Ubuntu – Keyboard shortcut to “Show Applications”

I found a way to do that:

1. Open a terminal and install wmctrl:

   sudo apt-get install wmctrl
   

2. Create a shell script named show-desktop.sh (I put it in my home folder)

   gedit ~/show-desktop.sh
   

   place this code in there:

   #!/bin/bash
   status="$(wmctrl -m | grep "showing the desktop" | sed -r 's/(.*)(ON|OFF)/\2/g')"
   
   if [ $status == "ON" ]; then
       wmctrl -k off
   else
       wmctrl -k on
   fi
   

   and make it executable:

   chmod +x ~/show-desktop.sh
   

3. Create a file show-desktop.desktop in ~/.local/share/applications/ folder:

   gedit ~/.local/share/applications/show-desktop.desktop
   

   Add this text and save (don't forget change the value on <your user>):

   [Desktop Entry]
   Type=Application
   Name=Show Desktop
   Icon=user-desktop
   Exec=/home/<your user>/show-desktop.sh
   

4. Open the dash, search for show desktop and add it to the favorites.

Solution 1: Gnome extensions

Install the extension Start Overlay in Application View to use the Super key alone to open the Application overview.

In addition, install the extension ESC to close overview from applications list to have Esc return you to your desktop rather than to the overview.

In Ubuntu 20.04, use a forked extension: ESC to close overview from applications list | UPDATED by paperthin or ESCape Overview.

Solution 2: ksuperkey (more universal approach that allows you to do whatever you want with super)

With a utility ksuperkey, you can remap a press/release of the super key alone to any key combination. ksuperkey is not available in the standard Ubuntu repositories. Thus, you need to compile it yourself according to the instructions on the ksuperkey Github site.

In this case, you would lauch ksuperkey with the command `ksuperkey -e 'Super_L=Super_L:a'. This will remap hitting super alone to the key combination needed to launch the applications menu.

• The binding of super to show the overview in Gnome Shell needs to be disabled first. Use the command gsettings set org.gnome.mutter overlay-key '', or alternatively, use dconf-editor to change the value of that key.
• You can autostart ksuperkey using a .desktop file that you place in your ~/.config/autostart folder.

The contents of this ksuperkey.desktop file may look as:

[Desktop Entry]
Categories=Utility;
Comment=Map super key
Exec=sh -c "sleep 0.4 ; ksuperkey -e 'Super_L=Super_L:a'" 
Icon=keyboard
Name=ksuperkey
StartupNotify=false
Type=Application
X-GNOME-Autostart-enabled=true

Optionally, install the extension ESC to close overview from applications list ( ESC to close overview from applications list | UPDATED on Ubuntu 20.04) to have Esc return you to your desktop rather than to the overview.