bspwm — A tiling window manager based on binary space partitioning

andornaut · 2013-09-09 13:33:29

earsplit wrote:

What xrandr command are you using? Play around with the --primary setting, as well as --left-of and --right-of.

Here's an excerpt from my xorg.conf

Section "Screen"
    Identifier     "Screen0"
    Device         "Device0"
    Monitor        "Monitor0"
    Option         "Stereo" "0"
    Option         "nvidiaXineramaInfoOrder" "DFP-0"
    Option         "metamodes" "DFP-4: nvidia-auto-select +0+0 {rotation=90}, DFP-1: nvidia-auto-select +1200+0"
EndSection

I also sometimes switch to "portrait-left landscape-right" mode using this script:

xrandr --output DP-1 --rotate left
xrandr --output HDMI-0 --rotate normal --pos 1200x0

"DP-1/DFP-4" is on the left side of my desk, and "HDMI-0/DFP-1" is on the right side (and is my --primary monitor). The problem isn't the placement of the dzen bar (which I assume is what the -xs option is for?), but the inversed order that the monitors' desktops are displayed in in the dzen workspace/desktop switcher area:

- The desktops that belong to my ride-side monitor are displayed on the left side in the workspace/desktop switcher area.
- The desktops that belong to my left-side monitor are displayed on the right side in the workspace/desktop switcher area.

I realize that the above wasn't clear in my last post - sorry about that. I'll play around with xrandr commands, and also see if maybe f38f863 fixes it.

Are there bspc commands that might help, btw?

Last edited by andornaut (2013-09-09 13:41:44)

Supplantr · 2013-09-09 19:10:45

Would it be possible to implement an all primary selector? This would be most useful in the context of query. For example, the IDs of all urgent windows could be procured with:

bspc query -W -w all.urgent

Perhaps this could also be extended to {window,desktop,monitor} commands, although I'm not sure how it would be handled in the case of certain options (such as --focus).
Additionally, if window gaps/borders were to ever become per-desktop, an all selector would be logical.

Also, with the recent discussion of status bars, I think the "put status" syntax could use a slight overhaul to better parallel the new command syntax (namely occupied and free) and be a bit more flexible. Something like this would make sense:

U/u = focused and urgent/unfocused and urgent desktop
O/o = focused and occupied/unfocused and occupied desktop
F/f = focused and free/unfocused and free desktop
M/m = focused/unfocused monitor
L = layout of focused desktop

bloom · 2013-09-09 20:29:28

andornaut wrote:

Are there bspc commands that might help, btw?

As of f6eacc0, you can swap monitors.

ArchaiosFiniks · 2013-09-09 21:13:34

Hello,

I've seen videos of bspwm in action and been interested in trying it, but I can't seem to make it work. I've spent a few hours messing around, trying to figure it out, but everytime I startx, it just gives me a black screen with nothing on it, and no commands works either, as far as I can see.

~/.xinitrc

#!/bin/sh

if [ -d /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc.d ]; then
  for f in /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc.d/*; do
    [ -x "$f" ] && . "$f"
  done
  unset f
fi

#rehash the fonts
xset +fp /usr/share/fonts/local
xset fp rehash
setxkbmap -option grp:caps_toggle us,ca

#disable the touchpad
synclient TouchpadOff=1

exec bspwm

~/.config/bspwm/bspwmrc

#! /bin/sh

sxhkd -c $HOME/.config/bspwm/sxhkdrc &

FIRST_DESK=1
REMAINING_DESKS="$(seq 2 9) 0"
bspc desktop Desktop01 -n $FIRST_DESK
bspc monitor -a $REMAINING_DESKS

bspc rule -a Gimp -d Eight --floating

bspc config split_ratio         0.52
bspc config border_width        2
bspc config window_gap          12
bspc config borderless_monocle  true
bspc config gapless_monocle     true

