i3 configuration

Table of Contents

at ~/.config/i3/config Documentation at https://i3wm.org

1. Cheatsheets

2. Original configuration

# This file has been auto-generated by i3-config-wizard(1).
# It will not be overwritten, so edit it as you like.
#
# Should you change your keyboard layout some time, delete
# this file and re-run i3-config-wizard(1).
#

# i3 config file (v4)
#
# Please see https://i3wm.org/docs/userguide.html for a complete reference!

set $mod Mod4

# Font for window titles. Will also be used by the bar unless a different font
# is used in the bar {} block below.
font pango:HurmitNerdFont 14

# This font is widely installed, provides lots of unicode glyphs, right-to-left
# text rendering and scalability on retina/hidpi displays (thanks to pango).
#font pango:DejaVu Sans Mono 8

# Start XDG autostart .desktop files using dex. See also
# https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/XDG_Autostart
exec --no-startup-id dex --autostart --environment i3

# The combination of xss-lock, nm-applet and pactl is a popular choice, so
# they are included here as an example. Modify as you see fit.

# xss-lock grabs a logind suspend inhibit lock and will use i3lock to lock the
# screen before suspend. Use loginctl lock-session to lock your screen.
exec --no-startup-id xss-lock --transfer-sleep-lock -- i3lock --nofork

# NetworkManager is the most popular way to manage wireless networks on Linux,
# and nm-applet is a desktop environment-independent system tray GUI for it.
exec --no-startup-id nm-applet

# Use pactl to adjust volume in PulseAudio.
set $refresh_i3status killall -SIGUSR1 i3status
bindsym XF86AudioRaiseVolume exec --no-startup-id pactl set-sink-volume @DEFAULT_SINK@ +10% && $refresh_i3status
bindsym XF86AudioLowerVolume exec --no-startup-id pactl set-sink-volume @DEFAULT_SINK@ -10% && $refresh_i3status
bindsym XF86AudioMute exec --no-startup-id pactl set-sink-mute @DEFAULT_SINK@ toggle && $refresh_i3status
bindsym XF86AudioMicMute exec --no-startup-id pactl set-source-mute @DEFAULT_SOURCE@ toggle && $refresh_i3status

# Use Mouse+$mod to drag floating windows to their wanted position
floating_modifier $mod

# move tiling windows via drag & drop by left-clicking into the title bar,
# or left-clicking anywhere into the window while holding the floating modifier.
tiling_drag modifier titlebar

# start a terminal
# bindsym $mod+Return exec i3-sensible-terminal
bindsym $mod+Return exec konsole

# kill focused window
bindsym $mod+Shift+q kill

# start dmenu (a program launcher)
# bindsym $mod+d exec --no-startup-id dmenu_run
# A more modern dmenu replacement is rofi:
# bindcode $mod+40 exec "rofi -modi drun,run -show drun"
# There also is i3-dmenu-desktop which only displays applications shipping a
# .desktop file. It is a wrapper around dmenu, so you need that installed.
# bindcode $mod+40 exec --no-startup-id i3-dmenu-desktop


# split in h[O]rizontal orientation
bindsym $mod+o split h


# split in vertical orientation
bindsym $mod+v split v

# enter fullscreen mode for the focused container
bindsym $mod+f fullscreen toggle

# change container layout (stacked, tabbed, toggle split)
bindsym $mod+s layout stacking
bindsym $mod+w layout tabbed
bindsym $mod+e layout toggle split

# toggle tiling / floating
bindsym $mod+Shift+space floating toggle

# change focus between tiling / floating windows
bindsym $mod+space focus mode_toggle

# focus the parent container
bindsym $mod+a focus parent

# focus the child container
#bindsym $mod+d focus child
# reload the configuration file
bindsym $mod+Shift+c reload
# restart i3 inplace (preserves your layout/session, can be used to upgrade i3)
bindsym $mod+Shift+r restart
# exit i3 (logs you out of your X session)
# bindsym $mod+Shift+e exec "i3-nagbar -t warning -m 'You pressed the exit shortcut. Do you really want to exit i3? This will end your X session.' -B 'Yes, exit i3' 'i3-msg exit'"

# resize window (you can also use the mouse for that)
mode "resize" {
        # These bindings trigger as soon as you enter the resize mode

        # Pressing left will shrink the window’s width.
        # Pressing right will grow the window’s width.
        # Pressing up will shrink the window’s height.
        # Pressing down will grow the window’s height.
        bindsym j resize shrink width 10 px or 10 ppt
        bindsym k resize grow height 10 px or 10 ppt
        bindsym l resize shrink height 10 px or 10 ppt
        bindsym semicolon resize grow width 10 px or 10 ppt

