54

In ubuntu 11.04 there was a workaround using gconf-editor and setting key /apps/gnome_settings_daemon/plugins/xrandr/active to false.

However there is no such key in gconf-manager using ubuntu 11.10 (gnome 3).

2
  • 1
    For context, here is the workaround user28503 alluded to.
    – jpaugh
    Jan 11, 2018 at 17:40
  • The accepted answer of @james-henstridge given on 2011 suggesting the use of the dconf-tools, does not work since (at least) Ubuntu-20 (2020)- The reply from @Slim suggesting to use gsettings set org.gnome.mutter.keybindings switch-monitor "[]" works fine.
    – ankostis
    Jan 24 at 17:10

6 Answers 6

62

On Ubuntu 18.04, I found two different keybindings for SUPER+P, which can be disabled with dconf-editor.

First, you need to install dconf-editor, if it's not already installed. This can be done in the terminal with the following command:

sudo apt install dconf-editor

Then you can launch it from the terminal:

dconf-editor

Within dconf-editor:

  • Navigate to: /org/gnome/mutter/keybindings/switch-monitor
  • If the "Custom value" field contains ['<Super>p', 'XF86Display'], then:
    • Disable "Use default value"
    • In the "Custom value" field, type the following: []
  • Navigate to: /org/gnome/settings-daemon/plugins/media-keys/video-out
  • If the "Custom value" field contains '<Super>p', then:
    • Disable "Use default value"
    • In the "Custom value" field, delete everything.
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  • 1
    This is just the same as the other answer.s
    – fosslinux
    May 22, 2018 at 2:26
  • 10
    I don't agree. You have edited out an important info : the fact that my answer is specific to Ubuntu 18.04. Also, the accepted answer is irrelevant to 18.04, and none of the other answers fully fixes the issue with 18.04.
    – David
    May 22, 2018 at 14:36
  • This worked on Bionic. Very annoying that there are two different settings for the same shrotcut. The mutter one worked for me
    – chaz
    Oct 12, 2018 at 0:09
  • Thank you so much, this actually worked for me. At first i only had the media-keys/video-out disabled and it still was happening. I couldn't stand it. when I hit the combo accidentally (it's too close to my alt+p bind i use for paste mode in vim) it completely borks my multi monitor setup, requiring painful resetting.
    – Steven Lu
    Feb 12, 2021 at 22:16
  • 3
    This works on 20.04 as well. Dec 2, 2021 at 3:47
20

The new version of gnome-settings-daemon stores its configuration information in dconf rather than gconf.

To do the equivalent of what you were doing on 11.04, try the following:

  1. Install the dconf-tools package, and then run dconf-editor.
  2. In the tree on the left, navigate org -> gnome -> settings-daemon -> plugins -> xrandr.
  3. Uncheck the active checkbox.
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  • 1
    I've fixed up the answer now. Would you mind marking it as accepted if it solved your problem? Oct 19, 2011 at 1:23
  • 2
    The way to do this from the command line is: dconf write /org/gnome/settings-daemon/plugins/xrandr/active false
    – aculich
    Nov 7, 2012 at 2:26
  • 1
    I found that w/ Ubuntu 13.04 it's also necessary to do dconf write /org/gnome/settings-daemon/plugins/media-keys/active false
    – Mark
    Aug 20, 2013 at 20:46
  • 4
    @elgalu: doing this will disable all media keys - including volume up, down, screenshots, etc. Certainly not what the OP wanted.
    – Gui Ambros
    Jun 28, 2014 at 21:28
  • 1
    Yes @GuiAmbros it sucks, i still have no solution for this issue on Ubuntu 14.04 Jul 1, 2014 at 16:56
19

Here's how to disable it with gsettings from your terminal

gsettings set org.gnome.mutter.keybindings switch-monitor "[]"

If you want to restore the shortcut

gsettings set org.gnome.mutter.keybindings switch-monitor "['<Super>p']"
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  • 1
    I come from a mac environment where Command + P opens vscode search panel. And in ubuntu I got frustrated cause everything it would change displays. This works for me on Ubuntu 20.04. Apr 2, 2021 at 9:57
  • 2
    This is the answer for Ubuntu 20 Jul 23, 2021 at 18:36
9

In order to disable global <Super>p keybindings, and NOT any other media keys (tested in Ubuntu 15.04) I had to 'emtpy' the following dconf keys. I ran (in a terminal):

dconf write /org/gnome/settings-daemon/plugins/media-keys/video-out ''
dconf write /org/gnome/settings-daemon/plugins/media-keys/screenshot ''

Before, I searched with the next bash commands for values that contained '<Super>p':

b="/org/gnome/settings-daemon/plugins/media-keys/"
for i in `dconf list $b | sort`; do echo -n "$i: "; dconf read $b$i; done

To search all dconf keys, use the command:

dconf dump / | grep '<Super>p'

If you want to avoid the terminal, run the program dconf-editor and search for the key(s) there...

Edit:

After some upgrades and restarts, I had the keybinding not working any more. I found, that there is/was a bug in gnome-settings-daemon that defines <Super>p. A hack is described here.

In the startup process, /usr/bin/xbindkeys_autostart is executed on login. This script searches for the file in $HOME/.xbindkeysrc and loads the settings.

Since I wanted to map gnome-screenshot -c to <Super>p, I created the this file with the following content (and unmapped the settings in ubuntu/compiz):

# Content of $HOME/.xbindkeysrc
"gnome-screenshot -c"
mod4 + p
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  • 3
    Lovely! you finally solved my Super+P nightmare Feb 13, 2015 at 21:16
  • @LeoGallucci, if you have problems after restarts/updates, try the .xbindkeysrc modification (see the edit of my answer).
    – setempler
    Feb 14, 2015 at 13:28
  • The linked solution was exactly what I needed. Thanks!
    – legoscia
    Feb 11, 2016 at 16:45
7

This is still an issue as of Ubuntu 12.10 released October 18, 2012. A bug fix for this seemed to be in the works so that at least there is an easier way to re-configure the key bindings, but it has since been marked invalid because this was supposedly fixed in gnome-settings-daemon.

Ultimately this problem is supposedly due to some hardware vendors hard-coding video out to Super-P.

There have been updated conversations on the bug tracker since the currently-accepted answer that suggest not turning off xrandr, but instead turning off media-keys:

Try the following:

  1. Install the dconf-tools package, and then run dconf-editor.
  2. In the tree on the left, navigate org -> gnome -> settings-daemon -> plugins -> media-keys.
  3. Uncheck the active checkbox.

Or the command-line version of this is:

dconf write /org/gnome/settings-daemon/plugins/media-keys/active false

1
  • This disables a lot more than just <super>P. If you just want to disable that, go to the location above, find video-out, and just change that. Doing this answer is throwing out the baby with the bathwater.
    – mlissner
    Oct 3, 2017 at 16:56
5

Even if disabling the xrandr plugin isn't working for you (like me), I suggest you to try this (it works for me):

Go in the dconf-editor via the command "dconf-editor" in a terminal, then go at:

/org/gnome/mutter/keybindings/switch-monitor

and disable "use default value" and delete:

'<Super>p',

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