~/.config/bspwm/sxhkdrc

#
# bspwm hotkeys
#

super + alt + Escape
    bspc quit

super + w
    bspc window -c

super + t
    bspc desktop -l next

super + b
    bspc desktop -B

super + {s,f}
    bspc window -t {floating,fullscreen}

super + {grave,Tab}
    bspc {window,desktop} -f last

super + apostrophe
    bspc window -s last

super + y
    bspc window -w last.manual

super + m
    bspc window -s biggest

super + {_,shift + }{h,j,k,l}
    bspc window -{f,s} {left,down,up,right}

super + {_,shift + }c
    bspc window -f {next,prev}

super + {comma,period}
    bspc desktop -C {backward,forward}

super + bracket{left,right}
    bspc desktop -f {prev,next}

super + ctrl + {h,j,k,l}
    bspc window -p {left,down,up,right}

super + ctrl + {_,shift + }space
    bspc {window -p cancel,desktop -c}

super + alt + {h,j,k,l}
    bspc window -e {left,down,up,right} push

super + alt + shift + {h,j,k,l}
    bspc window -e {right,up,down,left} pull

super + ctrl + {1-9}
    bspc window -r 0.{1-9}

super + {_,shift + }{1-9,0}
    bspc {desktop -f,window -d} {1-9,0}

~button1
    bspc pointer -g focus

super + button{1-3}
    bspc pointer -g {move,resize_side,resize_corner}

super + !button{1-3}
    bspc pointer -t %i %i

#
# wm independent hotkeys
#

super + Return
    urxvt

super + space
    dmenu_run

# make sxhkd reload its configuration files:
super + Escape
    pkill -USR1 -x sxhkd

Anyone that would have a pointer or two? Thank you.

Last edited by ArchaiosFiniks (2013-09-09 21:14:38)

bloom · 2013-09-09 21:23:47

Supplantr wrote:

Would it be possible to implement an all primary selector?

I'll think about it.

Supplantr wrote:

I think the "put status" syntax could use a slight overhaul to better parallel the new command syntax (namely occupied and free) and be a bit more flexible. Something like this would make sense:
U/u = focused and urgent/unfocused and urgent desktop
O/o = focused and occupied/unfocused and occupied desktop
F/f = focused and free/unfocused and free desktop
M/m = focused/unfocused monitor
L = layout of focused desktop

Agreed. Brought by e7cd176.

Message to all users: you are invited to update your panel script accordingly.

Last edited by bloom (2013-09-09 21:46:17)

bloom · 2013-09-09 21:26:59

ArchaiosFiniks wrote:

Anyone that would have a pointer or two?

Maybe:

chmod 755 ~/.config/bspwm/bspwmrc

ArchaiosFiniks · 2013-09-09 21:44:58

bloom wrote:

ArchaiosFiniks wrote:
Anyone that would have a pointer or two?
Maybe:
chmod 755 ~/.config/bspwm/bspwmrc

Good call. I fogot they were supposed to be executable. Changed it, but it still doesn't work (black empty screen).

┌─[~/.config/bspwm]        (master ✗)
└─╼ ls -l
total 8.0K
-rwxr-xr-x 1 finiks users  387 Sep  9 17:02 bspwmrc*
-rwxr-xr-x 1 finiks users 1.5K Sep  9 17:03 sxhkdrc*

earsplit · 2013-09-09 23:30:49

ArchaiosFiniks wrote:

bloom wrote:
ArchaiosFiniks wrote:
Anyone that would have a pointer or two?
Maybe:
chmod 755 ~/.config/bspwm/bspwmrc
Good call. I fogot they were supposed to be executable. Changed it, but it still doesn't work (black empty screen).
┌─[~/.config/bspwm]        (master ✗)
└─╼ ls -l
total 8.0K
-rwxr-xr-x 1 finiks users  387 Sep  9 17:02 bspwmrc*
-rwxr-xr-x 1 finiks users 1.5K Sep  9 17:03 sxhkdrc*

sxhkdrc doesn't need to be executable. It also belongs in ~/.config/sxhkdrc. Besides all of that, you never start sxhkd. This should happen before the `exec bpswm` line in your .xinitrc. Also, if you dont have urxvt installed, super + enter isn't going to do anything.

aoba · 2013-09-09 23:39:05

earsplit wrote:

sxhkdrc doesn't need to be executable. It also belongs in ~/.config/sxhkdrc. Besides all of that, you never start sxhkd. This should happen before the `exec bpswm` line in your .xinitrc. Also, if you dont have urxvt installed, super + enter isn't going to do anything.

No, his configs are fine - I ran them on my test user, and sxhkd is launched in his bspwmrc.

It sounds like bspwm is running because (in my experience), that is what a persistent black screen means. At the very least, if it were to exit for any reason, his X session should end.

I would log on to another console and check, though, while bspwm is running. You can try something like this:

DISPLAY=:0 urxvt

and then switch back. Note that :0 might not be the right number if you have multiple displays running.

