Ubuntu 11.04 Unity Keyboard Shortcuts and Tricks

The new Ubuntu 11.04 (Natty Narwhal) operating system introduced a different user interface, designed by Canonical, called Unity. With it, the Ubuntu development team also released some keyboard shortcuts for easy usage.

With this article we want to inform our readers who use Ubuntu 11.04 with Unity about some very useful and helpful mouse tricks and keyboard shortcuts.

With these tricks and shortcuts, users should familiarize with Unity and find it very useful and user friendly.

Without any further introduction, we will let you now test the following mouse tricks on your brand new Ubuntu 11.04 (Natty Narwhal) operating system. Remember, you must use Unity!

Unity Mouse Tricks:

· If you want to maximize a window - drag the window to the upper screen edge
· If you want to restore a window to it's original position - outside of the menu duble-click the panel
· If you want to maximize a window in height - middle-click on the maximize button
· If you want to maximize a window in width - right-click on the maximize button
· If you want to place a window on the left side - drag the window to the left screen edge
· If you want to place a window on the right side - drag the window to the right screen edge

And now, some very useful keyboard shortcuts that will make your life much easier when using the Unity interface.

Unity Keyboard Shortcuts:

· Windows key - shows the Unity launcher
· Windows key + [number] - activates or opens the corresponding applications in the Unity launcher
· Windows key + Shift + [number] - opens the corresponding applications in the Unity launcher if it's already running
· Windows key + T - opens the Trash
· ALT + F1 - puts focus on the Unity launcher and you can use the arrow keys to navigate
· ALT + F2 - opens the run a command dialog
· CTRL + ALT + T - opens a terminal window
· Windows key + A - opens the Applications widget
· Windows key + F - opens the Files & Folders widget

Window Management Keyboard Shortcuts:

· Windows key + D - maximizes or restores all windows
· CTRL + ALT + Numpad key 1 - places a window in the lower left corner
· CTRL + ALT + Numpad key 2 - places a window in the lower half corner
· CTRL + ALT + Numpad key 3 - places a window in the lower right corner
· CTRL + ALT + Numpad key 4 - places a window in the left half of the screen
· CTRL + ALT + Numpad key 5 - centers or maximizes a window
· CTRL + ALT + Numpad key 6 - places a window in the right half of the screen
· CTRL + ALT + Numpad key 7 - places a window in the upper left corner
· CTRL + ALT + Numpad key 8 - places a window in the upper half corner
· CTRL + ALT + Numpad key 9 - places a window in the upper right corner
· CTRL + ALT + Numpad key 0 - maximizes a window

Workspace Management Keyboard Shortcuts:

· Windows key + W - shows all desktops and windows (Expo Mode)
· CTRL + ALT + Up Arrow - navigate to the workspace above
· CTRL + ALT + Right Arrow - navigate to the workspace on the right
· CTRL + ALT + Left Arrow - navigate to the workspace on the left
· CTRL + ALT + Down Arrow - navigate to the workspace below
· CTRL + ALT + SHIFT + Up Arrow - move a window to the workspace above
· CTRL + ALT + SHIFT + Right Arrow - move a window to the workspace on the right
· CTRL + ALT + SHIFT + Left Arrow - move a window to the workspace on the left
· CTRL + ALT + SHIFT + Down Arrow - move a window to the workspace below

We do hope that with this article you've learned something useful and that it will make your life much easier with the new Unity interface of the Ubuntu 11.04 (Natty Narwhal) operating system.