4 custom keyboard shortcuts that drastically improved my Linux workflow

I hate doing things the hard way. That's why I love using shortcuts, customizing key bindings, and using command line tools for good reason: efficiency and speed. On Linux Mint, I discovered I could get much more use out of my system (and finish my work more quickly) if I simply bound my most-used programs to my least-used keys.

Setting up a keyboard bindings in Linux Mint A slightly different approach is required Credit: David J. Buck/How-To Geek

Setting up a custom keyboard shortcut is deceptively easy in Mint. Just go to System Settings > Keyboard > Shortcuts or launch the terminal and enter cinnamon-settings keyboard then navigate to Shortcuts.

Once there, click Add custom shortcut.

You can also access the Keyboard app from the Linux Mint menu in your taskbar and type "keyboard" to find it quickly.

If you install a program through Linux Mint's repository, the command to launch it via the terminal is usually just the program's name or whatever command you'd typically use to launch it in the terminal. On Linux Mint, you can find the command by opening your menu, finding the app you want, and selecting properties.

Once there, it'll display the command used to access it via the terminal. That's the command you'll enter into your custom keyboard shortcut.

Credit: David J. Buck/How-To Geek

A large part of what we do here is capturing screenshots. After all, how do you make an explainer or guide about something without pointing out what you're talking about? Flameshot is like a snipping tool on steroids.

After activating the application, you can draw a bounding box around whatever you want on your screen. Then, you can customize it with arrows, rectangles, and other unique effects. I like the Pixelate tool (blurs your selection) and the Inverter tool (inverts the selection's colors) myself. I use Flameshot daily, largely because it's simple and has plenty of options for how I want to label/add to my screenshots.

Flameshot itself has several keyboard shortcuts that make things go even smoother.

I mapped it to PRTSC, or the print screen key on my desktop computer.

Related Pinta is my go-to editing program A simple interface and useful shortcuts make editing simple

Back in my Windows days, I'd use Gimp, Photoshop, or even MSPaint on more than one occasion. Canva might provide excellent image editing tools at its free and paid tiers, but I just don't find myself using it much (part of it is the cost and another part is my repulsion to AI image editing).

I wanted a solution that worked well, but was simple and didn't require a major time commitment. I landed on Pinta.

I don't quite recall how I learned about Pinta, but I'm happy I did. Everything in it seems streamlined, easy to use, and fast. I've been able to both draw and edit images in large batches with Pinta on Linux Mint, where it would take longer and use more resources with apps on my old Windows machine. The app drastically improved my workflow for a good chunk of my work.

Credit: David J. Buck/How-To Geek

The three shortcuts I use most often in Pinta are O to draw a red arrow on screenshots, CTRL + SHIFT + X to crop to a selection, and my personal favorite, CTRL + R to resize an image.

To access it quickly on my set-up, I set the keybinding to thePAUSE key.

Obsidian for writing and research Writing in a Markdown-friendly environment

Obsidian isn't the only note-taking/writing app I use, but it is the one where I compose article drafts and do multi-tier research or outlining. Since I use it daily, I set up a shortcut key for quick access.

As far as writing apps go, I like Obsidian because it's Markdown-friendly, and I write almost everything in Markdown. I don't use the paid sync feature on it. I just run it locally at the free level. I do, however, do a version of syncing using Syncthing and my own server.

I could enable it to run at startup, but I don't typically like to do that with my machine. So I mapped it to SCRLK for a rapid launch.

Related How to Install and Optimize Obsidian on Linux

Fix issues like slow startup and high CPU usage from the get-go.

OBS Studio for work and fun A versatile screen-recording app for just about anything Credit: Corbin Davenport / How-To Geek / OBS

I like to record my screen for various purposes. Sure, I use it to record video game footage at times, but I'm not a streamer. I was that kid back in the day who recorded Super Mario Bros and Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse runs on VHS tape. It's a fun hobby.

OBS Studio is so versatile that I can also use it for work, training, or demonstrating how to do things on a PC. Since I open it at least twice a week, it deserved its own shortcut.

My shortcut for this one is INSERT since I don't use the key too much for anything else.

Custom shortcuts make Linux better Credit: David J. Buck/How-To Geek

Customization is one of my favorite things about being a Linux user. I've discovered so many useful tricks that I started putting them in a 3-ring binder. I have plenty of others: Alt + T for Thunderbird, ALT + F for Firefox, and ALT + J for Joplin.

I also wrote the shortcuts on an index card and tacked them to my wall, just in case I forget what they are.

What can I say? I'm a firm believer in backups and this counts.

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