I would also make sure that the number of instances of sxhkd that are running match what you expect.

Edit: adjusted my wording

Last edited by aoba (2013-09-09 23:40:21)

ArchaiosFiniks · 2013-09-09 23:58:09

aoba wrote:

I would log on to another console and check, though, while bspwm is running. You can try something like this:
DISPLAY=:0 urxvt
and then switch back. Note that :0 might not be the right number if you have multiple displays running.

Running that command on another tty and switching back, I noticed that the mouse pointer appeared, and I can move it around, although it is a pointer in the shape of an X, and nothing else is happening/appearing.

Edit: And I do have urxvt installed, so theoretically, it should open it no?

Last edited by ArchaiosFiniks (2013-09-09 23:58:35)

andornaut · 2013-09-10 01:00:52

bloom wrote:

As of f6eacc0, you can swap monitors.

Awesome, I'll give it a shot. Thanks!

bloom · 2013-09-10 08:47:24

ArchaiosFiniks wrote:

I noticed that the mouse pointer appeared, and I can move it around, although it is a pointer in the shape of an X, and nothing else is happening/appearing.

You could try:

sxhkd 2> ~/.sxhkd.log &

Afterwards, the log file might contain some hints.

ArchaiosFiniks · 2013-09-10 16:00:37

The log file is as empty as it could be. I find it weird that no one seems to have any problems at the start, is there anything else I could try?

Thank you.

andornaut · 2013-09-10 19:15:25

I have a bspwmrc rule that moves Pidgin to the 3rd desktop and changes it to floating, and I also autostart pidgin with bspwm:

bspc rule -a Pidgin -d ^3 --floating
pidgin &

This works, except that it changes focus to the 3rd desktop as well, but I'd like to keep focus on the 1st desktop. Is there any way to accomplish this?

earsplit · 2013-09-10 21:26:36

andornaut wrote:

I have a bspwmrc rule that moves Pidgin to the 3rd desktop and changes it to floating, and I also autostart pidgin with bspwm:
bspc rule -a Pidgin -d ^3 --floating
pidgin &
This works, except that it changes focus to the 3rd desktop as well, but I'd like to keep focus on the 1st desktop. Is there any way to accomplish this?

pidgin &
bspc desktop -f 1

Would be a workaround for now

I posted an install tutorial over here for anyone that is interested. Still working out some kinks, but it could prove useful to some:

https://github.com/windelicato/dotfiles … or-dummies

andornaut · 2013-09-10 22:29:09

earsplit wrote:

pidgin &
bspc desktop -f 1
Would be a workaround for now
I posted an install tutorial over here for anyone that is interested. Still working out some kinks, but it could prove useful to some:
https://github.com/windelicato/dotfiles … or-dummies

Hey earsplit, I saw your tutorial on reddit - well done!

I had tried to do as you suggest, but it looks like bspwm switches to desktop 1, then pidgin finishes loading, then bspwm switches to desktop 3.

One workaround would be to add a "sleep" in between, but that isn't really ideal...

pidgin
sleep 2
desktop -f ^1

china · 2013-09-10 22:45:16

ArchaiosFiniks wrote:

The log file is as empty as it could be. I find it weird that no one seems to have any problems at the start, is there anything else I could try?
Thank you.

Have you added

sxhkd &

to your .xinitrc yet? Put that right before the `exec bspwm` line and your commands should start working!

As for your pointer being an x shape, you may want to add the following to your .xinitrc:

xsetroot -cursor_name left_ptr &

Edit: Welp, just noticed that you run sxhkd in bspwmrc. I guess that should work..

Last edited by china (2013-09-10 22:47:04)

vloiki · 2013-09-11 00:09:08

Since this is my first post, hello!

Now, let's get to the point: I recently started using bspwm and I have a few questions:

1. I am using the "bspc config window_gap" to modify the window_gap on the fly( thanks to earsplit - stole it from his config). Is there any way to have a window_gap value for each workspace? For example, I want bigger gaps on my Media workspace and smaller gaps on Dev/Web.

2. When I am resizing terminals there is an annoying thing happening. Let's say I have terminal1 and terminal2, side by side. If I push terminal2 into terminal1 so much that a response from a command from terminal1 is "hidden", when i pull terminal2 back from over the text, the text in terminal1 does not appear anymore. ls -la in both windows and resizing, for example. Any way to fix this? I should mention I am using urxvt.

Thank you for all the hard work bloom/baskerville!

