Question

7

How can I change PrtScn to capture by area?

rated 0 times [ 7] [ 0] / answers: 1 / hits: 14491 / 2 Years ago, mon, november 7, 2022, 6:01:33

I just installed 11.10. One of the standard things I do on a new install of Ubuntu is change the action taken when I hit the prtscn key. By default the action is to take a screenshot. I change it so that it takes a screenshot by area.

Here's how I do that in earlier versions:
system>preferences>keyboard shortcuts
Add
Name: Take Area Screenshot
Shortcut: gnome-screenshot -a
Then click printscreen. It will ask you to disable the normal screenshot. Say yes.

Here's what I tried in 11.10
settings>keyboard>shortcuts
go under custom shortcut
Add
Name: Take Area Screenshot
Shortcut: gnome-screenshot -a
All seems good so far. I see a new row that shows disabled. That makes sense to me because I haven't yet assigned a key to it. But here's where I get hung up. If i click the prtscn it actually takes a screenshot. If I hold prtscn down for 3 seconds, my computer gets bogged down and when it finally recovers I have to cancel over 20 screenshots that it has taken. So I figured the problem is that I first need to disable the default screenshot shortcut. So I went there and click backspace, but no go.

Any suggestions?

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1 Year ago

answered 2 Years ago defendle · Accepted Answer

At this point I am convinced there is a bug such that you cannot actually connect the print screen button (prtScn) to any custom shortcut. The key works fine if you leave it as the default, but assign it to something else and it is wortheless. The best workaround I believe is to assign it to a different key instead. Other key combinations tend to work. I used the combination of ctrl + prtscn.

Here are the instructions:
Open System Settings
click once on "keyboard"
Go to the "shortcuts" tab
Click "Custom shortcuts" from the list of items on the left
Click the plus icon near the bottom of the windows.
Fill the name box in "Print Screen by Area"
Fill in the comand box "gnome-screenshot -a"

No you'll see the word "disabled" to the right of your new shortcut.
Click on the word "disabled"
Click again on the word "disabled" and it should change to "New Shortcut"
Press ctrl + PrtScn and the word "disabled" will change to "Ctrl+Print"
You are done. You can close the system settings window.