Move window to another monitor in Ubuntu using keyboard

In Windows 7, you can press Shift++←/→ to instantly move the current window to the next/previous monitor. Is there an equivalent feature in Ubuntu 11.04? I poked around the Keyboard Shortcuts dialog but didn't see anything relating to moving windows among multiple monitors.

cwick

Posted 2011-06-16T01:18:47.943

Reputation: 443

– AlikElzin-kilaka – 2018-02-04T12:56:59.400

Answers

What you need:

wmctrl (sudo apt-get install wmctrl)
The dimensions of each monitor

How to do it:

From the terminal, run gnome-keybinding-properties and click "Add"
- Name the entry something like "Move to left monitor" and enter this command:
  - wmctrl -r ":ACTIVE:" -e 0,0,0,1280,1024
    - You can change ":ACTIVE:" to ":SELECT:" and wmctrl will wait until you select a window
    - The values for -e are gravity,x-coordinate,y-coord,width,height. I have gravity set to 0, which is default (I don't actually know what gravity does), x and y-coordinates set to 0 and 0, and the width and height are the dimensions of the left monitor: 1280 and 1024. Change this to match your configuration.
- Click where it says "Disabled" and press the same keyboard shortcut as in windows, i.e. Shift+Super+left
- Make another entry for "move to right monitor"
  - wmctrl -r ":ACTIVE:" -e 0,1280,0,1366,768
    - Where I have "1280", put the horizontal resolution of your left monitor. The vertical resolution can be more tricky if your monitors have different resolutions, and especially if they aren't lined up along the top or bottom. Mine are aligned along the top, so the vertical-coordinate value is "0".
    - My right monitor is 1366x768, so replace those values with the appropriate ones.
- Map the shortcut-key sequence and you're finished!

You may have to tweak the coordinates and dimensions to account for the top (usually 24px tall) or side panels.

For more reading on wmctrl, check out http://movingtofreedom.org/2010/08/10/arranging-windows-from-the-gnulinux-command-line-with-wmctrl/

I hope this helps!

Gruzzles

Posted 2011-06-16T01:18:47.943

Reputation: 583

As per this https://askubuntu.com/questions/75631/how-do-i-install-the-gnome-keybinding-properties-program answer. For current versions of gnome/ubuntu after installing wmctrl use: "gnome-control-center keyboard" or via GUI "settings -> devices -> keyboard" and then click the "+" in the bottom.

– user3605780 – 2019-09-11T10:26:13.203

7I recommend using -1 in the last two fields to leave the windows dimensions unchanged when it moves (e.g., wmctrl -r ":ACTIVE:" -e 0,0,0,-1,-1) – Sk606 – 2012-11-27T18:22:01.867

If you use Compiz as the window manager on your Ubuntu installation (Which I believe comes pre-installed with 11.04). Open Compiz Config Settings Manager (do a sudo apt-get install compizconfig-settings-manager if you don't have ccsm installed.)

Go to Window Management -> Put
Enable the Put plugin.
Give your required key combination for the Put To Next Output option in the Bindings tab.

This will allow you to get the same functionality as what you require. The Put plugin has loads of other productivity increasing options too. Enjoy.

Y.V.Reetesh

Posted 2011-06-16T01:18:47.943

Reputation: 341

If you haven't got the Pug plugin, you can install the package compiz-plugins-main which also installs some other plugins. I also had to restart X after I had set a shortcut.

– gitaarik – 2015-07-07T08:42:06.890

I think that this should be the accepted answer. – MasterAM – 2016-08-28T14:14:43.343

works fine on ubuntu 18.04 + unity – Kennet Celeste – 2018-09-15T17:12:25.770

this should be the accepted answer – Unantsika – 2019-12-17T10:46:18.747

1This works great for me on Ubuntu 12.04 64bit with Unity. Remember though that Compiz is a dangerous tool, many of its (seemingly harmless) options can easily break your setup, so don't mess around with it unless you've got backups and/or are sure your steps are safe. – Sicco – 2013-01-08T11:14:35.477

2It appears that put was removed/omitted in 13.04. – Sean McCleary – 2013-08-26T17:40:46.267

Compiz and Unity will be soon obsolete.

On Plasma 5 (KDE) it can be set from default keyboard shortcuts list.
On Gnome 3 shift + meta(super/windows) + arrows. For putting to corners you need additionally https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/39/put-windows/ .

Waldemar Wosiński

Posted 2011-06-16T01:18:47.943

Reputation: 431

meta + left right moves in a single window but this fills in the gaps. I couldn't make sense of the extension though - it was moving other windows around in a strange way aswell and there seems to be no documentation – JonnyRaa – 2018-05-25T14:57:35.147

@JonnyLeeds Disable unused shortcuts the may overlap. – Waldemar Wosiński – 2018-05-30T05:42:06.700

It's quite new but available and easy. – Shihe Zhang – 2018-12-22T06:11:43.583

1best answer!!!! – otaviodecampos – 2019-03-21T19:50:32.577

Great, thanks for the answer! – Guilherme Garnier – 2019-05-21T17:13:17.990

If you're using Budgie Desktop Environment,
then the default shortcut for moving window into monitor is Shift + Super + Arrow.

Imtiaz Shakil Siddique

Posted 2011-06-16T01:18:47.943

Reputation: 101