Keys
Every key a new install has, grouped by what it’s for.
- Super is the key with the Windows or logo symbol on it.
- The keys for windows use Alt, and so do everyday ones such as the launcher, the terminal and screenshots.
- The SHORTCUTS panel on the desktop lists every key, your own included. Super+K shows or hides it. Click a row to run it. Window, workspace and media keys only work from the keyboard.
- Super+Shift+K searches the keys by name.
To change a key, or give a key to something new, open Settings › Shortcuts. See Your own shortcuts.
Open things
The keys you’ll use most. Learn the first one and you can find everything else.
| Keys | What it does |
|---|---|
| Super+Ctrl+G | Enter game mode. Ctrl+Shift+F12 leaves it. |
| MENU | Hold the Menu key to dictate into the focused app. Release it to insert your words. |
| Super+Space | Open the menu. Type to find any app or command, or to open Settings. |
| Alt+P | Open the app launcher. |
| Alt+Shift+Enter | Open a terminal. |
| Alt+E | Open the file manager. |
| Alt+Tab | Pick an open window from a list and switch to it. |
| Super+, | Open Settings. |
| Super+Ctrl+Shift+Space | Open Customize: a preview of each theme, and a tab for the widgets. |
| Super+Ctrl+Space | Show the next den wallpaper. This only changes something when you have more than one. |
| Super+A | Open the quick-launch ring: a terminal, a browser, and the FIELD NOTES panel, ready to type in. |
Talk to VECTOR
These need VECTOR, which a full install includes.
| Keys | What it does |
|---|---|
| Super+E | Show VECTOR and type to him. Press again to put him away. |
| Super+Shift+E | Turn conversation mode on or off. In conversation mode you speak and he answers, hands-free. |
| Super+V | Hold to talk to VECTOR. He listens while you hold the keys. |
| Super+Alt+V | Keep VECTOR’s chat box open, or let it fold away again. Clicking him does the same. |
| Super+Alt+C | Turn follow mode on or off. While it’s on, VECTOR reads each of Claude Code’s replies aloud once it’s finished, and READING CLAUDE shows on the bar. |
| Super+Ctrl+Esc | VECTOR’s emergency switch. Press it to stop his commands, his answer and his speech at once. Press it again, and choose YES, to switch him back on. |
Windows
Window keys use Alt, as do everyday keys such as the launcher, the terminal and screenshots, unless you chose another main key (Your own shortcuts). Windows tile: the first window takes the large space on the left, and each new one goes to the top of the stack on the right.
| Keys | What it does |
|---|---|
| Alt+C or Alt+Shift+C | Close the window. |
| Alt+F | Make the window fill the screen, keeping the bar. Press again to undo. |
| Alt+Shift+F | Make the window fullscreen, over the bar. Press again to undo. |
| Alt+Shift+V | Let the window float freely, or put it back in the tiles. |
| Alt+Enter | Swap the window with the large one on the left. |
| Alt+J | Move to the next window. |
| Alt+K | Move to the previous window. |
| Alt+H | Move to the window on the left. |
| Alt+L | Move to the window on the right. |
| Alt+Shift+H | Move the window left. |
| Alt+Shift+L | Move the window right. |
| Alt+Shift+K | Move the window up. |
| Alt+Shift+J | Move the window down. |
| Alt+← | Move the edge between the large window and the stack to the left. |
| Alt+→ | Move the edge between the large window and the stack to the right. |
| Alt+left-drag | Hold, then drag a window with the left mouse button to move it. |
| Alt+right-drag | Hold, then drag a window with the right mouse button to resize it. |
| Alt+B | Hide the bar, or show it again. |
Workspaces
A workspace is a separate screenful of windows. There are ten, on the number keys.
| Keys | What it does |
|---|---|
| Alt+1 to 0 | Go to workspace 1 to 10. The 0 key is workspace 10. |
| Alt+Shift+1 to 0 | Send the window to another workspace. You stay where you are. |
| Alt+S | Show or hide the scratchpad, a hidden workspace that opens over the one you’re on. |
| Alt+Shift+S | Put the window on the scratchpad. |
Panels and notes
The panels are the readouts on the desktop, under your windows.
| Keys | What it does |
|---|---|
| Super+W | Hide the visible panels. Press again to restore exactly that set. |
| Super+Alt+W | Arrange the panels: drag to move or resize them, and turn them on or off. Press Esc to save. See Arrange the panels. |
| Super+S | Show or hide the SYSTEM panel: processor, memory, graphics card. |
| Super+N | Show or hide the NETWORK panel. |
| Super+D | Show or hide the STORAGE panel: how full your disks are. |
| Super+B | Show or hide the WORKBENCH panel: the folders and projects you use most. |
| Super+F | Show or hide the FIELD NOTES panel. |
| Super+K | Show or hide the SHORTCUTS panel, which lists every key. It’s on at login, under your windows. |
| Super+Shift+K | Search the keys by name. Press Enter to run the one you pick. |
| Alt+N | Type in the FIELD NOTES panel. Press Esc when you’re done. |
| Alt+Shift+N | Add one line to your field notes without leaving what you’re doing. |
Holograms
Holograms open over your windows. Each key opens one, and the same key closes it. Esc closes any of them.
