Hi

I use ctrl + shift + s to launch synaptic in KDE. That works wonderful and it is standardized on all my systems. I want to define the same in gnome, so that it does not matter if I'm in gnome or KDE.
Where can I do this?

Now before you start mentioning, I am familiar with keyboard launchers like launchy or gnome do (but have to admit that I don't know that much what gnome do does in all extents), so I am not looking for a program that launches an app after typing a few letters. I want exactly that keyboard combination, everything else will not do it.

I just mention that, because it happens all the time that I see in my posts that I ask:
How can I do B with Y? I don't want to use Z. (specifically asking the question) and then hear as an answer:
you can do B with Z!

And I am always tempted to answer: That is not what I asked, I asked something specific and got an answer that does not concern it.

Cheers

Markus

Run gconf-editor (which is probably listed in the menu as Applications - System tools - Configuration editor) and click on apps - metacity. Under global keybindings, choose one of the numbered commands and add your keystroke:
run_command_1 <Control><Shift>s
Then go to keybinding commands and add the command:
command_1 synaptic

Thanks for the solution. That will work.
But messy! Is there no user interface to do this in a normal way like in KDE? (in the start menu configurator)

Markus

In my Ubuntu 10.04 there is no entry in applications - system tools for gconf and I understand why: Messing around with gconf can crash your whole system in a jiffy. And normal users are not supposed to to mess around with it (or lets say that different: Should not be required to, in order to solve their configuration needs)
I am a big advocate of proper and clean configurations with the least possible effort (and maximum safety in messing up your system). In the same token, I laugh when somebody tells me of this or that setting that has to be set in the registration editor in Windows and they seriously mean, that even a normal user (my grandma, your pop) are supposed to change that. For me that is in the same terms as telling somebody to go into that nuclear power plant and just walk into room 163, go to console #4 and push buttons 4 7 and 8 and then wait 5 minutes and push button 9. And not expect that nasty and destructive things will be afoot.

You can do it now from the keyboard shortcuts tool, but not in older copies of Gnome, which is why I suggested gconf-editor, which always works.

Gnome's policy is to provide simple tools for things most people want to do and a "Swiss Army knife" for those who are prepared to use it. If you need your hand held all the time, use Windows.

You're a bit ageist with your references to "pops and grandmas": I'm old enough to be a grandparent, and I don't panic when faced with gconf!

Well, I did not mean to insult anyone. I merely meant with pops and grandmas: normal users that have no special computer skills. People you do not want to let fiddle around with a registry editor (neither on Windows or on Linux), that has the potential of killing your whole system (as in: erase whole tree of config), as little as you would expect them to use a chainsaw (for somebody having no training as a handyman) or letting them use hydrochloric acid and neither would they themselves want to.

:::If you need your hand held all the time, use Windows.

To this I would say: people that want to configure things exactly and not use a registry editor, use KDE. (like I do, I use both gnome and KDE. KDE, because I do not agree with the removing configurability, dumbing it down policy of Gnome.)

Choice is a wonderful thing. Everybody can use what they want. That is why I left Windows, since on there, there is none.

I just wish somebody would heed the sound idea of creating GUIs that have two modes: expert and normal. In the normal, you get gnome with all the things inaccesible that a normal user does not want or care about. And in the expert, it goes KDE full configurama on you, with millions of options.

If KDE would have that, I am sure more gnome users would use it too.

This would cater to the two groups of people out there: the ones that don't want any limits or patronization. That want to be able to configure things EXACTLY like they want. And don't fear complexity. This would also get rid of the stupid: "are you sure you do you want to close this application?" dialogs, to which I always answer, sarcastically: NOPE I am not sure at all, and that is why I clicked on the close button or selected quit, ON PURPOSE, with my sound mind and judgement! ;-) For me there is no proper reason to ask me something like that, unless I have unsaved data.

And the other ones that get confused by too much clutter and options that they would never care to use in the first place. The people that will tell you that they could not find option xzy (which is basic and relevant) inbetween all the millions of others (which are trivial and nonessential).
I totally agree for the necessity to cater for group 2, as especially Ubuntu is geared towards them and thanks to that, we finally have a large audience and Linux finally works on desktops.

And for me registry editors are not ok. As a matter of system: if you want to configure something, often and repeatedly, there should be a eye friendly UI for it somewhere in the system config. But that is my opinion.

cheers

Markus

Thanks, that is exactly that tool I need. It works!

cheers

Markus