i3 FAQ - Individual question feed

i3wm and kde together

Tue, 19 Nov 2013 17:31:03 +0000

i remember that some months ago i was successfully running kde and awesome(WM), now i would really do the same with i3, i tryed with env var of kde, or from the GUI => default windows manager , even editing ~/.xinitrc and trying to execute i3 from there but nothing worked, i can run i3 or KDE (with kwin) alone but not KDE with i3 i really love i3 but kde bar , program links, and automations still being usefull to help me during transition p.s.: i'm currently running kde 4.11.3 and i3 version 4.6 thank you

Answer by pablospe for
i remember that some months ago i was successfully running kde and awesome(WM), now i would really do the same with i3, i tryed with env var of kde, or from the GUI => default windows manager , even editing ~/.xinitrc and trying to execute i3 from there but nothing worked,

i can run i3 or KDE (with kwin) alone but not KDE with i3

i really love i3 but kde bar , program links, and automations still being usefull to help me during transition

p.s.: i'm currently running kde 4.11.3 and i3 version 4.6

thank you

Mon, 05 May 2014 19:27:39 +0000

For kde integration, I am using this version of i3wm which came from the Marius Muja's github repository: [https://github.com/pablospe/i3wm](https://github.com/pablospe/i3wm) I've followed his instructions (with the previous code), and works pretty well with kde: [http://permalink.gmane.org/gmane.comp.window-managers.i3.general/914](http://permalink.gmane.org/gmane.comp.window-managers.i3.general/914)

Answer by joepd for
i remember that some months ago i was successfully running kde and awesome(WM), now i would really do the same with i3, i tryed with env var of kde, or from the GUI => default windows manager , even editing ~/.xinitrc and trying to execute i3 from there but nothing worked,

i can run i3 or KDE (with kwin) alone but not KDE with i3

i really love i3 but kde bar , program links, and automations still being usefull to help me during transition

p.s.: i'm currently running kde 4.11.3 and i3 version 4.6

thank you

Tue, 19 Nov 2013 18:37:22 +0000

I would say: If you want to try the transition: Bite the bullet, and forget about the buttons and other visual hints desktop environments are offering. After a short bit you'll be fine enough. Just make sure you know how to start and stop applications ([this Q may help](https://faq.i3wm.org/question/25/how-to-launch-applications-in-i3/)). For finding where windows are buried, [have a look](https://faq.i3wm.org/question/228/how-do-i-find-an-app-buried-in-some-workspace-by-its-title/) here. I am not familiar with desktop environments, but gnome appears to use `gnome-settings-daemon` which makes all kinds of stuff happen automatically (mount drives, key ring authentication, etc). It might be that your life will be easier if you can enable the hidden KDE magic. Good luck :)

Comment by DavidGamba for
I would say: If you want to try the transition: Bite the bullet, and forget about the buttons and other visual hints desktop environments are offering. After a short bit you'll be fine enough.

Just make sure you know how to start and stop applications (this Q may help). For finding where windows are buried, have a look here.

I am not familiar with desktop environments, but gnome appears to use `gnome-settings-daemon` which makes all kinds of stuff happen automatically (mount drives, key ring authentication, etc). It might be that your life will be easier if you can enable the hidden KDE magic.

Good luck :)

Sun, 04 May 2014 18:48:33 +0000

I think that there is nothing wrong with not going all the way. At the end of the day linux is about choice and finding workflows that work for the individual. I like the speed of movement that tiling gives me but I am not 100% interested in the minimalistic environment.

Comment by etaca3 for
I would say: If you want to try the transition: Bite the bullet, and forget about the buttons and other visual hints desktop environments are offering. After a short bit you'll be fine enough.

Just make sure you know how to start and stop applications (this Q may help). For finding where windows are buried, have a look here.

I am not familiar with desktop environments, but gnome appears to use `gnome-settings-daemon` which makes all kinds of stuff happen automatically (mount drives, key ring authentication, etc). It might be that your life will be easier if you can enable the hidden KDE magic.

Good luck :)

Sun, 24 Nov 2013 00:19:46 +0000

yeah i also don't like to have kde aroud.. but it help sometimes (i don't have to search for program for network configuration, usb auto mounting, a better menu than the i3wm one ( which isn't easy to navigate ) , some widgets, a desktop (which sometime is usefull) atomatic multimonitor support, ..

Answer by etaca3 for
i remember that some months ago i was successfully running kde and awesome(WM), now i would really do the same with i3, i tryed with env var of kde, or from the GUI => default windows manager , even editing ~/.xinitrc and trying to execute i3 from there but nothing worked,

i can run i3 or KDE (with kwin) alone but not KDE with i3

i really love i3 but kde bar , program links, and automations still being usefull to help me during transition

p.s.: i'm currently running kde 4.11.3 and i3 version 4.6

thank you

Sun, 24 Nov 2013 00:13:34 +0000

i made it :) 

there was this awesome tutorial for awesome wm :) 
http :// awesome.naquadah.org/wiki/KDE_and_awesome 

which wasn't working for i3wm, but changing the Type from "Xsession" to "Application" it worked:
so : 
to have i3wm working with kde4
you should already have this folder in your system : 
/usr/share/kde4/apps/ksmserver/windowmanagers/
(if not maybe this solution doesn't work for you ) 
create a file named 
/usr/share/kde4/apps/ksmserver/windowmanagers/i3.desktop

with content :

[Desktop Entry]
Encoding=UTF-8 
Name=i3
Comment=Highly configurable framework window manager 
Type=Application
Exec=i3
TryExec=i3

and :
Now, you should be able to choose "i3" as window manager in System Settings-Default Applications->Window Manager

Comment by invernomuto for

i made it :) 

there was this awesome tutorial for awesome wm :) 
http :// awesome.naquadah.org/wiki/KDE_and_awesome 

which wasn't working for i3wm, but changing the Type from "Xsession" to "Application" it worked:
so : 
to have i3wm working with kde4
you should already have this folder in your system : 
/usr/share/kde4/apps/ksmserver/windowmanagers/
(if not maybe this solution doesn't work for you ) 
create a file named 
/usr/share/kde4/apps/ksmserver/windowmanagers/i3.desktop

with content :

[Desktop Entry]
Encoding=UTF-8 
Name=i3
Comment=Highly configurable framework window manager 
Type=Application
Exec=i3
TryExec=i3

and :
Now, you should be able to choose "i3" as window manager in System Settings-Default Applications->Window Manager

Mon, 25 Nov 2013 11:41:41 +0000

You made my day!! It works! (I can't upvote because I just registered) Thanks!!!