ArchaiosFiniks · 2013-09-11 02:01:13

china wrote:

ArchaiosFiniks wrote:
The log file is as empty as it could be. I find it weird that no one seems to have any problems at the start, is there anything else I could try?
Thank you.
Have you added
sxhkd &
to your .xinitrc yet? Put that right before the `exec bspwm` line and your commands should start working!
As for your pointer being an x shape, you may want to add the following to your .xinitrc:
xsetroot -cursor_name left_ptr &
Edit: Welp, just noticed that you run sxhkd in bspwmrc. I guess that should work..

Actually, I can't even make the pointer appear anymore, no idea why. Just, nothing works. Black screen.

I even tried putting sxhhkd in my xinitrc. I'll repost my configs.

~/.xinitrc

#!/bin/sh

if [ -d /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc.d ]; then
  for f in /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc.d/*; do
    [ -x "$f" ] && . "$f"
  done
  unset f
fi

#rehash the fonts
xset +fp /usr/share/fonts/local
xset fp rehash
setxkbmap -option grp:caps_toggle us,ca

#launch mpd
mpd &

sxhkd &
exec bspwm

~/.config/bspwm/bspwmrc

#! /bin/sh

FIRST_DESK=1
REMAINING_DESKS="$(seq 2 9) 0"
bspc desktop Desktop01 -n $FIRST_DESK
bspc monitor -a $REMAINING_DESKS

bspc rule -a Gimp -d Eight --floating

bspc config split_ratio         0.52
bspc config border_width        2
bspc config window_gap          12
bspc config borderless_monocle  true
bspc config gapless_monocle     true

~/.config/sxhkd/sxhkdrc

#
# bspwm hotkeys
#

super + alt + Escape
    bspc quit

super + w
    bspc window -c

super + t
    bspc desktop -l next

super + b
    bspc desktop -B

super + {s,f}
    bspc window -t {floating,fullscreen}

super + {grave,Tab}
    bspc {window,desktop} -f last

super + apostrophe
    bspc window -s last

super + y
    bspc window -w last.manual

super + m
    bspc window -s biggest

super + {_,shift + }{h,j,k,l}
    bspc window -{f,s} {left,down,up,right}

super + {_,shift + }c
    bspc window -f {next,prev}

super + {comma,period}
    bspc desktop -C {backward,forward}

super + bracket{left,right}
    bspc desktop -f {prev,next}

super + ctrl + {h,j,k,l}
    bspc window -p {left,down,up,right}

super + ctrl + {_,shift + }space
    bspc {window -p cancel,desktop -c}

super + alt + {h,j,k,l}
    bspc window -e {left,down,up,right} push

super + alt + shift + {h,j,k,l}
    bspc window -e {right,up,down,left} pull

super + ctrl + {1-9}
    bspc window -r 0.{1-9}

super + {_,shift + }{1-9,0}
    bspc {desktop -f,window -d} {1-9,0}

~button1
    bspc pointer -g focus

super + button{1-3}
    bspc pointer -g {move,resize_side,resize_corner}

super + !button{1-3}
    bspc pointer -t %i %i

#
# wm independent hotkeys
#

super + Return
    urxvt

super + space
    dmenu_run

# make sxhkd reload its configuration files:
super + Escape
    pkill -USR1 -x sxhkd

aoba · 2013-09-11 02:48:56

ArchaiosFiniks wrote:

Running that command on another tty and switching back, I noticed that the mouse pointer appeared, and I can move it around, although it is a pointer in the shape of an X, and nothing else is happening/appearing.
Edit: And I do have urxvt installed, so theoretically, it should open it no?

It should, yes, and it is strange that it appears not to have done so. The process would be attached to the console where you ran the command, not the X session, so if you killed it or the console before switching back to X it urxvt would not be running, but I bet you knew that already.

Anyway, I have one last (vague) idea, and it is to "mess around with keymaps" because there is a probably-small chance that you are not binding the keys that you expect:

When I run bspwm and sxhkd with startx, sxhkd acts as if the following two files do not exist:

/etc/vconsole.conf

KEYMAP=dvorak

/etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/10-keyboard.conf

Section "InputClass"
	Identifier		"Keyboard Defaults"
	MatchIsKeyboard		"yes"
	Option			"XkbLayout"		"us(dvorak)"
EndSection

which is to say, it binds keys based on where they appear on a us QWERTY keyboard (which, to a degree, makes sense because that is what the device is), and does not the layout into account. (As an aside, this does not happen when I start bspwm from lightdm.) Maybe something along those lines is happening for you?

