2 :man version: {revnumber}
3 :man manual: Bspwm Manual
11 bspwm - Tiling window manager based on binary space partitioning
16 *bspwm* [*-h*|*-v*|*-c* 'CONFIG_PATH'|*-s* 'PANEL_FIFO'|*-p* 'PANEL_PREFIX']
18 *bspc* 'COMMAND' ['ARGUMENTS']
23 *bspwm* is a tiling window manager that represents windows as the leaves of a full binary tree.
25 It is controlled and configured via *bspc*.
32 Print the synopsis and exit.
35 Print the version and exit.
38 Use the given configuration file.
41 Write the internal state to the given FIFO.
44 Start every line written to the 'PANEL_FIFO' with the given prefix.
50 *bspwm* have only two sources of informations: the X events it receives and the messages it reads on a dedicated socket.
52 The default configuration file is '$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/bspwm/bspwmrc'.
54 Keyboard and pointer bindings are defined with https://github.com/baskerville/sxhkd[sxhkd].
56 Example configuration files can be found in the *examples* directory.
61 New windows are inserted in the tree as close as possible to the focused window.
63 There is only two splitting modes: 'automatic' and 'manual'.
65 The default mode is 'automatic'. The 'manual' mode is entered by sending a *preselection* message.
67 Example: insertion of a new node (number 4) into the given tree in 'automatic' mode:
77 +-------------------------+ +-------------------------+
81 | 3 |------------| --> | 4 |------------|
85 +-------------------------+ +-------------------------+
88 Same departure, but the mode is 'manual', and a *window --presel up* message was sent beforehand:
97 +-------------------------+ +-------------------------+
101 | 3 |------------| --> |------------|------------|
105 +-------------------------+ +-------------------------+
111 Each monitor contains at least one desktop.
113 Each desktop contains at most one tree.
119 DIR := left | right | up | down
120 CYCLE_DIR := next | prev
126 Selectors are used to select a target window, desktop, or monitor. A selector
127 can either describe the target relatively or name it globally.
129 Descriptive (relative) selectors consist of a primary selector and any number
130 of non-conflicting modifiers as follows:
132 PRIMARY_SELECTOR[.MODIFIER]*
134 For obvious reasons, neither desktops nor monitors names may be valid
135 descriptive selectors.
143 WINDOW_SEL := <window_id>
144 | (DIR|CYCLE_DIR|biggest|last|focused)[.floating|.tiled][.like|.unlike][.automatic|.manual][.urgent|.nonurgent]
151 Selects the window in the given (spacial) direction relative to the active
155 Selects the window in the given (cyclic) direction.
158 Selects the biggest window on the current desktop.
161 Selects the previously focused window on the current desktop.
164 Selects the currently focused window.
170 Only consider floating windows.
173 Only consider tiled windows.
176 Only consider windows that have the same class as the current window.
179 Only consider windows that have a different class than the current window.
182 Only consider windows in automatic splitting mode.
185 Only consider windows in manual splitting mode (see *--presel*).
188 Only consider urgent windows.
191 Only consider nonurgent windows.
199 DESKTOP_SEL := <desktop_name>
201 | (CYCLE_DIR|last|focused)[.occupied|.free][.urgent|.nonurgent]
208 Selects the desktop with the given name.
211 Selects the nth desktop.
214 Selects the desktop in the given direction relative to the active desktop.
217 Selects the previously focused desktop.
220 Selects the currently focused desktop.
226 Only consider occupied desktops.
229 Only consider free desktops.
232 Only consider urgent desktops.
235 Only consider nonurgent desktops.
243 MONITOR_SEL := <monitor_name>
245 | (DIR|CYCLE_DIR|last|primary|focused)[.occupied|.free]
252 Selects the monitor with the given name.
255 Selects the nth monitor.
258 Selects the monitor in the given (spacial) direction relative to the active monitor.
261 Selects the monitor in the given (cyclic) direction relative to the active monitor.
264 Selects the primary monitor.
267 Selects the previously focused monitor.
270 Selects the currently focused monitor.
276 Only consider monitors where the focused desktop is occupied.
279 Only consider monitors where the focused desktop is free.
291 window ['WINDOW_SEL'] 'OPTIONS'
295 *-f*, *--focus* ['WINDOW_SEL']::
296 Focus the selected or given window.
298 *-d*, *--to-desktop* 'DESKTOP_SEL'::
299 Send the selected window to the given desktop.
301 *-m*, *--to-monitor* 'MONITOR_SEL'::
302 Send the selected window to the given monitor.
304 *-w*, *--to-window* 'WINDOW_SEL'::
305 Transplant the selected window to the given window.
307 *-s*, *--swap* 'WINDOW_SEL'::
308 Swap the selected window with the given window.
310 *-p*, *--presel* 'DIR'|cancel::
311 Preselect the splitting area of the selected window (or cancel the preselection).
313 *-r*, *--ratio* 'RATIO'::
314 Set the splitting ratio of the selected window (0 < 'RATIO' < 1).
316 *-e*, *--edge* 'DIR' 'RATIO'|pull|push::
317 Set the splitting ratio (or pull, or push) the edge located in the given direction in relation to the selected window.
