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I know that using Alt+F7, I can use the keyboard to move the window around. I can also use the "Grid" plugin of Compiz to position quickly the window around my current monitor. The grid plugin doesn't seem work across monitor however.

What I need is a quicker way to move the current window to the other screen. In my current dual-monitor setup, I find myself needing to move the focus window to the other monitor as I focus on working on something else (and move it back afterward).

If I use XMonad (or other tiling managers), this would be rather easy. However, many applications that I use (Gnome Do, MATLAB, image viewers, custom apps that I write, ...) do not work well with a tiling manager.

So my question is: is there a shortcut key combination that moves the currently focused window to the other monitor (and back)?

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10 Answers 10

Reset to default
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  1. Install CompizConfig Settings Manager Install compizconfig-settings-manager

    sudo apt-get install compizconfig-settings-manager

  2. Run CCSM → Go to bottom (Window Management) → Go to "Put."

  3. Enable the plugin.
  4. Configure shortcut for "Put to next Output."
  5. Log out and back in again.

If the plugin put doesn't appear in CCSM, install the compiz-plugins Install compiz-plugins package. (sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install compiz-plugins)

EDIT: The required plugin package is now called compiz-plugins on 12.10 and higher. compiz-plugins-extra Install compiz-plugins-extra is still used for 12.04.

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  • 6
    It's also worth noting that "next" output will cycle through all of the monitors (not stopping on the furthest right).
    – Adrian Schneider
    Commented May 5, 2012 at 3:12
  • 10
    Ah it does work - just needs a logoff/logon!
    – jaywink
    Commented Sep 14, 2014 at 14:15
  • 6
    There isn't any option "Put"
    – richardaum
    Commented Jun 29, 2015 at 23:20
  • 7
    @Richard, you'll have to install compiz-plugins as mentioned in the post. (Sidenote: I'm on Ubuntu 15.04 and once that was installed I was the "Put" plugin.)
    – Anonsage
    Commented Aug 17, 2015 at 5:13
  • 3
    it seems this plugin conflicts with the grid one. When a window is placed in one of the grid positions it refuses to be moved to the other screen - it goes there and them comes back. any solution for this?
    – igorsantos07
    Commented Aug 9, 2016 at 20:02
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I like Put to next Output with Ctrl + Alt + n

enjoy it!

Put at CCSM Put at CCSM.

Put to Next Output Put to Next Output

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  • 1
    Now, I use setting this hotkey to '<Alt><Shift>m'. :P
    – Chu-Siang Lai
    Commented May 20, 2016 at 3:57
  • 3
    I don't have Put in my CCSM
    – Jamie Hutber
    Commented Feb 1, 2018 at 9:56
  • 2
    @JamieHutber you need to install the compiz-plugins and then you see it there.
    – Pandian Le
    Commented Nov 4, 2020 at 22:40
  • And you need to logoff and log on
    – Pandian Le
    Commented Apr 27, 2021 at 20:59
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On my machine (CentOS Linux 7) it worked out of the box:
Use window key+shift+arrows this will move window quickly between monitors Works on maximized as well as non maximized windows.

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  • 1
    If possible can you please clarify how to achieve this in Ubuntu since this is what question in about.
    – Kulfy
    Commented May 7, 2019 at 14:08
  • 1
    Thanks! I have two monitors (not talking about workspaces) and it worked fine! [ubuntu budgie 19.04]
    – sdlins
    Commented Jun 17, 2019 at 22:12
  • 2
    This also works fine for me out of the box on Ubuntu 18.04
    – Gerald
    Commented Jul 26, 2019 at 5:29
  • I can confirm this works in 20.04 LTS as well. Should be the accepted answer, since it does not require any additional installation - just know the keys that were asked for.
    – foo
    Commented May 30, 2020 at 16:40
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Alt+Ctrl + NumLeft/NumRight

for minimised window only (!) I found today in Gnome 3 @ Ubuntu 14.04.

i.e., if you wan to move maximized window, you may

'Win + DownArrow', 'Alt+Ctrl+ NumLeft/NumRight', 'Win + UpArrow'

or try to bind it..

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  • 10
    Unfortunately, this Alt+Ctrl+<NumDirection> shortcuts keep the window on the same screen and doesn't move to another screen.. tested on Ubuntu 15.04 (w/Unity).
    – Anonsage
    Commented Aug 9, 2015 at 1:04
  • 2
    It's the same issue on Ubuntu 16.04. I came here to find a solution to this problem.
    – byxor
    Commented Oct 3, 2016 at 16:14
  • @Anonsage But it is for Gnome. Not Unity.
    – G. Demecki
    Commented Mar 26, 2018 at 6:47
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After installing compizconfig-settings-manager → Run it → Go to bottom (Window Management) → Go to "Put."

Then you should try "Put within viewport" and "Put Left/Put Right". If the window is not on the edge of the screen needs double "right/left" to switch over screens. By default is with super+Numpad-Arrows.

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  • Not the most direct solution, but a better one in my opinion.
    – Jonah
    Commented Jan 12, 2015 at 19:11
  • This is the only answer that worked for me.
    – haff
    Commented Jul 23, 2016 at 0:08
  • Put is missing. how do I get it? (ubuntu 20 fresh install with unity 7.5)
    – Pandian Le
    Commented Apr 27, 2021 at 20:54
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After install CCSM, to add "put" option, you must install too :

sudo apt-get install compiz-plugins-extra
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Addendum: If the solution with Put plugin doesn't work.

Try to disable some features you don't use that may interfere. I left only Put To Next Output enabled and it started to work.

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Disable the features in "Grid" plugin on ccsm, logoff/logon, and enable the "put" plugin with combination keys that you want. Works for me (ubuntu 16.04).

I enable some features in both plugin because I wanted move windows between monitors (using features on put), but I wanted keep the feature that resize the window by half of width of the current monitor (using features on grid).

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Right click on the top of the window on the bar and a drop down appeared for me with the option of moving the window.

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Press Alt + Space on an active window then select "Move to Monitor Right"

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