Ubuntu 10.10 Settings: Configure Ctrl-Alt-Del As Task Manager

2010 Oct 31, Update: Next release of Ubuntu is Ubuntu 11.04 Alpha 1 (Natty Narwhal) scheduled for November 4th, 2010.

2010 Jul 15, Update: Added a Ctrl-Alt-Backspace section.

Note: The solution in this article was written for Ubuntu 10.04 and above, namely Ubuntu 10.04, 10.10, 11.04, etc... It may also work for some earlier versions - the configuration settings and menus kept changing - so you will have to work that out on your own. Or just upgrade! ;)

Always swear by the Ctrl-Alt-Del combo and wants Ubuntu to have the same feature even though it hasn't crashed on you yet? Well, I understand. Familiarity is a good thing. :D

This is for those of you who seeks familiarity in an unfamiliar surrounding. Especially for recent converts from WIndows. Right after installing or reinstalling Ubuntu, one of the first Ubuntu must haves or customization is the ability to simulate the behaviour of the control-alt-delete combination key strokes to open the Task Manager, or the System Monitor, as it is called in Ubuntu.

This article will show you the easiest way to customize this feature to end tasks or kill unresponsive processes. Unlike other methods which involved using terminals, if you did this just once and understood the steps, you will be able to reduplicate this for other new installations of Ubuntu without referring to your notes whatsoever.

Some background:
In Ubuntu, when you press Ctrl-Alt-Del, you will get the Log Out screen, which is not what Windows users expected. :(

Here's how to enable the Ctrl-Alt-Del shortcut the "right" way:

Go to "System > Preferences > Keyboard Shortcuts" (In Ubuntu 10.04, older versions may have it elsewhere under a different name, look around) .

1. Change the key combo for the current Ctrl-Alt-Del binding:
Look for "Log out", where you can see:
"Log out - Ctrl+Alt+Delete"
Click on the "Log out" line and you will be prompted to enter a new key, try "Ctrl-Shift-Del" or whatever key combination not in use.

2. Enter the new Ctrl-Alt-Del:
At the bottom of the "Keyboard Shortcuts" window, click on "Add", to add a new "Custom Shortcut" combination.

Name:* Ctrl-Alt-Del

Command: gnome-system-monitor

*You can name it whatever you want, even "Windows Task Manager", as in Windows. :)

Click "Apply", and then click on "Disabled", next to the new Ctrl-Alt-Del entry, and press Ctrl-Alt-Del to enter the new key combination when you see "New shortcut", and you're done!
Test it out by pressing Ctrl-Alt-Del!

Tips and Tricks:

-The System Monitor (ie your new "Windows Task Manager") will always open the last opened tab, so if you left it at "Processes" that is what it will open next.

-You can also have the System Monitor as a link in your top taskbar, as I did in the accompanying screenshot.
To do this, simply navigate to "System > Administration > System Monitor", click-and-hold the icon, and then drag it over to the taskbar and release the mouse button. :)

-IF you need to shutdown/restart/hibernate from here, use the Ctrl-Shift-Del combo, which you had just programmed above if you did not change anything. Note that with this "logout", you only have options to shutdown, etc, but without the option to log back in.

-IF you need a Log Off/Log Out shortcut, where you can choose to log back in as another user, the command is: "gnome-session-save --kill". Either add it to the top taskbar (-right click on task bar, and select "Add To Panel" ...) or create a keyboard shortcut for it.

IF you find it hard to believe that Ctrl-Alt-Del is an original Windows invention, see the short video below (featuring David Bradley of IBM, who is the creator of the Ctrl-Alt-Del shortcut key combo and a very special guest).
Never believe anyone that tells you that there is no originality in Windows! ;D