i3

Tiling window manager for Linux

(Default) Shortcuts

The default modifier key is Win, also called Meta or Cmd. In the following I just call it Win, because that corresponds to the logo/icon this key has on most keyboards.

Shortcut	Function
`Win`+`D`	Start launcher (dmenu)
`Win`+`DownArrow`	Focus window below
`Win`+`E`	Switch container to split layout. If the container is already split, changes from horizontal to vertical split or vice-versa.
`Win`+`Enter`	Open terminal emulator
`Win`+`H`	The next window should be split horizontally (to the right)
`Win`+`J`	Switch between windows
`Win`+`LeftArrow`	Focus window to the left
`Win`+`RightArrow`	Focus window to the right
`Win`+`Shift`+`E`	Exit i3
`Win`+`Shift`+`Q`	Close current window
`Win`+`Shift`+`R`	Reload i3 (after changing configuration)
`Win`+`UpArrow`	Focus window above
`Win`+`V`	The next window should be split vertically (below)
`Win`+`S`	Switch container to stacked layout
`Win`+`W`	Switch container to tabbed layout

Resources

ArchWiki

Launchers

dmenu - simple launcher
davatorium/rofi - a themeable window switcher, application launcher and dmenu replacement

My old config file

From the good old FreeBSD times:

set $mod Mod4
floating_modifier $mod
bindsym $mod+Return exec ssh-agent lxterminal
bindsym Mod1+F4 kill
bindsym $mod+d exec --no-startup-id i3-dmenu-desktop
bindsym $mod+j focus left
bindsym $mod+k focus down
bindsym $mod+l focus up
bindsym $mod+ae focus right
bindsym $mod+ISO_Level3_Shift focus left
bindsym $mod+Super_R focus down
bindsym $mod+Print focus up
bindsym $mod+(null) focus right
bindsym $mod+Shift+Left move left
bindsym $mod+Shift+Down move down
bindsym $mod+Shift+Up move up
bindsym $mod+Shift+Right move right
bindsym $mod+Shift+ISO_Level3_Shift move left
bindsym $mod+Shift+Super_R move down
bindsym $mod+Shift+Print move up
bindsym $mod+Shift+(null) move right
bindsym $mod+h split h
bindsym $mod+v split v
bindsym $mod+f fullscreen
bindsym $mod+s layout stacking
bindsym $mod+w layout tabbed
bindsym $mod+e layout toggle split
bindsym $mod+Shift+space floating toggle
bindsym $mod+space focus mode_toggle
bindsym $mod+a focus parent
#bindsym $mod+d focus child
bindsym $mod+1 workspace 1
bindsym $mod+2 workspace 2
bindsym $mod+3 workspace 3
bindsym $mod+4 workspace 4
bindsym $mod+5 workspace 5
bindsym $mod+6 workspace 6
bindsym $mod+7 workspace 7
bindsym $mod+8 workspace 8
bindsym $mod+9 workspace 9
bindsym $mod+0 workspace 10
bindsym $mod+Shift+1 move container to workspace 1
bindsym $mod+Shift+2 move container to workspace 2
bindsym $mod+Shift+3 move container to workspace 3
bindsym $mod+Shift+4 move container to workspace 4
bindsym $mod+Shift+5 move container to workspace 5
bindsym $mod+Shift+6 move container to workspace 6
bindsym $mod+Shift+7 move container to workspace 7
bindsym $mod+Shift+8 move container to workspace 8
bindsym $mod+Shift+9 move container to workspace 9
bindsym $mod+Shift+0 move container to workspace 10
bindsym Mod1+Shift+Tab workspace prev
bindsym Mod1+Tab workspace next
bindsym $mod+Shift+c reload
bindsym $mod+Shift+r restart
bindsym $mod+q 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'"
mode "resize" {
        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 ae resize grow width 10 px or 10 ppt
        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
        bindsym Return mode "default"
        bindsym Escape mode "default"
}
bindsym $mod+z mode "resize"
bar {
        status_command i3status
}
new_window 1pixel
hide_edge_borders both
focus_follows_mouse no
workspace_auto_back_and_forth yes
exec_always --no-startup-id sleep 1 && xrandr --output LVDS1 --auto --rotate normal --pos  0x0  --output VGA1 --auto --rotate normal --right-of LVDS1
exec_always --no-startup-id sleep 1 && xsetroot -bg '#101010' -fg '#000000' -mod 3 3