Cinnamon: Group Windows by Application

A clean, stable solution to make Alt+Tab group windows by application in Linux Mint Cinnamon, similar to how macOS handles Cmd+Tab.

What this does

• Alt+Tab shows one icon per application (grouped), not one per window
• Alt+` instantly switches between windows of the same application (no popup)
• Shows application name instead of window title in the switcher
• Fully configurable via System Settings

Features

• Clean integration with Cinnamon settings (System Settings → Windows → Alt-Tab)
• Toggle on/off anytime - when disabled, Cinnamon behaves exactly as before
• Safe installation with automatic backups
• Easy uninstall to restore original behavior

Screenshots

Settings Panel

The new option appears in System Settings → Windows → Alt-Tab:

Group windows by application

Behavior

• Enabled: Alt+Tab shows one entry per app, Alt+` cycles windows instantly
• Disabled: Original Cinnamon behavior (one entry per window)

Installation

git clone https://github.com/b3rs3rk1ng/cinnamon-group-windows-by-app.git
cd cinnamon-group-windows-by-app
chmod +x install.sh
./install.sh

Then restart Cinnamon: Alt+F2 → type r → Enter

Uninstallation

./uninstall.sh

Then restart Cinnamon: Alt+F2 → type r → Enter

Configuration

After installation, go to:

System Settings → Windows → Alt-Tab

Toggle "Group windows by application" on or off.

You can also use the terminal:

# Enable
gsettings set org.cinnamon alttab-switcher-group-by-app true

# Disable
gsettings set org.cinnamon alttab-switcher-group-by-app false

# Check current value
gsettings get org.cinnamon alttab-switcher-group-by-app

How it works

This modification adds a new GSettings key alttab-switcher-group-by-app and modifies the Alt+Tab switcher behavior when enabled:

1. appSwitcher.js - Groups windows by wm_class (application identifier)
2. classicSwitcher.js - Displays app name instead of window title
3. windowManager.js - Enables instant window cycling with Alt+`
4. cs_windows.py - Adds the toggle to System Settings
5. org.cinnamon.gschema.xml - Defines the new setting

Compatibility

• Cinnamon 6.x (Linux Mint 22+)
• Should work on older versions but not tested

Safety

• All original files are backed up during installation (.backup extension)
• Only modifies JavaScript/Python files, no compiled binaries
• The uninstall script restores all original files
• When the setting is disabled, behavior is identical to stock Cinnamon

Files Modified

File	Location
appSwitcher.js	/usr/share/cinnamon/js/ui/appSwitcher/
classicSwitcher.js	/usr/share/cinnamon/js/ui/appSwitcher/
windowManager.js	/usr/share/cinnamon/js/ui/
cs_windows.py	/usr/share/cinnamon/cinnamon-settings/modules/
org.cinnamon.gschema.xml	/usr/share/glib-2.0/schemas/

Troubleshooting

Q: Alt+Tab still shows individual windows A: Make sure "Group windows by application" is enabled in System Settings → Windows → Alt-Tab

Q: Changes don't take effect A: Restart Cinnamon with Alt+F2 → r → Enter

Q: How do I completely remove this? A: Run ./uninstall.sh and restart Cinnamon

Keywords

Linux Mint, Cinnamon, Alt-Tab, window switcher, group by application, app-centric, window grouping, application switcher, Cmd+Tab, switch windows, desktop environment, window management

Author

Developed by Kevin Navarro (@berserking)

Contact: navarro.kevin@pucp.edu.pe

License

MIT License - Feel free to use, modify, and distribute.

Contributing

Issues and pull requests are welcome.