| Keys | What it does |
|---|---|
| Super+H | The holo deck: this machine’s readings and its 3D model. |
| Super+Shift+H | The lab deck: your homelab as a server rack, lit by its readings. |
| Super+O | The hologram gallery: every 3D model, VECTOR’s and each world’s. |
| Super+T | The timeline: the last 72 hours of readings, to scroll back through. |
| Super+M | The Drift map: a star chart of the bromigOS story’s places. |
| Super+Shift+S | The Swarm: your code repositories as planets, and your coding agents as ships. |
The background and sound
The live layer draws the animated background.
| Keys | What it does |
|---|---|
| Super+Shift+B | Turn the animated background off, or on again. |
| Super+Shift+M or Super+Shift+V | Mute or unmute the desktop’s own sound: the theme’s sounds and VECTOR’s voice. Your apps keep their sound. |
| Super+Shift+C | Turn the spoken part of codec calls off, or on again. The calls still show. |
| Super+X | Pin a drawing of this machine’s hardware to the background, with live readings. Press again to remove it. |
| Super+Z | Hold to show the hardware drawing. Let go to hide it. |
| Super+Alt+P | Watch what’s on the den TV full screen, with sound, from the same moment. |
| Super+Alt+. | Change the den TV to its next channel. |
| Super+Alt+, | Change the den TV to its previous channel. |
| Super+Alt+M | Turn the den TV’s sound on or off, on the screen under the pointer. One screen plays sound at a time. |
| Super+Alt+G | Open the Den TV app: channels, contents and what is on, with controls for every screen. |
The den TV remote keys
Select a screen with Super and a number-pad key. These buttons work while the remote is selected, with NumLock on or off. See the remote diagram.
| Keys | What it does |
|---|---|
| Super+KP_1 | Select the big monitor. |
| Super+KP_2 | Select the scope. |
| Super+KP_3 | Select the small monitor. |
| Esc or Super+KP_0 | Leave remote mode. |
| KP_ADD | Raise volume. |
| KP_SUBTRACT | Lower volume. |
| KP_8 | Next channel (digit 8 while entering a number). |
| KP_2 | Previous channel (digit 2 while entering a number). |
| KP_5 | Mute or unmute (digit 5 while entering a number). |
| KP_6 | Next item (digit 6 while entering a number). |
| KP_4 | Previous item (digit 4 while entering a number). |
| KP_ENTER | Full screen, or tune the entered number. |
| KP_MULTIPLY | Move sound to this tv. |
| KP_DIVIDE | Open den tv. |
| KP_DECIMAL | Enter a channel number. |
| KP_0 | Leave remote mode (digit 0 while entering a number). |
| KP_1 | Channel digit 1. |
| KP_3 | Channel digit 3. |
| KP_7 | Channel digit 7. |
| KP_9 | Channel digit 9. |
Screenshots and recording
Screenshots are saved to ~/Pictures/screenshots and copied to the clipboard. Recordings go to ~/Videos/recordings.
| Keys | What it does |
|---|---|
| Alt+Y | Drag out an area and take a screenshot of it. |
| Alt+Shift+Y | Take a screenshot of the monitor you’re on. |
| Alt+Shift+R | Drag out an area and start recording it. Press again to stop. |
Volume, brightness and media
Your keyboard’s own media keys. Each change shows on screen for a moment.
| Keys | What it does |
|---|---|
| Volume up | Turn the volume up. |
| Volume down | Turn the volume down. |
| Mute | Mute or unmute the speakers. |
| Mic mute | Mute or unmute the microphone. |
| Brightness up | Make the screen brighter. |
| Brightness down | Make the screen dimmer. |
| Play | Play or pause music and video. |
| Previous | Go to the previous track. |
| Next | Go to the next track. |
Lock, sleep and quit
| Keys | What it does |
|---|---|
| Super+L | Lock the screen. Your password opens it again. |
| Alt+Shift+E | Open the power menu: lock, suspend, log out, restart or shut down. |
| Alt+Esc | Put the machine to sleep. This key runs sudo, so it only works if sudo doesn’t ask for your password. Suspend in the power menu always works. |
| Alt+Shift+Q | Log out at once. Save your work first: open windows close without asking. |
The keys for VECTOR need VECTOR, which a full install includes. A keyboard with macro keys can have more: see Keyboards and peripherals.
Den TV remote
Super+KP 1 selects BIG, Super+KP 2 selects SCOPE and Super+KP 3 selects SMALL. The selected TV lights up. Its number pad works like a remote until Super+KP 0, Escape or fifteen seconds without a key. NumLock can be on or off. See the remote diagram for its volume, channel, mute, skip, full-screen and guide buttons. Decimal starts a channel number; enter the digits and wait one second, or press Enter to tune now. Settings › Keys can change every binding.