59 PM, Jonathan Billings wrote:
>  That’s fine, but yours isn’t a general solution because Fedora
> defaults to using Wayland. 
Even if you're using a DE that isn't yet Wayland compatible, such as 
Xfce?  If so, I'll be looking for a distro that isn't going to force me 
to abandon my preferred DE.

[Dario Lesca]

Il giorno ven, 08/09/2023 alle 17.59 -0400, Jonathan Billings ha
scritto:
>  Other than security, better features like fractional scaling, and
> the
>  simple matter that X11 is on its way out… 
When X11 will way out Wayland will be completed and will do everything
that X11 now does.

>  > X11/Xorg is ok for me.
>  
>  That’s fine, but yours isn’t a general solution because Fedora
>  defaults to using Wayland.  
Yes, but it gives the possibility to use X11 out of the box

When Fedora will take away X11 before Wayland is completed and will
remove the fourth and fifth lines of /etc/gdm/custom.conf the time has
come to change distro.

Thank 
Dario

[Jon LaBadie]

I use Compiz (with Mate) so that I can assign actions to mouse buttons.

Primarily left/right wheel tilt to switch workspaces but also extra 
buttons like #'s 8/9/10 to do things like window move and window resize.

Jon


On Thu, Sep 07, 2023 at 01:04:58PM +0200, Dario Lesca wrote:
> Some time I want switch to other windows,like alt-tab do, without
> press
> alt-tab button but use the mouse and click on a button or function
> present on top bar
>
> I don't think there are any extensions that do this, so I'd like to try
> to make one, but I don't know where to start
>
> Someone can help me?
>
> Many thanks
>  
-- 
Jon H. LaBadie                  jonfu(a)jgcomp.com