319 *-R*, *--rotate* 'DIR' '90|270|180'::
320 Rotate the tree holding the edge located in the given direction in relation to the selected window.
322 *-t*, *--toggle* floating|fullscreen|locked[=on|off]::
323 Set or toggle the given state for the selected window.
326 Close the selected window.
329 Kill the selected window.
337 desktop ['DESKTOP_SEL'] 'OPTIONS'
341 *-f*, *--focus* ['DESKTOP_SEL']::
342 Focus the selected or given desktop.
344 *-m*, *--to-monitor* 'MONITOR_SEL'::
345 Send the selected desktop to the given monitor.
347 *-l*, *--layout* 'CYCLE_DIR'|monocle|tiled::
348 Set or cycle the layout of the selected desktop.
350 *-n*, *--rename* <new_name>::
351 Rename the selected desktop.
354 Remove the selected desktop.
356 *-c*, *--cancel-presel*::
357 Cancel the preselection of all the windows of the selected desktop.
359 *-F*, *--flip* 'horizontal|vertical'::
360 Flip the tree of the selected desktop.
362 *-R*, *--rotate* '90|270|180'::
363 Rotate the tree of the selected desktop.
366 Adjust the split ratios of the tree of the selected desktop so that all windows occupy the same area.
368 *-C*, *--circulate* forward|backward::
369 Circulate the leaves of the tree of the selected desktop.
377 monitor ['MONITOR_SEL'] 'OPTIONS'
381 *-f*, *--focus* ['MONITOR_SEL']::
382 Focus the selected or given monitor.
384 *-a*, *--add-desktops* <name>...::
385 Create desktops with the given names in the selected monitor.
387 *-r*, *--remove-desktops* <name>...::
388 Remove desktops with the given names.
390 *-p*, *--pad* <top> <right> <bottom> <left>::
391 Set the padding of the selected monitor.
393 *-n*, *--rename* <new_name>::
394 Rename the selected monitor.
396 *-s*, *--swap* 'MONITOR_SEL'::
397 Swap the selected monitor with the given monitor.
410 List matching windows.
413 List matching desktops.
416 List matching monitors.
419 Print tree rooted at query.
422 Print the history as it relates to the query.
424 [*-m*,*--monitor* ['MONITOR_SEL']] | [*-d*,*--desktop* ['DESKTOP_SEL']] | [*-w*, *--window* ['WINDOW_SEL']]::
425 Constrain matches to the selected monitor, desktop or window.
438 *-T*, *--tree* <file_path>::
439 Load the desktop trees from the given file.
441 *-H*, *--history* <file_path>::
442 Load the focus history from the given file.
456 Manage all the unmanaged windows remaining from a previous session.
459 Write the current internal state to the panel FIFO.
461 *--toggle-visibility*::
462 Toggle the visibility of all the managed windows.
475 *-t*, *--track* <x> <y>::
476 Pass the pointer root coordinates for the current pointer action.
478 *-g*, *--grab* focus|move|resize_side|resize_corner::
479 Perform the given pointer action.
492 *-a*, *--add* <pattern> [-d 'DESKTOP_SEL' [--follow]] [--floating] [--focus]::
493 Create a new rule (<pattern> must match the class or instance name).
495 *-r*, *--rm* <rule_uid>...::
496 Remove the rules with the given UIDs.
498 *-l*, *--list* [<pattern>]::
507 config <key> [<value>]::
508 Get or set the value of <key>.
517 Quit with an optional exit status.
521 Colors are either http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X11_color_names[X color names] or '#RRGGBB', booleans are 'true' or 'false'.
523 All the boolean settings are 'false' by default.
526 'focused_border_color'::
527 Color of the border of a focused window of a focused monitor.
529 'active_border_color'::
530 Color of the border of a focused window of an unfocused monitor.
532 'normal_border_color'::
533 Color of the border of an unfocused window.
535 'presel_border_color'::
536 Color of the *presel* message feedback.
538 'focused_locked_border_color'::
539 Color of the border of a focused locked window of a focused monitor.
541 'active_locked_border_color'::
542 Color of the border of a focused locked window of an unfocused monitor.
544 'normal_locked_border_color'::
545 Color of the border of an unfocused locked window.
547 'urgent_border_color'::
548 Color of the border of an urgent window.
554 Value of the gap that separates windows.
559 'history_aware_focus'::
560 Give priority to the focus history when focusing nodes.
562 'borderless_monocle'::
563 Remove borders for tiled windows in monocle mode.
566 Remove gaps for tiled windows in monocle mode.
568 'focus_follows_pointer'::
569 Focus the window under the pointer.
571 'pointer_follows_monitor'::
572 When focusing a monitor, put the pointer at its center.
575 Prevent floating windows from being raised when they might cover other floating windows.
578 Interpret two consecutive identical *use* messages as an *alternate* message.
581 Interpret two consecutive identical *presel* messages as a *cancel* message.
583 'apply_floating_atom'::
584 Set the value of the '_BSPWM_FLOATING_WINDOW' atom of each window according to its floating state.
587 Environment Variables
588 ---------------------
591 The path of the socket used for the communication between *bspc* and *bspwm*. If it isn't defined, then the following path is used: '/tmp/bspwm-socket'.
596 * Any EWMH compliant panel (e.g.: 'tint2', 'bmpanel2', etc.).
597 * A custom panel if the '-s' flag is used (have a look at the files in 'examples/panel').
602 * Configured and controlled through messages.
603 * Multiple monitors support (via 'RandR').
604 * EWMH support (*tint2* works).
610 * Steven Allen <steven at stebalien.com>
611 * Thomas Adam <thomas at xteddy.org>
612 * Ivan Kanakarakis <ivan.kanak at gmail.com>
617 Bastien Dejean <baskerville at lavabit.com>
622 bspwm at librelist.com
625 vim: set ft=asciidoc: