Use F11 for Full Screen in Ubuntu

With the increasing popularity of laptops, getting the most out of small screen sizes has become a priority for computer users.

Ubuntu Linux helps with this by providing a consistent keyboard shortcut for a "Full Screen" mode. Pressing "F11" in many standard Ubuntu applications allows you to to toggle the application in and out of a full screen mode. Today I tested that the following key applications support this:

  • Firefox
  • Gimp Image Editor
  • Eye of Gnome Image Viewer
  • Evince Document Viewer
  • Totem Movie Player
  • Rhythmbox Music Player
  • Terminal

Now that I realize the shortcut exists and is widely supported I use it regularly to get the most out of my 14" laptop screen. I did find one key application had a full screen model and used a different shortcut. Open Office mysteriously uses "Ctrl-Shift-J". I have filed a bug to suggest that Ubuntu make this consistent as well.

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