i3 FAQ - Individual question feed

How to close all open programs in terminal

Sun, 09 Nov 2014 12:28:30 +0000

I use this command for shutdown in i3: systemctl poweroff I have 4 workspaces with these apps: firefox, terminal, ncmpcpp and nautilus and I want to close all these (and other open) programs before I call the `systemctl poweroff` command. Is there a command or script that could do this?

Answer by Adaephon for

I use this command for shutdown in i3:

systemctl poweroff

I have 4 workspaces with these apps: firefox, terminal, ncmpcpp and nautilus and I want to close all these (and other open) programs before I call the systemctl poweroff command.

Is there a command or script that could do this?

Mon, 10 Nov 2014 09:58:35 +0000

[class=".*"] kill this will run the *i3* command `kill` on every window. This includes the i3-bar, but as you are going to shut down anyway that should not be a problem. You can just bind it to a shortcut: bindsym Mod4+Mod1+q [class=".*"] kill It is possible to chain the `kill` command with the `exit` command on the same shortcut. But I would advise against it, as `kill` does not wait until the windows are gone before comming back and so *i3* would likely exit before everything is closed. Especially if there are programs that ask for confirmation before closing ("Do you want to save before closing?"). Or you can use `i3-nagbar` to ask whether *i3* should close all windows or just exit: bindsym Mod4+Mod1+q exec i3-nagbar -t warning -m 'Close all windows or exit?' -b 'Close all windows' 'i3-msg [class="^(!?.*i3bar).*$"] kill' -b 'Exit i3' 'i3-msg exit' This provides two buttons, "Close all windows" and "Exit i3". The second one will exit i3, no further questions asked. The first one will run the aforementioned command with the small change `class` criteria explicitly excludes the i3-bar. That way you can see on which workspace there are still open windows and take appropriate action. As the i3-nagbar stays open until explicitly closed (or until i3 exits) you can also repeatedly press "Close all windows".

Comment by Ali for

[class=".*"] kill

this will run the i3 command kill on every window. This includes the i3-bar, but as you are going to shut down anyway that should not be a problem.

You can just bind it to a shortcut:

bindsym Mod4+Mod1+q [class=".*"] kill

It is possible to chain the kill command with the exit command on the same shortcut. But I would advise against it, as kill does not wait until the windows are gone before comming back and so i3 would likely exit before everything is closed. Especially if there are programs that ask for confirmation before closing ("Do you want to save before closing?").

Or you can use i3-nagbar to ask whether i3 should close all windows or just exit:

bindsym Mod4+Mod1+q exec i3-nagbar -t warning -m 'Close all windows or exit?' -b 'Close all windows' 'i3-msg [class="^(!?.*i3bar).*$"] kill' -b 'Exit i3' 'i3-msg exit'

This provides two buttons, "Close all windows" and "Exit i3". The second one will exit i3, no further questions asked. The first one will run the aforementioned command with the small change class criteria explicitly excludes the i3-bar. That way you can see on which workspace there are still open windows and take appropriate action. As the i3-nagbar stays open until explicitly closed (or until i3 exits) you can also repeatedly press "Close all windows".

Mon, 10 Nov 2014 11:10:48 +0000

Thanks. I use your command like this but not working: bindsym $mod+Alt+q for_window [class=".*"] kill

Comment by Ali for

[class=".*"] kill

this will run the i3 command kill on every window. This includes the i3-bar, but as you are going to shut down anyway that should not be a problem.

You can just bind it to a shortcut:

bindsym Mod4+Mod1+q [class=".*"] kill

Or you can use i3-nagbar to ask whether i3 should close all windows or just exit:

bindsym Mod4+Mod1+q exec i3-nagbar -t warning -m 'Close all windows or exit?' -b 'Close all windows' 'i3-msg [class="^(!?.*i3bar).*$"] kill' -b 'Exit i3' 'i3-msg exit'

Mon, 10 Nov 2014 15:18:51 +0000

ERROR: Your command: for_window [class=".*"] kill

Comment by Adaephon for

[class=".*"] kill

this will run the i3 command kill on every window. This includes the i3-bar, but as you are going to shut down anyway that should not be a problem.

You can just bind it to a shortcut:

bindsym Mod4+Mod1+q [class=".*"] kill

Or you can use i3-nagbar to ask whether i3 should close all windows or just exit:

bindsym Mod4+Mod1+q exec i3-nagbar -t warning -m 'Close all windows or exit?' -b 'Close all windows' 'i3-msg [class="^(!?.*i3bar).*$"] kill' -b 'Exit i3' 'i3-msg exit'

Tue, 11 Nov 2014 05:47:00 +0000

`for_window` is not a command but a configuration option. When binding to a shortcut you need only `[] `. `for_window` is used to automatically run a command when a matching window appears. In this case you would automatically close every window immediatelly.

Comment by Adaephon for

[class=".*"] kill

this will run the i3 command kill on every window. This includes the i3-bar, but as you are going to shut down anyway that should not be a problem.

You can just bind it to a shortcut:

bindsym Mod4+Mod1+q [class=".*"] kill

Or you can use i3-nagbar to ask whether i3 should close all windows or just exit:

bindsym Mod4+Mod1+q exec i3-nagbar -t warning -m 'Close all windows or exit?' -b 'Close all windows' 'i3-msg [class="^(!?.*i3bar).*$"] kill' -b 'Exit i3' 'i3-msg exit'

Mon, 10 Nov 2014 12:28:44 +0000

@Ali Use `Mod1` instead of `Alt`, then it should work.

Comment by Ali for

[class=".*"] kill

this will run the i3 command kill on every window. This includes the i3-bar, but as you are going to shut down anyway that should not be a problem.

You can just bind it to a shortcut:

bindsym Mod4+Mod1+q [class=".*"] kill

Or you can use i3-nagbar to ask whether i3 should close all windows or just exit:

bindsym Mod4+Mod1+q exec i3-nagbar -t warning -m 'Close all windows or exit?' -b 'Close all windows' 'i3-msg [class="^(!?.*i3bar).*$"] kill' -b 'Exit i3' 'i3-msg exit'

Tue, 11 Nov 2014 20:33:16 +0000

Thank you. Solved.

Answer by Ali for

I use this command for shutdown in i3:

systemctl poweroff

I have 4 workspaces with these apps: firefox, terminal, ncmpcpp and nautilus and I want to close all these (and other open) programs before I call the systemctl poweroff command.

Is there a command or script that could do this?

Mon, 10 Nov 2014 10:57:15 +0000

Thanks. How Can i use your command to this script? This is my exit script: #!/bin/sh lock() { i3lock -n -ti /home/ali/Pictures/WallPaper/madonna.png } case "$1" in lock) lock ;; logout) i3-msg exit ;; suspend) systemctl suspend ;; reboot) systemctl reboot ;; shutdown) systemctl poweroff ;; *) echo "Usage: $0 {lock|logout|suspend|hibernate|reboot|shutdown}" exit 2 esac exit 0 And this is my config: set $mode_system System (l) lock, (e) logout, (s) suspend, (r) reboot, (p) power-off mode "$mode_system" { bindsym l exec --no-startup-id $i3_path/i3exit lock, mode "default" bindsym e exec --no-startup-id $i3_path/i3exit logout, mode "default" bindsym s exec --no-startup-id $i3_path/i3exit suspend, mode "default" bindsym r exec --no-startup-id $i3_path/i3exit reboot, mode "default" bindsym p exec --no-startup-id $i3_path/i3exit shutdown, mode "default" # back to normal: Enter or Escape bindsym Return mode "default" bindsym Escape mode "default" }