Alt+Print Screen only takes picture of the HUD

Bug #1072199 reported by Սահակ
184
This bug affects 41 people
Affects Status Importance Assigned to Milestone
One Hundred Papercuts
Fix Released
Medium
Unassigned
Ubuntu Kylin
Fix Released
Medium
Unassigned
Unity
Fix Released
Undecided
Unassigned
gnome-screenshot (Ubuntu)
Fix Released
Undecided
Unassigned
unity (Ubuntu)
Fix Released
Undecided
Unassigned

Bug Description

According to Ubuntu Desktop Guide (see attached screenshot of the Ubuntu Desktop Guide) pressing "Alt+Print Screen" should take a screenshot of a window.

However when I press "Alt+Print Screen" it always takes the screenshot of the launcher and not of the active window.

Revision history for this message
Սահակ (petrosyan) wrote :
Revision history for this message
Launchpad Janitor (janitor) wrote :

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

Changed in gnome-screenshot (Ubuntu):
status: New → Confirmed
Revision history for this message
Simos Xenitellis  (simosx) wrote :

Indeed, Alt+PrtScrn does not work because by simply pressing the Alt key, we inadvertendly invoke the Dash and the Launcher becomes the top-most active app.
And gnome-screenshot captures the Launcher window that just became active.

To replicate:
1. Start a program such as "gedit".
2. Press Alt+PrintScreen

* What happens: gnome-screenshot takes a screenshot of the Launcher (due to the Dash that gets invoked).
* What should happen: gnome-screenshot should take a screenshot of just the "gedit" window

Changed in unity:
status: New → Confirmed
Revision history for this message
To Do (entodoays) wrote :

In my case whenever I hit Alt Printscreen I hear the shutter sound (different from Printscreen without Alt) but no screenshot is saved in my pictures folder and no window opens either.

I don't know if this is related but I customised the location of the Pictures folder using the ~/.config/user-dirs.dir file.

Revision history for this message
8200 (8200) wrote :

I can confirm this bug @ Ubuntu 12.10 amd64 with all latest updates :-(

Revision history for this message
Salvation (jjmatt) wrote :

I too can confirm this.

Revision history for this message
Սահակ (petrosyan) wrote : Re: "Alt+Print Screen" shortcut does not work in Ubuntu

this bug has been fixed in Ubuntu 13.04

Changed in gnome-screenshot (Ubuntu):
status: Confirmed → Fix Released
Changed in unity:
status: Confirmed → Fix Released
summary: - "Alt+Print Screen" shortcut does not work in Ubuntu 12.10
+ "Alt+Print Screen" shortcut does not work in Ubuntu
Revision history for this message
Oleg Cherkasov (o1e9) wrote :

It seems the old bug returns. I may see the same issue in 13.10 release. The bug has to be reopened for 13.10 or spawn a new one.

The workaround would be Ctrl-PrtSc/Shift-PrtSc or use Shutter.

Revision history for this message
Սահակ (petrosyan) wrote :

I can confirm that this bug is back

Changed in unity:
status: Fix Released → Confirmed
Changed in gnome-screenshot (Ubuntu):
status: Fix Released → Confirmed
Revision history for this message
Norbert (nrbrtx) wrote :

I can confirm this bug in the Ubuntu 13.10 final.
I tried to make a screenshot of a window. So I was going to press <Alt>+<Print Screen> simultaneously.
I press <Alt> (but the HUD opens and got focus) and <Print Screen>. As a result I got screenshot of a HUD, not desired window.

Revision history for this message
Norbert (nrbrtx) wrote :

If I run GNOME session flashback I can make screenshot normally. So it is a Unity bug.

Revision history for this message
Erik Pöhm (erzzo) wrote :

I have the same problem in ubuntu 13.10 final, unity

Revision history for this message
Graham Inggs (ginggs) wrote :
summary: - "Alt+Print Screen" shortcut does not work in Ubuntu
+ Alt+Print Screen only takes picture of the HUD
tags: added: regression-release
Revision history for this message
Hang Fire (hangfirew8) wrote :

This bug still affects me on 11/2513 with the latest patches on a fresh, bog-standard 13.10 install. At best I get a picture of the HUD.

Aron Xu (happyaron)
Changed in ubuntukylin:
status: New → Triaged
Revision history for this message
Dmitry Pashkevich (dipish) wrote :

This affects me too.

Some googling brought me to this old article and Launchpad bug:
http://ubuntuguide.net/fix-altprint-screen-current-window-screenshot-not-working-in-ubuntu-10-10
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/metacity/+bug/642792

Disabling the "Magic SysRq Key" as suggested in the linked article seems to have fixed the issue for me:

    $ sudo sysctl -w kernel.sysrq=0

However Shift+Print Screen to take a screenshot of selected area still doesn't work at all for me but that may be another bug.

Jack Yu (jackyu)
Changed in ubuntukylin:
assignee: nobody → Aron Xu (happyaron)
importance: Undecided → Medium
Aron Xu (happyaron)
Changed in ubuntukylin:
assignee: Aron Xu (happyaron) → nobody
Revision history for this message
Norbert (nrbrtx) wrote :

It seems that Ubuntu 14.04 is not affected by this bug.

Revision history for this message
Norbert (nrbrtx) wrote :

SimonH, we talk about making screenshot of active window (Alt+PrintScreen does it), but PrintScreen makes screenshot of whole screen.

Dario Ruellan (druellan)
Changed in hundredpapercuts:
status: New → Confirmed
importance: Undecided → Low
importance: Low → Medium
tags: added: ubuntukylin
Revision history for this message
Bruno Nova (brunonova) wrote :

This bug seems to have been fixed in 13.10 with all updates, at least for me.

I've just used <Alt>+<Print Screen> and it correctly took a screenshot of the focused window (the HUD didn't show).
Also, pressing just <Print Screen> now immediately takes a full screenshot before the key is released, so the workaroung I mentioned in Bug #1231447 wouldn't work anymore.

Could anyone else confirm this?

Revision history for this message
Adam Dingle (adam-yorba) wrote :

Aha - this also seems to be working in 14.04 now!

Revision history for this message
Սահակ (petrosyan) wrote :

can confirm that it seems to have been fixed in Ubuntu 13.10

tangsir (txdlky)
Changed in ubuntukylin:
status: Triaged → Fix Released
Revision history for this message
Սահակ (petrosyan) wrote :

this bug has been fixed in Ubuntu 14.04

Changed in unity:
status: Confirmed → Fix Released
Changed in hundredpapercuts:
status: Confirmed → Fix Released
Changed in gnome-screenshot (Ubuntu):
status: Confirmed → Fix Released
Changed in unity (Ubuntu):
status: New → Fix Released
Revision history for this message
MestreLion (mestrelion) wrote :

Sorry for necroing such an old bug, but it seems to have come back in Ubuntu 18.04

When switching from the now default Gnome Shell to Unity, any combination of pressing and releasing ALT and PrtScn gives me, at best, the HUD screenshot. In Gnome it works fine.

By the way, I didn't have this issue in 12.04. maybe 14.04 or 13.10 fixes were backported or I had already apllied another fix/workaround?

Revision history for this message
Paul White (paulw2u) wrote :

MestreLion, as this issue was fixed over 5 years ago you should open a new bug report so that *your* log files and those pertaining to Ubuntu 18.04 are attached to the report. By all means refer to this report in your new report.

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