i3wm Keybindings

NOTE: Any time you see Alt/alt/M-, I'm referring to Mod1, the first modifier key. This is alt by default.

Default Keybindings

These are in the official i3wm docs

The Mod key is either Alt or Win (super) by default.

• M-Enter starts a terminal.
• M-f makes the currently selected window full-screen.
• M-k and M-l switch which windows are selected.
• M-Shift-Q will close the current window.

Movement

The default movement keybindings are like vim, except they're all shifted right by one. So, instead of hjkl, it's jkl;.

Changing Window Layout

• M-s changes to stacked window layout
• M-w changes to tabbed window layout
• M-e switches between vertical and horizontal splits.

Default i3 Window Manager Keybindings Cheatsheet

Keybinding	Action
Alt-Enter	Open a new terminal window
Alt-d	Open the application launcher (dmenu/rofi)
Alt-Shift-q	Close the focused window
Alt-j	Focus the window to the left
Alt-k	Focus the window above
Alt-l	Focus the window below
Alt-;	Focus the window to the right
Alt-h	Move the focused window to the left
Alt-Shift-k	Move the focused window up
Alt-Shift-l	Move the focused window down
Alt-Shift-;	Move the focused window to the right
Alt-f	Toggle fullscreen for the focused window
Alt-Shift-Space	Toggle floating mode for the focused window
Alt-Space	Change focus between tiling and floating windows
Alt-1 to Mod1-9	Switch to workspace 1 to 9
Alt-Shift-1 to Mod1-Shift-9	Move the focused window to workspace 1 to 9
Alt-arrow keys	Resize windows in tiling mode
Alt-Ctrl-r	Restart i3 in place
Alt-Shift-e	Exit i3
Alt-s	Change to stacking layout
Alt-w	Change to tabbed layout
Alt-e	Change to split layout (default horizontal)
Alt-v	Change to vertical split layout
Alt-Shift-c	Reload i3 configuration file
Alt-Shift-r	Restart i3
Alt-Shift-s	Switch focus between outputs (monitors)
Alt-b	Toggle visibility of the status bar
Alt-p	Launch screenshot utility
Alt-Shift-r	Refresh (restart) i3wm without logging out
Alt-Tab	Switch between last two workspaces

i3wm-Specific Terminology

1. Mod1:

   • Mod1 refers to the modifier key used in i3wm keybindings, typically set to the "Windows" key (also called the "Super" key) or the "Alt" key, depending on your configuration.

2. Workspace:

   • A workspace in i3wm is a virtual desktop.
   • Each workspace can contain multiple windows, and you can switch between workspaces using Mod1+1 to Mod1+9.
   • Workspaces help organize your workflow by grouping related windows together.

3. Tiling:

   • Tiling refers to the arrangement of windows in a non-overlapping layout.
   • Windows are automatically positioned to fill the available screen space.
   • i3wm uses tiling by default, which maximizes screen real estate and minimizes window management.

4. Floating:

   • Floating windows can be moved and resized freely, similar to traditional window managers.
   • You can toggle a window between tiling and floating mode with Mod1+Shift+Space.

5. Layouts:

   • i3wm supports different layouts to organize windows:
   • Split Layout: The default layout, where windows are split horizontally or vertically.
   • Stacking Layout: Windows are stacked on top of each other, and only the top window is visible.
   • Tabbed Layout: Windows are organized into tabs, and you can switch between them.

6. Focus:

   • The focused window is the active window that receives keyboard input.
   • You can change the focus using Mod1+j, Mod1+k, Mod1+l, and Mod1+;.

7. Move:

8. You can move windows to different positions within the current layout using Mod1+Shift combined with the direction keys.

9. Resize:

10. Resize windows in tiling mode using Mod1+arrow keys.

11. Configuration File:

12. The i3wm configuration file (~/.config/i3/config) contains all the settings and keybindings.

    • You can reload the configuration file without restarting i3wm using Mod1+Shift+c.

13. Status Bar:

    • The i3 status bar displays system information and can be toggled on and off using Mod1+b.

14. Custom Keybindings: You can customize keybindings by editing the i3 configuration file.

    • For example, to change the keybinding for opening a terminal to Mod1+Return, add the line: bindsym Mod1+Return exec terminal.
15. Autostart Programs: To start programs automatically when i3 starts, add them to the configuration file with the exec command, for example: exec firefox to start Firefox on login.
16. Save Workspace Layouts: You can save and restore complex workspace layouts using external tools like i3-save-tree.

By understanding these keybindings and terminologies, you can efficiently navigate and manage windows in i3wm, enhancing your productivity and making the most out of this powerful tiling window manager.

Workspaces

Workspaces group a set of windows.

By default, you are on the first workspace. The bar on the bottom left indicates the current workspace.

To switch to another workspace, press $mod+num where num is the number of the workspace you want to use.

If the workspace does not exist yet, it will be created.

A common paradigm: 1. A workspace for the web browser. 2. A workspace for communication applications (mutt, irssi, …). 3. A workspace for the applications you use for work.
Of course, there is no need to follow this approach.

Workspaces with Multiple Screens

• If you have multiple screens, a workspace will be created on each screen at startup.
• If you open a new workspace, it will be bound to the screen you created it on.
• When you switch to a workspace on another screen, i3 will set focus to that screen.