Sorry I could not be of more help.

DotDev · 2013-09-11 06:03:06

I'm new to bspwm,
my question is i use conky | bar, is there a way to make the terminal/ other programs not go past the bar.

regitator · 2013-09-11 06:28:43

Thank you for your work on bspwm. It's great coming from i3 to have that level of control with a better automatic placement of windows.
One thing i miss: desktop backnforth switching. If you focus to the desktop you're currently on, it focuses the last desktop. Probably could do that with scripting, but it should be relatively easy to implement in bspwm itself.
Maybe you could look into that.

@DotDev
you need to use bspc monitor --pad

Last edited by regitator (2013-09-11 06:30:23)

DotDev · 2013-09-11 06:50:07

regitator wrote:

Thank you for your work on bspwm. It's great coming from i3 to have that level of control with a better automatic placement of windows.
One thing i miss: desktop backnforth switching. If you focus to the desktop you're currently on, it focuses the last desktop. Probably could do that with scripting, but it should be relatively easy to implement in bspwm itself.
Maybe you could look into that.
@DotDev
you need to use bspc monitor --pad

Thanks for the help

bloom · 2013-09-11 12:04:38

regitator wrote:

One thing i miss: desktop backnforth switching.

bspc config auto_alternate true

bloom · 2013-09-11 12:20:06

ArchaiosFiniks wrote:

Is there anything else I could try?

Maybe you have a working wm in which you could try this:

git clone https://github.com/baskerville/sxhkd
cd sxhkd
make clean debug
printf "a\n\techo hello" > foorc
./sxhkd -c foorc

?

Press a, and then ctrl + c.

What's the output?

Last edited by bloom (2013-09-11 13:56:40)

Arch Linux

#501 2013-09-09 13:33:29

Re: bspwm — A tiling window manager based on binary space partitioning

#502 2013-09-09 19:10:45

Re: bspwm — A tiling window manager based on binary space partitioning

#503 2013-09-09 20:29:28

Re: bspwm — A tiling window manager based on binary space partitioning

#504 2013-09-09 21:13:34

Re: bspwm — A tiling window manager based on binary space partitioning

#505 2013-09-09 21:23:47

Re: bspwm — A tiling window manager based on binary space partitioning

#506 2013-09-09 21:26:59

Re: bspwm — A tiling window manager based on binary space partitioning

#507 2013-09-09 21:44:58

Re: bspwm — A tiling window manager based on binary space partitioning

#508 2013-09-09 23:30:49

Re: bspwm — A tiling window manager based on binary space partitioning

#509 2013-09-09 23:39:05

Re: bspwm — A tiling window manager based on binary space partitioning

#510 2013-09-09 23:58:09

Re: bspwm — A tiling window manager based on binary space partitioning

#511 2013-09-10 01:00:52

Re: bspwm — A tiling window manager based on binary space partitioning

#512 2013-09-10 08:47:24

Re: bspwm — A tiling window manager based on binary space partitioning

#513 2013-09-10 16:00:37

Re: bspwm — A tiling window manager based on binary space partitioning

#514 2013-09-10 19:15:25

Re: bspwm — A tiling window manager based on binary space partitioning

#515 2013-09-10 21:26:36

Re: bspwm — A tiling window manager based on binary space partitioning

#516 2013-09-10 22:29:09

Re: bspwm — A tiling window manager based on binary space partitioning

#517 2013-09-10 22:45:16

Re: bspwm — A tiling window manager based on binary space partitioning

#518 2013-09-11 00:09:08

Re: bspwm — A tiling window manager based on binary space partitioning

#519 2013-09-11 02:01:13

Re: bspwm — A tiling window manager based on binary space partitioning

#520 2013-09-11 02:48:56

Re: bspwm — A tiling window manager based on binary space partitioning

#521 2013-09-11 06:03:06

Re: bspwm — A tiling window manager based on binary space partitioning

#522 2013-09-11 06:28:43

Re: bspwm — A tiling window manager based on binary space partitioning

#523 2013-09-11 06:50:07

Re: bspwm — A tiling window manager based on binary space partitioning

#524 2013-09-11 12:04:38

Re: bspwm — A tiling window manager based on binary space partitioning

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Re: bspwm — A tiling window manager based on binary space partitioning

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