[vacri]

Try a different heavy DE and see if you can even find the settings these days. I hadn't used KDE since back when they first released 4 and have just started using it again. I'm loving it - a heavyweight DE where things are properly integrated (sorry XFCE and similar) and that you can actually personally tune the settings for. The settings can be a little difficult to find... but at least they're there to be found :)

[keithpeter]

Xubuntu 14.04, xfwm-whisker-menu bound to Super-Space,

Finding settings: Press Super-and-Space type 'set...'

Gnome 3.x, just about any version, e.g. RHEL7 RC

Finding settings: Press Super, type 'set...'

Windows 8

Press Windows key, type 'control'

Windows 7

Press Windows key and letter R and type 'control'

Seriously, each of us uses what we find best and produces work. Settings tend to be easy to find these days

[vacri]

Seriously, it was a rhetorical statement that didn't mean "no-one can literally find the settings", but "you're not allowed to change much these days". Gnome 3.x in particular is horribly bad. KDE allows a lot of tweaking.

[keithpeter]

I sort of guessed, but decided to answer literally because people can just find a GUI that works for them on Linux can they not?

My understanding of Gnome desktop is that customisation is being offloaded to third party extensions. I admit rapid changes in API for extensions means breakage at present, but I'm hoping for asymptotic stability as the interface matures. When that happens it will be like visual emacs one hopes... hack on your GUI for the things you need.

[wlesieutre]

Windows key and type 'control' applies on Windows 7 as well. When the start menu opens, the search box has focus.

[keithpeter]

Thanks, could not remember (at home, no Win7 machine)