i3 + feh - config line not working

tsdadam · 2015-03-09 21:31:23

I've been experimenting with i3, and I'm trying to use feh to set a desktop background.

From what I've read, I should just be able to add an 'exec feh...' line to ~/.i3/config and it would work on startup?

I feh from the command line and got it to work, so replicated the same line in my config, and it doesn't seem to do anything. I had a search and found an answer somewhere where somebody said they moved the line to the start of the config. I've tried the start and the end now, and neither seems to work.

I'm lauching i3 from SDDM, and when it launches with my feh line in the config I get the 'working' mouse cursor as if it's trying to do something, but a background never appears.

Any ideas?

Here's my ~/.i3/config (I've left my full path in for feh)

exec feh --bg-scale /home/adam/wallpaper/walllhaven-38762.jpg
# 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 http://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.
# 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
# Before i3 v4.8, we used to recommend this one as the default:
# font -misc-fixed-medium-r-normal--13-120-75-75-C-70-iso10646-1
# The font above is very space-efficient, that is, it looks good, sharp and
# clear in small sizes. However, its unicode glyph coverage is limited, the old
# X core fonts rendering does not support right-to-left and this being a bitmap
# font, it doesn’t scale on retina/hidpi displays.

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

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

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

# start dmenu (a program launcher)
bindsym $mod+d exec dmenu_run
# There also is the (new) i3-dmenu-desktop which only displays applications
# shipping a .desktop file. It is a wrapper around dmenu, so you need that
# installed.
# bindsym $mod+d exec --no-startup-id i3-dmenu-desktop

# 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

# split in horizontal orientation
bindsym $mod+h 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

# switch to workspace
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

# move focused container to workspace
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

# 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
        bindsym Return mode "default"
        bindsym Escape mode "default"
}

bindsym $mod+r mode "resize"

# Start i3bar to display a workspace bar (plus the system information i3status
# finds out, if available)
bar {
        status_command i3status
}
exec xrdb -merge ~/.Xresources

(the final line doesn't work either, to change the colours on my command prompt, but that's for another time)

jasonwryan · 2015-03-09 21:45:07

exec --no-startup-id /usr/bin/feh --bg-scale /home/adam/wallpaper/walllhaven-38762.jpg

Head_on_a_Stick · 2015-03-09 21:48:12

Try this:

exec --no-startup-id feh --bg-scale '/home/adam/wallpaper/walllhaven-38762.jpg'

EDIT: Note the single quotation marks around the image file name.

Last edited by Head_on_a_Stick (2015-03-09 21:48:51)

tsdadam · 2015-03-09 21:57:27

Sorry folks, tried both, no joy.

Mr Green · 2015-03-10 06:28:26

Try putting feh line at end of config file..

rosshadden · 2015-05-16 18:24:03

I have the same issue. It seems like nothing I try to execute with `exec` in i3 works. This includes running scripts as well.

Edit: Nevermind... it was because I was restarting i3 to test changes, but since they were `exec` and not `exec_always` such commands are only run on first launch.

Last edited by rosshadden (2015-05-16 18:30:36)

Pavlishev · 2021-05-15 18:29:05

I had this same error but the solution for me was simple. I was editing the i3 config file here /etc/i3/config, however i3 runs from the config file in the home directory here ~/.config/i3/config copying the line exec --no-startup-id feh --bg-fill /path/to/picture into the ~/.config/i3/config file worked for me. I thought I would make this post since no one has yet mentioned this.

Last edited by Pavlishev (2021-05-15 18:29:51)

V1del · 2021-05-15 20:43:35

And you'll notice that the thread is 6 years old and the solution mentioned in the last post, please don't necrobump old topics.

Closing.

Arch Linux

#1 2015-03-09 21:31:23

i3 + feh - config line not working

#2 2015-03-09 21:45:07

Re: i3 + feh - config line not working

#3 2015-03-09 21:48:12

Re: i3 + feh - config line not working

#4 2015-03-09 21:57:27

Re: i3 + feh - config line not working

#5 2015-03-10 06:28:26

Re: i3 + feh - config line not working

#6 2015-05-16 18:24:03

Re: i3 + feh - config line not working

#7 2021-05-15 18:29:05

Re: i3 + feh - config line not working

#8 2021-05-15 20:43:35

Re: i3 + feh - config line not working

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