dot-awesome
This repository contains my config for the AwesomeWM tiling window manager.
The default config of awesome is neither pretty, nor efficient and intuitive. My attempts to amend these drawbacks were somewhat successful, but there is still room for improvement. This config is therefore public to help others to start working with AwesomeWM.
Maybe the most important design criterion of this config is efficiency. I favor speed, a clean workspace and few keystrokes to launch the most important applications. There is little eye candy and no display bar with a zillion system properties.
In the following I will try to give a summary of the most common keys and gestures, the list is not complete. Please refer to the config itself for more window manipulation keys.
The config requires awesome-3.5, I currently have 3.5.4, and the "vicious" library. Clone vicious as a git submodule using
git submodue init
git submodule update
Most Important Key Strokes
Most keys require the "Super" modifier, which is usually the Windows key (see FAQ on how to change CapsLock to Super).
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| Super-Enter | starts default terminal (urxvt) |
| Ctrl+Alt+Shift Enter | also starts the default terminal (backup, in case Super doesn't work) |
| Super-\ (Backslash) | start gnome-terminal |
| Super-Left/Right | switch virtual desktop left/right |
| Super-Up/Down | switch focus to window above/below on current desktop |
| Super-[1234567890] | switches to virtual desktop |
| Super-~ (Tilde) | Maximize/Unmaximized the focused window (very useful). |
| Super-s | start programs in freedesktop application list |
| Super-r | run programs via plain Awesome launcher |
| Super-q | Quit/Close the currently focused window |
| Super-w | Launch webbrowser (firefox) |
| Super-f | Launch file manager (thunar) |
| Super-e | Launch editor (emacs) with default TODO file. |
| Break/Pause or Super-l | Lock screen using screensaver (xscreensaver) |
| Super-Ctrl-e | Exit Awesome |
| Super-Ctrl-r | Reload Awesome config |
| Super-Ctrl-w | Switch to new random wallpaper (see FAQ) |
The config contains the above programs as default applications. If you want others, change the config.
Common Mouse Gestures
The "title" denotes the window title description in the top bar, the "window" any window frame, and "number" one of the 10 virtual desktop numbers in the top bar.
| Gesture | Action |
|---|---|
| Move | Focus follows the mouse, thus move the mouse to desired window, the focused window is red. |
| LeftClick title | The window title hides/unhides (minimize?) the window, and grays it in the top bar. |
| Super-LeftClick window | Moves the clicked window among the tiles (or freely if floating). |
| Super-RightClick window | Resizes the current tiling boundaries or the focused floating window. |
| Middle-Click title | Closes the window. |
| Wheel number | The mouse wheel on desktop numbers switches the virtual desktops. |
| LeftClick number | Switch virtual desktop. |
| RightClick number | Show both, current and clicked, virtual desktop at once. |
| Shift+LeftClick number | Moves the focused window to the virtual desktop. |
| Shift+RightClick number | Copies/Removes the focused window to the virtual desktop (it is shown on both). |
More Advanced Key Strokes
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| Super-Space | Switches layouts, I removed all but the most useful. |
| Super-Shift-Space | Cycles layouts in other direction. |
| Super-Tab | Switches to next monitor/screen in Multi-Monitor config. |
| Super-Ctrl-Up/Down | Cycles through other monitor/screens. |
| Super-a | Moves focused window to next monitor/screen. |
| Super-Shift-[1234567890] | Moves focused windows to other virtual desktop (beware of the mouse follow focus!) |
| Super-z | Floats/Unfloats the focused window, |
| Super-p | Pins the focused window so that it is always on top of all others. |
| Super-h | Run sudo /usr/sbin/pm-hiberate to hiberate system. |
| Super-Shift-l | Disable screensaver for 90 minutes (think presentation). |
| Super-Shift-k | Launch "xkill" program to really, really kill a frozen window/application. |
| Printscreen | Make a screenshot (duh) using "xwd", saved as a PNG in the homedir. |
| Super--/= (Minus/Equal) | Resizes the master tile size (I usually used the mouse). |
| Super-Shift--/= (Minus/Equal) | Add/Remove tile compartments to the master view. |
FAQ
I have no windows key! or: How to use CapsLock for something useful!
- Well, neither does some of my older keyboards
- run "setxkmap -option caps:super" makes CapsLock another Super key.
- Please google how to make this permanent.
Why is the focus color red?
- because red+black is a cool color combination.
- because red is the color of attention.
- because I don't need to present a blue, cool, confident corporate image.
What is the wallpaper?
- The config choses a random wallpaper from the config directory, you can add your own.
- The two example wallpapers are photos I made.
What about the system indicators on the top right?
- These are the indicators from the vicious library, that I got running.
- Mouse wheel on the volume changes the default mixer's sound volume.
- Click on the CPU frequency gives a list of cpupower configs I found useful.