Issues navigating the new Qubes Menu (qubes-app-menu) by keyboard/triggering the Qubes menu with a keyboard shortcut

spacewagon · January 17, 2024, 1:45am

I have issues/bugs trying to use the new (fantastic) Qubes Menu that is included in 4.2

I am trying to configure things so that I can spawn and navigate the menu by keyboard only.

I am triggering the menu with a keyboard shortcut (based on this post which accidentally provided help with that):

Following that, I added a keyboard shortcut:
gdbus call --session --dest org.qubesos.appmenu --object-path "/org/qubesos/appmenu" --method org.freedesktop.Application.Activate "{}"

Which works to spawn the menu under the mouse (is there a way to have it open from the taskbar?)

I encounter a lot of bugs/issues trying to navigate the menu by keyboard this way. Sometimes the focus won’t go to keyboard control, seemingly depending on what part of the menu the mouse happens to be over. Or, the focus can become “trapped” under the mouse if I navigate by keyboard to an item under the mouse. It’s not super consistent, so I’m not sure I can provide a clear bug report (although maybe that’s where I should be sent?).

Any general advice for configuring the Qubes Menu to be called and controlled by keyboard?

Bearillo · January 17, 2024, 4:39pm

Put the code in the linked post into a file in dom0:

github.com/QubesOS/qubes-issues

Can be difficult to type multiple words in new app menu without accidently launching unwanted apps

opened 07:27PM - 24 Dec 23 UTC

ranchester2

T: bug ux P: default needs diagnosis C: app menu affects-4.2

### Qubes OS release 4.2 ### Brief summary If one hits space while the new …app menu is open while the mouse cursor is over an app, the app is launched, preventing one from searching with multiple words without moving the mouse cursor. This is relevant as when the app menu is opened with a keyboard shortcut it spawns centered on the mouse cursor. If there are about 6 search results, one cannot add an extra keyword to narrow it down without accidentally launching the app the mouse cursor is hovering. ### Steps to reproduce 1. Open app menu. 2. Put mouse cursor somewhere near its center (or just launch it from the command line with the mouse cursor near the center of the screen) 3. Type one word that gives at least 6 search results (with the default font size) 4. Try to type a second word to narrow down the results. 5. Observe how some unwanted app is being launched. ### Expected behavior One can search with multiple words (say, part of the name of the VM and then the app) without moving the mouse cursor away. ### Actual behavior One accidentally launch the app the mouse cursor was under

Don’t forget to make it executable (chmod +x filename).
Then set up a keyboard shortcut to call the script (simple full path reference should suffice).

This will open the app menu in the top left corner as if you clicked on the Qubes icon there (in fact, the script does exactly that with xdotool) and if the mouse is in the area where the app menu will spawn it moves it out of the way a bit in order to prevent triggering the issue that the above comment is under.
Note that you should adjust the numerical values in the script if you’re not using a 1080p resolution on your screen, as the linked comment states.