Ubuntu – How to enable the ALT + F10,F9 shortcuts

This issue happens quite often with default settings. A lots of applications rely on Alt shortcuts but don't work because unity or compiz is already using them.

I don't know of a way to disable the shortcuts temporarily, but even if there is the best solution i've found is to avoid conflicts altogether. The first thing i do on a new setup is go through the desktop keyboard shortcut settings and have them use Super instead of Alt.

It makes things very clear:

• Super is for window manager actions
• Alt is always available for apps (except for Alt+Tab and Ctrl+Alt+Arrows which i like to keep).

The "windows" keys act as Super by default, but you could have the "menu" key do it:
(i like to have it on the right side and there's no right "window" key on my keyboard)

System Settings -> Keyboard Layout -> Layouts -> Options -> Alt/Win Key Behavior
and choose "Alt is mapped to Right Win, Super to Menu".

Now go through keyboard shortcut settings and change Alt bindings to Super ones.

Change compiz shortcuts as well with CompizConfig Settings Manager (install it first).
You can easily find all Alt shortcuts with:
Advanced Search -> Search in ... Settings value and type "Alt"

That's it, you will never be annoyed by conflicting shortcuts again.

I find that is easy to remap the GNOME shortcut to achieve the same thing, but mapping 3 keys is unsupported of you use the space key, it appears, so there are two options that I know:

The first is remapping the close window command; currently in “Ctrl + Q” or “Alt + F4” to “ Alt + C”. You can do this by going to Settings -> Devices -> Keyboard and then scrolling to the Close window command, then remapping the command, then again, you can only type two keys. Do the same to maximize window, to “Alt + X”