Installing i3-gaps in Arch

Colonel Panic · 2021-04-25 12:42:05

Hi again. I recently came across this guide for installing i3-gaps in Arch (or any Arch-related distro, such as Manjaro or Arch Labs), and thought I'd share it on here.

Before actually installing anything you should (obviously) update the database and the system:

sudo pacman -Syyu

(N.B. This took a 1.2 GB download on my system.)

Install i3 gaps:

sudo pacman -S i3-gaps

Lastly, install fonts and the status bar:

sudo pacman -S ttf-dejavu i3status

You will need ttf-dejavu for i3 so that text will display correctly. You will need i3status so that the status bar will work and not show an error message.

NOTE - i3-gaps and i3-wm are different packages. The first is a fork of the second. Install the first one if you want gaps.

https://low-orbit.net/arch-linux-how-to-install-i3-gaps

Last edited by Colonel Panic (2021-04-25 13:22:52)

manyroads · 2021-04-25 12:52:13

FWIW here is a 1200 word tutorial with dotfiles etc I put together on the topic:
https://eirenicon.org/i3wm-an-excellent … w-manager/

hhh · 2021-04-25 17:24:50

^ OT, can I nominate that post for "best comeback post, 2021"?

deleted0 · 2021-04-25 18:55:40

^ He'd have to be dissed first to state a comeback.

I don’t have the time or the crayons to explain this to you. (now that's a comeback )

8bit

manyroads · 2021-04-25 20:47:33

Sorry, if my sharing was in anyway viewed as a slight to anyone. I intended to be supportive of the OP.

As always, my free advice (here and everywhere else I post) is always worth every penny people pay for it.

Colonel Panic · 2021-04-25 23:12:13

manyroads wrote:

Sorry, if my sharing was in anyway viewed as a slight to anyone. I intended to be supportive of the OP.
As always, my free advice (here and everywhere else I post) is always worth every penny people pay for it.

I didn't see it as a slight, no, and thanks for the information. I must admit I'm fairly new to tiling managers so I'm grateful for any information or advice from people who have had some real experience of using them.

Last edited by Colonel Panic (2021-04-25 23:19:48)

ohnonot · 2021-04-26 04:12:18

manyroads wrote:

FWIW here is a 1200 word tutorial with dotfiles etc I put together on the topic:
https://eirenicon.org/i3wm-an-excellent … w-manager/

Great article.

You have a typo in there: "13wm-gaps".

i3 is great, it focuses on the right things, but it isn't exactly lightweight. You are adding several tools there that duplicate functionality already present in i3, most notably sxhkd (i3 has _full_ hotkey functionality). I understand your reasoning ("When invoked from any of my window managers (wm) this standardizes all my wm keybinds.") but still, it seems pointless...

johnraff · 2021-04-26 05:33:06

ohnonot wrote:

sxhkd

Noted with thanks. Just in case some day there's a problem with xbindkeys for BL.

manyroads · 2021-04-26 13:29:56

@ohnonot @johnraff @Colonel Panic Thank you for the feedback.
-- I'll fix the typo. I hate the old eyes, fat fingers, small font problems.
-- If you look around my site closely, you'll see I make heavy use of sxhkd. I agree it is easy to live without it, if you stay using a limited set of wms. I don't do that. FWIW. I use/have used sxhkd for OB, xfce4, hlwm, bspwm among others. It is the easiest way I have found to manage a consistent set of keybinds without going crazy as I change wms/ distros (which is where I am most of the time anyway). The syntax is always the same...
-- btw. I do something similar with the x window settings (.xsessionrc/ .xprofile are used for my common settings across arch/debian/*buntu) I even go so far as to remove xfce4 autostart items and place them in my common areas.

Anyway the beauty of Linux is flexibility. This allows me to be fickle (change desktops at will) and maintain threads of commonality across my environments all for a few MB of RAM. (btw. on my machine sxhkd is using 0.1% of RAM.)

DeepDayze · 2021-04-27 01:05:36

johnraff wrote:

ohnonot wrote:
sxhkd
Noted with thanks. Just in case some day there's a problem with xbindkeys for BL.

Another toy to play with ]:D ]:D

But honestly this does sound like a nifty tool...perhaps with testing can come up with a good set of keybinds that will still feel natural in BL using sxhkd.

@manyroads thanks for sharing this and don't sweat it...8bit is known to be witty at times

Last edited by DeepDayze (2021-04-27 01:07:14)

deleted0 · 2021-04-27 02:08:36

^
witty:
showing or characterized by quick and inventive verbal humor!
Whoo Hoo!!

But really, it can't be a comeback unless it's a retort to something. There was no something.
It was incorrect to characterize manyroads' post as a comeback. just sayin.

8bit

edit: manyroads said nothing even the slightest bit inappropriate, in any way.

Last edited by deleted0 (2021-04-27 03:12:17)

hhh · 2021-04-27 02:51:47

Right. Be funnier, al.

:monkey:

PackRat · 2021-04-27 10:01:56

But honestly this does sound like a nifty tool...perhaps with testing can come up with a good set of keybinds that will still feel natural in BL using sxhkd.

sxhkd works the same way as xbindkeys; you wouldn't notice if you made the switch. The developer of bspwm wrote sxhkd for bspwm instead of coding that functionality into the window manager.

DeepDayze · 2021-04-28 03:17:20

PackRat wrote:

But honestly this does sound like a nifty tool...perhaps with testing can come up with a good set of keybinds that will still feel natural in BL using sxhkd.
sxhkd works the same way as xbindkeys; you wouldn't notice if you made the switch. The developer of bspwm wrote sxhkd for bspwm instead of coding that functionality into the window manager.

