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Super (aka the Windows-Logo key) doesn't work as my base Unity Dash/Launcher keyboard shortcut.

Setting it in ccsm (sudo apt-get install compizconfig-settings-manager) by going to ...

Desktop->Ubuntu Unity Plugin->Launcher->Key to show the Dash, Launcher, and Help Overlay

... doesn't work. ccsm immediately sets-then-unsets it.

As in, if I set the launcher shortcut to, oh, <Super><Alt> (or anything else) it works fine, but if I set it to only <Super>, it immediately unsets itself after I hit OK.

I'm not sure where to go from here.

1 Answer 1

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I figured it out. I think it's a bug in ccsm.

I used dconf to watch the settings change while using ccsm:

$ dconf watch /
/org/compiz/profiles/unity/plugins/unityshell/show-launcher 
   unset

unset??

$ dconf read /org/compiz/profiles/unity/plugins/unityshell/show-launcher
$

Yep... The key doesn't even exist.

$ dconf list /org/compiz/profiles/unity/plugins/unityshell/
[... show-launcher not in list...]

So then I manually set it also using dconf (NOTE you have to double- AND single-quote the value string):

$ dconf write /org/compiz/profiles/unity/plugins/unityshell/show-launcher "'<Super>'"

$ dconf read /org/compiz/profiles/unity/plugins/unityshell/show-launcher
'<Super>'

Now everything works. Yay!

EDIT: For DELL owners: @jooon figured out a different solution. Dell installs a package that intentionally breaks the super key called dell-super-key.

3
  • I had the same problem and this solved it. However, the root cause for me was because I have a default dell installed ubuntu with the package dell-super-key that disables this dconf setting. See this answer askubuntu.com/a/752102/300383
    – jooon
    Jan 3, 2017 at 10:23
  • Oh wow, yeah. I have a Dell too. Why would they do that....... Jan 3, 2017 at 16:02
  • not working in ubuntu 22
    – Dave Ankin
    Sep 25, 2022 at 3:52

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