i3 FAQ - Individual question feedhttps://faq.i3wm.org/questions/Frequently asked questions and answers about the i3 window managerenCopyright i3, 2012Tue, 09 Sep 2014 08:51:44 +0000Is there a way to define Emacs-style key binding?https://faq.i3wm.org/question/1017/is-there-a-way-to-define-emacs-style-key-binding/Hi all, I am an Emacs user, and I prefer to key binding like `C-t C-f` rather than `Ctrl + Alt + f`, I read the doc of I3, but seems there is no sections described this kind of key bindings, so, is there a way to do this, or is some hacking needed to implement this? Thanks.Fri, 11 Jan 2013 11:57:38 +0000https://faq.i3wm.org/question/1017/is-there-a-way-to-define-emacs-style-key-binding/Answer by joel for <p>Hi all,</p> <p>I am an Emacs user, and I prefer to key binding like <code>C-t C-f</code> rather than <code>Ctrl + Alt + f</code>, I read the doc of I3, but seems there is no sections described this kind of key bindings, so, is there a way to do this, or is some hacking needed to implement this?</p> <p>Thanks.</p> https://faq.i3wm.org/question/1017/is-there-a-way-to-define-emacs-style-key-binding/?answer=1019#post-id-1019Not sure if this is exactly what you're looking for, but you can try something like the following. It mimics the resize mode. I found this tip on the arch forums thread about i3. # resize { # 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 h resize shrink width 10 px or 10 ppt bindsym j resize grow height 10 px or 10 ppt bindsym k resize shrink height 10 px or 10 ppt bindsym l resize grow width 10 px or 10 ppt # back to normal: Enher or Escape bindsym Return mode "default" bindsym Escape mode "default" } bindsym $mod+r mode "resize" # } # launch mode { mode "launch" { # c, chrome bindsym c exec chromium-browser, mode "default" # d, dock bindsym d exec dock, mode "default" # u, undock bindsym u exec undock, mode "default" # go back to normal (if we don't launch something) bindsym Return mode "default" bindsym Escape mode "default" } bindsym $mod+semicolon mode "launch" # } so to launch chrome, i can do alt-; c the others (dock & undock) I use when docking my laptop at work (it runs disper to adjust what displays are used) Edit: here is the aforementioned thread https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=99064&p=33 Also: can you nest modes? That could be useful!Fri, 11 Jan 2013 18:04:37 +0000https://faq.i3wm.org/question/1017/is-there-a-way-to-define-emacs-style-key-binding/?answer=1019#post-id-1019Comment by marcos for <p>Not sure if this is exactly what you're looking for, but you can try something like the following. It mimics the resize mode. I found this tip on the arch forums thread about i3.</p> <h1>resize {</h1> <pre><code># 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 h resize shrink width 10 px or 10 ppt bindsym j resize grow height 10 px or 10 ppt bindsym k resize shrink height 10 px or 10 ppt bindsym l resize grow width 10 px or 10 ppt # back to normal: Enher or Escape bindsym Return mode "default" bindsym Escape mode "default" } bindsym $mod+r mode "resize" </code></pre> <h1>}</h1> <h1>launch mode {</h1> <pre><code>mode "launch" { # c, chrome bindsym c exec chromium-browser, mode "default" # d, dock bindsym d exec dock, mode "default" # u, undock bindsym u exec undock, mode "default" # go back to normal (if we don't launch something) bindsym Return mode "default" bindsym Escape mode "default" } bindsym $mod+semicolon mode "launch" </code></pre> <h1>}</h1> <p>so to launch chrome, i can do alt-; c the others (dock &amp; undock) I use when docking my laptop at work (it runs disper to adjust what displays are used)</p> <p>Edit: here is the aforementioned thread <a href="https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=99064&amp;p=33">https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.p...</a></p> <p>Also: can you nest modes? That could be useful!</p> https://faq.i3wm.org/question/1017/is-there-a-way-to-define-emacs-style-key-binding/?comment=4614#comment-4614Thank you very much for explaining "modes"! I am also an Emacs user, and prefer to use CTRL as $mod. Now I have a mode "i3" bound to "CTRL+i", and I moved all typical i3 commands inside my i3 mode (except resizing, which would require nested modes). Everything works just fine! Thanks!Tue, 09 Sep 2014 08:51:44 +0000https://faq.i3wm.org/question/1017/is-there-a-way-to-define-emacs-style-key-binding/?comment=4614#comment-4614Comment by Kelvin Hu for <p>Not sure if this is exactly what you're looking for, but you can try something like the following. It mimics the resize mode. I found this tip on the arch forums thread about i3.</p> <h1>resize {</h1> <pre><code># 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 h resize shrink width 10 px or 10 ppt bindsym j resize grow height 10 px or 10 ppt bindsym k resize shrink height 10 px or 10 ppt bindsym l resize grow width 10 px or 10 ppt # back to normal: Enher or Escape bindsym Return mode "default" bindsym Escape mode "default" } bindsym $mod+r mode "resize" </code></pre> <h1>}</h1> <h1>launch mode {</h1> <pre><code>mode "launch" { # c, chrome bindsym c exec chromium-browser, mode "default" # d, dock bindsym d exec dock, mode "default" # u, undock bindsym u exec undock, mode "default" # go back to normal (if we don't launch something) bindsym Return mode "default" bindsym Escape mode "default" } bindsym $mod+semicolon mode "launch" </code></pre> <h1>}</h1> <p>so to launch chrome, i can do alt-; c the others (dock &amp; undock) I use when docking my laptop at work (it runs disper to adjust what displays are used)</p> <p>Edit: here is the aforementioned thread <a href="https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=99064&amp;p=33">https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.p...</a></p> <p>Also: can you nest modes? That could be useful!</p> https://faq.i3wm.org/question/1017/is-there-a-way-to-define-emacs-style-key-binding/?comment=1026#comment-1026Sorry, I am new to I3, so I did not notice the "mode" notion of it. I tried some code as you pasted, and it does work well. I also tried nested modes, but I3 would report en error while reloading the config file, so seems I3 does not support nested modes. And thanks for your answer.Sat, 12 Jan 2013 08:18:11 +0000https://faq.i3wm.org/question/1017/is-there-a-way-to-define-emacs-style-key-binding/?comment=1026#comment-1026