Ubuntu MATE: how to disable keyboard shortcut for file search tool?

Ubuntu MATE 21.10.

When I press [Meta+S] (aka [mod4+s] aka [Win+S]) it opens the "Search for files" or mate-search-tool utility in a new window.

I want to assign "Switch to the workspace below the current workspace" to this key combination (so I can use Meta+WASD to move around workspaces).

I can assign the key combo in the "Keyboard shortcuts" UI. But it only half works. When I press [win+S] it moves to the workspace, but it immediately closes the workspace switcher (but does not open the search tool). To move further I have to release the Meta key and press it again. For other keys (w,a,d) is works as expected, i.e you can move around and back and forth between workspaces while keeping the Meta key down.

I can't find where this [Meta+S] opens search shortcut is configured. I checked:

• Keyboard shortcuts UI: nowhere to be seen (and assigning it to another action would effectively unbind it from the search tool)
• Dumping dconf and looking for key bindings in the output

How can I disable/remove this key binding? I hope it's not just hard-coded in some source file...

1 Answer

Determining this was really interesting. What we have so far: this Mod4+s is configured by mate-desktop-environment-core deb-package via its 10_mate-common.gschema.override:

[org.mate.Marco.global-keybindings]
run-command-6='<Mod4>s'

where command-6='mate-search-tool'.

So you have to unset this by

gsettings set org.mate.Marco.global-keybindings run-command-6 ''

and then configure your own shortcut using Mod4+s.

To set whole WASD for 2x2 workspaces (2 rows, 2 columns) at one shot use below command:

dconf load / <<EOF
[org/mate/marco/general]
num-workspaces=4
[org/mate/panel/objects/workspace-switcher/prefs]
num-rows=2
[org/mate/marco/global-keybindings]
run-command-6=''
switch-to-workspace-down='<Mod4>s'
switch-to-workspace-left='<Mod4>a'
switch-to-workspace-right='<Mod4>d'
switch-to-workspace-up='<Mod4>w'
EOF

and enjoy: