Exec unfocuses current window [closed]

asked 2015-02-24 10:04:36 +0000

setzer22
15 ●3 ●3 ●6

I've set up a basic "vim" mode that allows me to use hjkl as arrow keys in any application (by using xdotool). This is my config so far:

mode "vim" {
    bindsym h exec --no-startup-id xdotool key --window $(xprop -root | awk '/_NET_ACTIVE_WINDOW\(WINDOW\)/{print $NF}') Left
    bindsym j exec --no-startup-id xdotool key --window $(xprop -root | awk '/_NET_ACTIVE_WINDOW\(WINDOW\)/{print $NF}') Down 
    bindsym k exec --no-startup-id xdotool key --window $(xprop -root | awk '/_NET_ACTIVE_WINDOW\(WINDOW\)/{print $NF}') Up 
    bindsym l exec --no-startup-id xdotool key --window $(xprop -root | awk '/_NET_ACTIVE_WINDOW\(WINDOW\)/{print $NF}') Right

    #back to normal: Enter or Escape or q or ^[
    bindsym Return mode "default"
    bindsym q mode "default"
    bindsym Escape mode "default"
    bindcode Control+34 mode "default"
    bindsym $mod+Shift+v mode "default"
}
bindsym $mod+Shift+v mode "vim"

Unfortunately, it seems that when using exec, i3 unfocuses (not quite, the window bar is still highlighted for example. But surely the window doesn't catch the key events) the current window for a moment, that's why I have to get the window ID, otherwise it's not seeing the command. I should say this works, but many windows like my terminal do some animation on this kind of "loose focus" and it gets weird looking at.

Is there a way I can tell i3 to keep the window focused and execute the command in the background?