        # same bindings, but for the arrow keys
        bindsym Left resize shrink width 10 px or 10 ppt
        bindsym Down resize grow height 10 px or 10 ppt
        bindsym Up resize shrink height 10 px or 10 ppt
        bindsym Right resize grow width 10 px or 10 ppt

        # back to normal: Enter or Escape or $mod+r
        bindsym Return mode "default"
        bindsym Escape mode "default"
        bindsym $mod+r mode "default"
}

bindsym $mod+r mode "resize"


3. moving windows and focus

# change focus
bindsym $mod+h focus left
bindsym $mod+j focus down
bindsym $mod+k focus up
bindsym $mod+l focus right

# alternatively, you can use the cursor keys:
bindsym $mod+Left focus left
bindsym $mod+Down focus down
bindsym $mod+Up focus up
bindsym $mod+Right focus right

# move focused window
bindsym $mod+Shift+h move left
bindsym $mod+Shift+j move down
bindsym $mod+Shift+k move up
bindsym $mod+Shift+l move right

# alternatively, you can use the cursor keys:
bindsym $mod+Shift+Left move left
bindsym $mod+Shift+Down move down
bindsym $mod+Shift+Up move up
bindsym $mod+Shift+Right move right
# change focus
bindsym $mod+j focus left
bindsym $mod+k focus down
bindsym $mod+l focus up
bindsym $mod+semicolon focus right

# alternatively, you can use the cursor keys:
bindsym $mod+Left focus left
bindsym $mod+Down focus down
bindsym $mod+Up focus up
bindsym $mod+Right focus right

# move focused window
bindsym $mod+Shift+j move left
bindsym $mod+Shift+k move down
bindsym $mod+Shift+l move up
bindsym $mod+Shift+semicolon move right

# alternatively, you can use the cursor keys:
bindsym $mod+Shift+Left move left
bindsym $mod+Shift+Down move down
bindsym $mod+Shift+Up move up
bindsym $mod+Shift+Right move right

4. i3 blocks

the i3blocks.conf is tangled from

# Start i3bar to display a workspace bar (plus the system information i3status
# finds out, if available)
bar {
        # status_command i3status
        status_command i3blocks -c ~/.config/i3/i3blocks
        position top
}

5. colours

from this github repo. originally from arc theme

set $bg-color          #2f343f
set $inactive-bg-color   #2f343f
set $text-color          #f3f4f5
set $inactive-text-color #676E7D
set $urgent-bg-color     #E53935

6. rofi

# bindsym $mod+d exec rofi -show run -lines 3 -eh 2 -width 100 -padding 800 -opacity "85" -bw 0 -bc "$bg-color" -bg "$bg-color" -fg "$text-color" -hlbg "$bg-color" -hlfg "#9575cd" -font "HurmitNerdFont 18"
bindsym $mod+d exec rofi -show run

7. lock screen

# bindsym $mod+shift+x exec i3lock
bindsym $mod+shift+x exec "i3lock -c 000000"

8. workspaces

# Define names for default workspaces for which we configure key bindings later on.
# We use variables to avoid repeating the names in multiple places.
set $ws1 "1:"
# set $ws1 "1"
set $ws2 "2:"
set $ws3 "3:󰚩"
set $ws4 "4:󰊴"
set $ws5 "5:"
set $ws6 "6"
set $ws7 "7"
set $ws8 "8"
set $ws9 "9:󰦚"
set $ws10 "10:󰚤"

# switch to workspace
bindsym $mod+1 workspace $ws1
bindsym $mod+2 workspace $ws2
bindsym $mod+3 workspace $ws3
bindsym $mod+4 workspace $ws4
bindsym $mod+5 workspace $ws5
bindsym $mod+6 workspace $ws6
bindsym $mod+7 workspace $ws7
bindsym $mod+8 workspace $ws8
bindsym $mod+9 workspace $ws9
bindsym $mod+0 workspace $ws10

# move focused container to workspace
bindsym $mod+Shift+1 move container to workspace number $ws1
bindsym $mod+Shift+2 move container to workspace number $ws2
bindsym $mod+Shift+3 move container to workspace number $ws3
bindsym $mod+Shift+4 move container to workspace number $ws4
bindsym $mod+Shift+5 move container to workspace number $ws5
bindsym $mod+Shift+6 move container to workspace number $ws6
bindsym $mod+Shift+7 move container to workspace number $ws7
bindsym $mod+Shift+8 move container to workspace number $ws8
bindsym $mod+Shift+9 move container to workspace number $ws9
bindsym $mod+Shift+0 move container to workspace number $ws10

