Ubuntu: how to show alt-tab in both monitors?

I have two monitors and I use Ubuntu 18.04.

As you can see in the picture the alt-tab window does show in the primary monitor only.

Is it possible to show the alt-tab "Switch Windows" in both monitors?

lito

Posted 2020-02-11T15:00:09.050

Reputation: 85

Try: (1) Open dconf-editor > org > gnome > shell > overrides and uncheck "workspace-only-on-primary" (2) If using Gnome, try Multiple Monitor Panels or Alt Tab Workspace.

– harrymc – 2020-02-18T16:01:53.117

@harrymc I installed "dconf editor" and found the option, it didn't work :( | Screenshot: https://prnt.sc/r4px57 - I can't see the alt tab window on the other monitor yet

– lito – 2020-02-19T16:58:41.700

A pity. Are these extensions useful? – harrymc – 2020-02-19T17:07:15.010

extensions were not useful. I'm using "Dash to Panel", I deactivated even after that it didn't work. I'm using the detail Ubuntu Gnome desktop. – lito – 2020-02-19T17:14:22.317

Try if the extension Coverflow Alt-Tab has a more acceptable behavior.

– harrymc – 2020-02-19T17:28:53.987

nothing! is it working for you with more than one monitor? – lito – 2020-02-19T20:08:40.277

Answers

What you are seeing is the intended behavior.

The history behind this feature:

First requested on 2010 in Bug 619854 - Always show Alt-tab display on the primary display ,
Committed then in (appSwitcher) Display on primary monitor
A request was done to reverse it on 2019 in Window switcher only appearing on primary display, which was refused with this message:

No. We did those things in the past, and you will always find someone complaining that it's the wrong display and it really should be on pick-one-of-the-three-choices.

The monitor that is really the best choice is the one the user is currently looking at. But of course that's information we don't have.

What we agreed on as second-best choice was to show the popups on all monitors - see the discussion in this old bug report. But that behavior only got implemented for OSDs, not for the switchers (which is a much more complex task given that the popups are interactive)

Displaying it on the focused monitor seems to confuse users so revert back to using the primary monitor as per designer's request.

The only proposed solution was to use the extension Current screen only on window switcher, described as:

Limits the windows shown on the switcher to those of the current monitor.

If this extension does not help in your work, then I'm afraid that there is no other solution.

harrymc

Posted 2020-02-11T15:00:09.050

Reputation: 306 093

well! that sucks, but thanks for taking the time – lito – 2020-02-19T20:41:55.730