Arch Linux

VisionIncision

Member

Registered: 2011-08-30

Posts: 24

i3 cannot split horizontally.

Hi all,
I have recently installed Arch with i3wm, setting the windows key to be mod (to avoid conflict with other applications).

I have installed terminator as my default terminal and can launch a terminal with mod+return and GUI apps with mod+d <app name>. This is all fine.

However, if say I have two windows open, each taking half of the screen vertically, I seem unable to split one of those windows horizontally to, say, open another terminal. I have been trying to do this with mod+h <mod+return / mod+d <app name> >.

Am I doing something wrong, or is this a known issue that can be remedied in the config?

I have made absolutely minimal edits to my config file, just colour changes and launching xscreensaver etc.

randomguy

Member

Registered: 2007-06-19

Posts: 101

Re: i3 cannot split horizontally.

I3 has a great user guide, especially chapter 3 "tree" should answer a lot of questions regarding layouts and arranging X clients.
To your question: once you have two windows open they will be arranged by the default layout inside a single container which iirc is stacking. Now you can switch the way those two clients are arranged inside this container by pressing $mod+e. Press it once more and you will see that it toggles between horizontal and vertical split. There are other default bindings to enter horizontal or vertical split layout specifically.

VisionIncision

Member

Registered: 2011-08-30

Posts: 24

Re: i3 cannot split horizontally.

I3 has a great user guide, especially chapter 3 "tree" should answer a lot of questions regarding layouts and arranging X clients.
To your question: once you have two windows open they will be arranged by the default layout inside a single container which iirc is stacking. Now you can switch the way those two clients are arranged inside this container by pressing $mod+e. Press it once more and you will see that it toggles between horizontal and vertical split. There are other default bindings to enter horizontal or vertical split layout specifically.

Thank you very much for the reply. I shall have a thourough read of the user guide.

HiImTye

Member

From: Halifax, NS, Canada

Registered: 2012-05-09

Posts: 1,072

Re: i3 cannot split horizontally.

mod+h should work just fine. are you still unable to achieve horizontal splitting? I have noticed that sometimes i3 doesn't like some bindings, perhaps try a different combination if it isn't working?