# assign [class="Emacs"] $ws1
assign [class="firefox"] $ws2
assign [title="Blanket"] $ws9
assign [class="Zotero"] $ws10
#move workspace between monitors
# https://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/397269/i3wm-how-to-move-workspaces-between-monitors
bindsym $mod+Ctrl+l move workspace to output right
bindsym $mod+Ctrl+h move workspace to output left
bindsym $mod+Ctrl+j move workspace to output down
bindsym $mod+Ctrl+k move workspace to output up

bindsym $mod+x [urgent=latest] focus
# bindsym $mod+Tab focus output left

9. exchange workspace displaying on 2 monitor

A on 1, B on 2 -> B on 1, A on 2

#!/bin/bash

# Get the names of the currently focused workspaces on each monitor
currentoutput=($(i3-msg -t get_workspaces | jq '.[] | select(.focused==true).output'))
outputs=($(i3-msg -t get_outputs | jq -r '.[] | select(.active==true) | .name'))
otheroutput=($(i3-msg -t get_workspaces | jq -r '.[] | select(.output!='$currentoutput').output'))

currentoutput=${currentoutput//\"/}


ws1=$(i3-msg -t get_outputs | jq -r --arg output "$currentoutput" '.[] | select(.active==true and .name==$output).current_workspace')
ws2=$(i3-msg -t get_outputs | jq -r --arg output $otheroutput '.[] | select(.active==true and .name==$output).current_workspace')

# echo $ws1
# echo $ws2

# Move the workspaces between monitors
i3-msg "[workspace=$ws1] move workspace to output $otheroutput"
i3-msg "[workspace=$ws2] move workspace to output $currentoutput"

i3-msg "[workspace=$ws1] focus"
i3-msg "[workspace=$ws2] focus"
# echo $currentoutput
# echo $otheroutput

bindsym $mod+slash exec ~/.local/bin/i3-exchange
exec_always chmod +x ~/.local/bin/i3-exchange

10. plasma compatibility i3 config

# Plasma compatibility improvements
for_window [window_role="pop-up"] floating enable
for_window [window_role="task_dialog"] floating enable

for_window [class="yakuake"] floating enable
for_window [class="systemsettings"] floating enable
for_window [class="plasmashell"] floating enable;
for_window [class="Plasma"] floating enable; border none
for_window [title="plasma-desktop"] floating enable; border none
for_window [title="win7"] floating enable; border none
for_window [class="krunner"] floating enable; border none
for_window [class="Kmix"] floating enable; border none
for_window [class="Klipper"] floating enable; border none
for_window [class="Plasmoidviewer"] floating enable; border none
for_window [class="(?i)*nextcloud*"] floating disable
for_window [class="plasmashell" window_type="notification"] border none, move position 70 ppt 81 ppt
no_focus [class="plasmashell" window_type="notification"]

for_window [title="Desktop @ QRect.*"] kill; floating enable; border none
# using plasma's logout screen instead of i3's
bindsym $mod+Shift+e exec --no-startup-id qdbus-qt5 org.kde.ksmserver /KSMServer org.kde.KSMServerInterface.logout -1 -1 -1

11. background

I use picom compositor

# exec_always feh --bg-max ~/Pictures/wallhaven-kxj3l1_1920x1080.png
# exec_always feh --bg-max ~/Pictures/wallhaven-kxjklm_1920x1080.png
# exec_always feh --bg-max ~/Pictures/wallhaven-zyvgdy_1920x1080.png

# change wallpapers
bindsym $mod+b exec --no-startup-id feh ~/Pictures/Wallpapers/* --recursive --randomize --bg-max

bindsym $mod+Shift+b exec --no-startup-id feh ~/.config/variety/Downloaded/* --recursive --randomize --bg-max
exec_always --no-startup-id feh ~/Pictures/Wallpapers/* --recursive --randomize --bg-max

exec_always --no-startup-id picom -bc
# exec_always --no-startup-id picom --experimental-backends -b
backend = "glx";
blur_method = "dual_kawase";
blur_deviation = true;

12. Notes

12.1. monitors

use arandr gui to configure. under the hood is xrandr cli

12.2. workspace

workspace can have whatever names

bindsym $mod+1 workspace number term

12.3. variable

set $workspace1 "Terminal"

12.4. i3blocks

13. xmodmap

I mapped menu to super, so have to do it everytime.

exec_always xmodmap ~/.xmodmaprc

14. start on boot

exec zotero
# exec keynav

15. resource

16. flameshot keybinding

bindsym Print exec flameshot gui

17. back and forth

bindsym $mod+Tab workspace back_and_forth

18. cycle workspaces(left and right)

bindsym $mod+bracketleft workspace prev
bindsym $mod+bracketright workspace next

Backlinks

old index

(Configurations and Scripts)

These are stuffs that contain snippet I’ll tangle to somewhere to be used by certain program.

Author: Linfeng He

Created: 2024-04-14 Sun 03:23