In 10.10 that I was using before 12.04, you could use Alt+F9 to minimize a window to the task bar.

In 12.04 Meta+Ctrl+↑/↓ maximizes and unmaximizes a window.
If you have a numeric keypad you can use Ctrl+Alt+0 to minimize to launcher.

On my netbook I don't have a numeric keypad and the normal numbers do not work with the above shortcut. How can I minimize windows with a keyboard shortcut?

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4 Answers

I prefer the default bindings instead of needing customised ones:

  • Alt+Space then pressing N to Minimize
  • Alt+Space then pressing X to Maximize/Un-maximize

This also happens to be the default in Microsoft Windows.

Unfortunately it's different for GNOME Shell. There you press:

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Launch keyboard:
enter image description here
Shortcuts, windows, minimize window, click at the right of the bar as indicated
enter image description here
It will toggle to new accelerator. Just press CTL + ALT + 0 not the numpad zero.

Do note that the numpad zero shortcut will no longer work after you do this. Shortcuts now make a distinction between numpad numbers and across the top numbers, although it isn't noted as 'numpad0' in the keyboard wizard.

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If your keyboard has 'windows' key, also known as 'Super' in Ubuntu, you can minimize, maximize, left-restore or right-restore using the key combinations:

  • Ctrl + Super + Up arrow = Maximize or Restore (toggles)
  • Ctrl + Super + Down arrow = Restore then Minimize
  • Ctrl + Super + Left arrow = Restore to left
  • Ctrl + Super + Right arrow = Restore to right

If you wish to continue to use Alt+F9 then you can. For unity* just set to it in system settings > keyboard > shortcuts > windows as seen in the screenshot in aking1012's answer

For gnome-shell you need to set in gsettings, either graphically in dconf-editor as in screen or thru gsettings

gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.wm.keybindings minimize "['<Alt>F9']"

enter image description here

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