[intrepid REGRESSION] Missing option to disable "switch to tab" keyboard shortcuts

[David R. Hedges]

Binary package hint: gnome-terminal

TEST CASE:
1. use intrepid and ubuntu-desktop
2. open gnome-termianl
3. verify that there is no "swtich to tab" section in Edit/Keyboard shortcuts

4. install the gnome-terminal from intrepid-proposed
5. close all open gnome-terminals
6. start s a new one
7. verify that the "switch to tab" option in Edit/Keyboard shortcuts is there

This is an upstream bug [ http://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=548600 ], but I wanted to cross-post here, for possible inclusion before intrepid launch.

Description:
In earlier versions of gnome-terminal, there were individual options in the Edit->Keyboard shortcuts menu for "Switch to tab 1", "Switch to tab 2" etc. While these were enabled and bound to alt-1, alt-2, etc by default, it was possible to disable them, which was necessary for use of default key bindings in certain console applications, such as irssi, to switch channels/windows. The current version of gnome-terminal, however, has eliminated these [gconf] settings, and simply enables these keyboard accelerators automatically if there is more than one tab present.

While it wouldn't be as nice as providing the ability to configure or disable custom keyboard accelerators for switching to tabs 1-10 (e.g. letting the user specify "ctrl-alt"[1,2...] as the modifier or something), I would still be much happier with the easier solution of at least giving the user the option to disable the automatic keyboard accelerators than I am with the current behavior.

Ubuntu 8.10
gnome-terminal 2.23.91-0ubuntu1

[Pedro Villavicencio (pedro)]

thanks for the report.

[Barteq (barteqpl)]

Got the same problem.. Mostly with irssi with many tabs opened. It's kind of regression because it worked fine before update to II.

As a temporary solution I suggest to use 'terminator'. It's a like a gnome-terminal wrapper, and makes me able to use alt+n keys with tabs.

[Alex Launi (alexlauni)]

Yes please fix this,! GNOME terminal is (was?) the best terminal emulator out there. Terminator is ok, but has some quirks that make it less pleasant to use.

[Max Bowsher (maxb)]

I've clicked the "Nominate for Intrepid" button.

I find this to be a distinctly non-trivial regression in usability - I've spent years being accustomed to Alt+<number> controlling my irssi and Ctrl+<number> controlling my gnome-terminal tabs. The removal of configurability of this feature is likely to be irritating to many.

Could someone with the appropriate permissions please change the summary of this bug: "disable" --> "disable or redefine"

[Max Bowsher (maxb)]

Can we increase the importance of this to something more than "Low"?

For those needing a workaround, it turns out it's easy to patch the binary executable to swap out Alt for Control - If you open /usr/bin/gnome-terminal in some binary-capable editor, find the string constant <alt>%d and change it to <ctl>%d you can have Ctrl+0 ... Ctrl+9 instead of Alt+0 ... Alt+9.

But this should still be restored to proper configurability.

[David R. Hedges (p14nd4)]

This has been fixed upstream [1][2][3]. Can we please pull the changes into intrepid? Thanks!

[1] http://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=548600#c7
[2] http://svn.gnome.org/viewvc/gnome-terminal?view=revision&revision=3170
[3] http://svn.gnome.org/viewvc/gnome-terminal?view=revision&revision=3171

[Iain Lane (laney)]

Just testbuilding the patch, will attach a debdiff very shortly if it all works.

[Iain Lane (laney)]

Yep, is all fine. This is *not* in gnome-terminal's 2.24 branch so I doubt it'll get in any other way. I urge sponsors to please include this patch as the bug is very annoying for irssi and gnome-terminal users such as myself. /o\

[Martin Pitt (pitti)]

Taking for sponsoring.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

This bug was fixed in the package gnome-terminal - 2.24.0-0ubuntu2

---------------
gnome-terminal (2.24.0-0ubuntu2) intrepid; urgency=low

  * debian/patches/05_restore_tab_switching_shortcuts.patch: Backport patch
    from GNOME SVN to restore previously removed switch-to-tab keybnindings
    (LP: #272199).
    References:
      + http://svn.gnome.org/viewvc/gnome-terminal?view=revision&revision=3170
      + http://svn.gnome.org/viewvc/gnome-terminal?view=revision&revision=3171
      + http://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=548600

 -- Iain Lane <email address hidden> Mon, 13 Oct 2008 21:24:44 +0100

[Max Bowsher (maxb)]

Reopening, it has regressed again.
It was fixed in Ubuntu by backporting a patch in 2.24.0-0ubuntu2.
Upstream then released 2.24.1, and Ubuntu updated, dropping the patch in 2.24.1-0ubuntu1 - however upstream goofed, and only included part of the patch in the release - the ability to configure the keyboard shortcuts in the UI was not lost.
Upstream are apparently now going to release 2.24.1.1.

[Iain Lane (laney)]

The linked branch, if and when sponsored, will restore this functionality. There was a crash bug introduced by the new patch which was another reason for upstream removing it.

[Iain Lane (laney)]

Unfortunately we're not going to be able to get another revision in for Intrepid, but the functionality is still partially there. Launch gconf-editor and navigate to apps/gnome-terminal/keybindings to modify them. Alternatively there is (or more accurately will be) an updated version with the keybindings in the editor on my PPA at [0].

Iain

[0] https://launchpad.net/~laney/+archive

[Max Bowsher (maxb)]

Hopefully in due course it can be considered for a SRU?

[Iain Lane (laney)]

I'm afraid not. The fix adds new (actually readds the old) strings back, which we cannot do in a SRU.

[Martin Pitt (pitti)]

Iain Lane [2008-10-27 13:08 -0000]:
> I'm afraid not. The fix adds new (actually readds the old) strings back,
> which we cannot do in a SRU.

Well, it requires a string freeze exception and coordination with the
documentation maintainers (at least they need to be aware of it), but
in general it's not a total no-go area. If there is a patch, and
people are willing to do testing, we can consider it.

[Max Bowsher (maxb)]

mvo already has this fixed properly in lp:~ubuntu-core-dev/gnome-terminal/ubuntu, and I've been running packages built from r17 thereof for several days already, no problems observed.

[Iain Lane (laney)]

Awesome. Let's have another look after Intrepid releases then.

[Martin Pitt (pitti)]

Michael, seems you already have this fixed. Can you please upload this to intrepid-proposed?

[Martin Pitt (pitti)]

Accepted into intrepid-proposed, please test and give feedback here. Please see https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Testing/EnableProposed for documentation how to enable and use -proposed. Thank you in advance!

[Pedro Villavicencio (pedro)]

verification done:

- test with 2.24.1-0ubuntu1, went to Edit->Keyboard shortcuts and indeed the switch to tabs options are not listed there.
- test with 2.24.1.1-0ubuntu1, went to Edit->Keyboard shortcuts, the options for switching tabs are listed again, I've changed a couple of them and they worked as expected, bug is fixed, thanks.

[Martin Pitt (pitti)]

Copied to intrepid-updates.

[Martin Pitt (pitti)]

Fixed in jaunty, too. (Michael, FYI, you should either just have me copy intrepid-proposed to jaunty, or build with -v to autoclose bugs and get a proper .changes/intrepid-changes@ email).

[Mart Raudsepp (leio)]

I have filed upstream Bug 562834 for fully restoring this functionality on top of gnome-terminal-2.24.2, including translations of the gconf schemas and keybindings UI. Done as my maintenance work in Gentoo, maybe you guys find it useful too.