That's cool to know...is the config compatible with xbindkeys? Not a bad idea separating that function out from the window manager.

Last edited by DeepDayze (2021-04-28 03:18:16)

PackRat · 2021-04-28 09:56:04

.is the config compatible with xbindkeys?

The sxhkdrc file is also a plain text file and similar in structure to the xbindkeysrc. Define the key binding followed by the command to execute:

super + shift + Return
       xterm

Straight forward to set up.

Last edited by PackRat (2021-04-28 09:56:45)

manyroads · 2021-04-28 13:00:53

Not that anyone will want to use it... but here's a copy of my sxhkd (base.conf)

#               
#	 		sxhkdrc ~ common functions              
#       i3wm/dwm/bspwm - and most other wms                   
#
#########################
# SUPER + FUNCTION KEYS #
#########################
# if you want to assign applications to specific tags or workspaces
# add a command behind the application to focus on that workspace if required
# index 0 corresponds to tag or HLWM workspace 1
# index 1 corresponds to tag or HLWM workspace 2
# example 
#  firefox & herbstclient use_index 1

# Open Terminal
super + Return
	termite
#	st -g=93x31+100+300

# dmenu
super + d
	dmenu_run -b -nb '#3B4252' -sb '#000000' -sf '#8FBCBB' -fn '-xos4-terminus-medium-r-*-*-14-*'

# rofi menu   (2 options)
alt + @button1
	 rofi -modi drun,window,run -show drun -show-icons -sidebar-mode -location 0  -width 360

super + F1	 
	 rofi -modi drun,window,run -show drun -show-icons -sidebar-mode -location 0  -width 360
	
# Show Keybinding Index
super + F2
	zenity --text-info --width=640 --height=640  --html --filename=/home/mark/.local/share/help-files/app-keybindings.html --ok-label="Quit"

# system utilities
super + F3 
	~/.local/share/scripts/system-monitors.sh

# system maintenance links
super + F4
	~/.local/share/scripts/system-links.sh
	
# old game links
super + F5
	~/.local/share/scripts/old-games.sh
	
# Screenshot
F10
	gscreenshot
	
# Linux Links
super + F11 
	zenity --text-info --width=640 --height=640  --html --filename=/home/mark/.local/share/help-files/linux-links.html --ok-label="Quit"

# rofi Active Tasks 
super + F12
	rofi -modi window -show window -show-icons -sidebar-mode

# gsimplecal
alt +shift + c
	gsimplecal
	
# calibre (books)
alt + c 
	export CALIBRE_USE_DARK_PALETTE=1 && calibre 

# Music (DeadBeef)
alt + d
	deadbeef
	
# editor
alt + e
	xed
#	st -g=93x31+100+300 -e vim & herbstclient use_index 3
	
# file managers
alt + f 
	nemo

# file manager (ROOT)
alt + shift + f
	gksu nemo

# geany
alt + g 
	geany
	
# j4-desktop-menu
alt + j
	j4-dmenu-desktop --dmenu="dmenu -b -fn "-xos4-terminus-medium-r-*-*-14-*" -nb '#2E3440' -nf '#81A1C1' -sb '#85ABAA' -sf '#000000' -i"
    
# eMail
alt + m
	thunderbird

# nitrogen wallpaper
alt + n
	nitrogen
	
# libreoffice
alt + o
	libreoffice
	
# pamac manager
alt + p
	pamac-manager

# System Quit Options
super + q
	/home/mark/.local/share/scripts/logout.sh
	
# Lock Screen
super + l
	i3lock-fancy 

# ranger- file manager
alt + r
	termite -e ranger
#	st -g=93x31+100+300 -e ranger & herbstclient use_index 2

# skype
alt + s
	skypeforlinux
	
# Virtualbox
alt + v
	virtualbox
# & herbstclient use_index 4
	
# web browser        
alt + w
	firefox
#	vivaldi-stable  & herbstclient use_index 1

#Lock screen
super + x
	dm-tool lock

# zim wiki
alt + z 
	zim

# Reboot
ctrl + alt + Delete
	 reboot

#1 2021-04-25 12:42:05

Installing i3-gaps in Arch

#2 2021-04-25 12:52:13

Re: Installing i3-gaps in Arch

#3 2021-04-25 17:24:50

Re: Installing i3-gaps in Arch

#4 2021-04-25 18:55:40

Re: Installing i3-gaps in Arch

#5 2021-04-25 20:47:33

Re: Installing i3-gaps in Arch

#6 2021-04-25 23:12:13

Re: Installing i3-gaps in Arch

#7 2021-04-26 04:12:18

Re: Installing i3-gaps in Arch

#8 2021-04-26 05:33:06

Re: Installing i3-gaps in Arch

#9 2021-04-26 13:29:56

Re: Installing i3-gaps in Arch

#10 2021-04-27 01:05:36

Re: Installing i3-gaps in Arch

#11 2021-04-27 02:08:36

Re: Installing i3-gaps in Arch

#12 2021-04-27 02:51:47

Re: Installing i3-gaps in Arch

#13 2021-04-27 10:01:56

Re: Installing i3-gaps in Arch

#14 2021-04-28 03:17:20

Re: Installing i3-gaps in Arch

#15 2021-04-28 09:56:04

Re: Installing i3-gaps in Arch

#16 2021-04-28 13:00:53

Re: Installing i3-gaps in Arch

Board footer