-
-
-## Synopsis
-
- bspwm [-v|-s STATUS_FIFO]
-
- bspc MESSAGE [ARGUMENTS] [OPTIONS]
-
## Description
-`bspwm` is a tiling window manager where each window is represented as the leaf of a binary tree.
-
-It is controlled and configured via `bspc`.
-
-## Configuration
-
-`bspwm` have only two sources of informations: the X events it receives and the messages it reads on a dedicated socket.
-
-Its configuration file is `$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/bspwm/autostart`.
-
-Keyboard and pointer bindings are defined through [sxhkd](https://github.com/baskerville/sxhkd).
-
-Example configuration files can be found in the `examples` directory.
-
-## Splitting Modes
-
-There is only two splitting modes: *automatic* and *manual*.
-
-The default mode is *automatic*. The *manual* mode is entered by sending a *presel* message.
-
-Example: insertion of a new node (number 4) into the given tree in
-*automatic* mode:
-
- b c
- / \ / \
- 3 a --> 4 b
- ^ / \ ^ / \
- 2 1 3 a
- / \
- 2 1
- +-------------------------+ +-------------------------+
- | | | | | |
- | | 2 | | | 3 |
- | | | | | |
- | 3 |------------| --> | 4 |------------|
- | ^ | | | ^ | | |
- | | 1 | | | 1 | 2 |
- | | | | | | |
- +-------------------------+ +-------------------------+
-
-Same departure, but the mode is *manual*, and a `presel up` message
-was sent beforehand:
-
- b b
- / \ / \
- 3 a --> c a
- ^ / \ / \ / \
- 2 1 4 3 2 1
- ^
- +-------------------------+ +-------------------------+
- | | | | | |
- | | 2 | | 4 | 2 |
- | | | | ^ | |
- | 3 |------------| --> |------------|------------|
- | ^ | | | | |
- | | 1 | | 3 | 1 |
- | | | | | |
- +-------------------------+ +-------------------------+
-
-## Messages
-
-The syntax for the client is `bspc MESSAGE [ARGUMENTS ...]`.
-
-The following messages are handled:
-
-- `get SETTING` — Return the value of the given setting.
-
-- `set SETTING VALUE` — Set the value of the given setting.
-
-- `list [DESKTOP_NAME]` — Output the internal representation of the window tree.
+*bspwm* is a tiling window manager that represents windows as the leaves of a full binary tree.
-- `list_desktops [--quiet]` — Perform a dump of each desktop for the current monitor.
+It only responds to X events, and the messages it receives on a dedicated socket.
-- `list_monitors [--quiet]` — Perform a dump of each monitor.
+*bspc* is a program that writes messages on *bspwm*'s socket.
-- `list_windows` — Return the list of managed windows (i.e. their identifiers).
+*bspwm* doesn't handle any keyboard or pointer inputs: a third party program (e.g. *sxhkd*) is needed in order to translate keyboard and pointer events to *bspc* invocations.
-- `list_rules` — Return the list of rules.
+The outlined architecture is the following:
-- `presel left|right|up|down [SPLIT_RATIO]` — Switch to manual mode and select the splitting direction.
+```
+ PROCESS SOCKET
+sxhkd --------> bspc <------> bspwm
+```
-- `cancel` — Switch to automatic mode.
-
-- `ratio VALUE` — Set the splitting ratio of the focused window.
-
-- `pad MONITOR_NAME [TOP_PADDING [RIGHT_PADDING [BOTTOM_PADDING [LEFT_PADDING]]]]` — Set the padding of the given monitor.
-
-- `focus left|right|up|down` — Focus the neighbor window situated in the given direction.
-
-- `shift left|right|up|down` — Exchange the current window with the given neighbor.
-
-- `swap` — Swap the focused window with the last focused window.
-
-- `push left|right|up|down` — Push the fence located in the given direction.
-
-- `pull left|right|up|down` — Pull the fence located in the given direction.
-
-- `cycle next|prev [--skip-floating|--skip-tiled|--skip-class-equal|--skip-class-differ]` — Focus the next or previous window matching the given constraints.
-
-- `nearest older|newer [--skip-floating|--skip-tiled|--skip-class-equal|--skip-class-differ]` — Focus the nearest window matching the given constraints.
-
-- `circulate forward|backward` — Circulate the leaves in the given direction.
-
-- `grab_pointer focus|move|resize_side|resize_corner` — Begin the specified pointer action.
-
-- `track_pointer ROOT_X ROOT_Y` — Pass the pointer root coordinates for the current pointer action.
-
-- `ungrab_pointer` — End the current pointer action.
-
-- `toggle_fullscreen` — Toggle the fullscreen state of the current window.
-
-- `toggle_floating` — Toggle the floating state of the current window.
-
-- `toggle_locked` — Toggle the locked state of the current window (locked windows will not respond to the `close` message).
-
-- `toggle_visibility` — Toggle the visibility of all the managed windows.
-
-- `close` — Close the focused window.
-
-- `kill` — Kill the focused window.
-
-- `send_to DESKTOP_NAME [--follow]` — Send the focused window to the given desktop.
-
-- `drop_to next|prev [--follow]` — Send the focused window to the next or previous desktop.
-
-- `send_to_monitor MONITOR_NAME [--follow]` — Send the focused window to the given monitor.
-
-- `drop_to_monitor next|prev [--follow]` — Send the focused window to the next or previous monitor.
+## Configuration
-- `use DESKTOP_NAME` — Select the given desktop.
+The default configuration file is `$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/bspwm/bspwmrc`: this is simply a shell script that calls *bspc*.
-- `use_monitor MONITOR_NAME` — Select the given monitor.
+Keyboard and pointer bindings are defined with [sxhkd](https://github.com/baskerville/sxhkd).
-- `alternate` — Alternate between the current and the last focused window.
+Example configuration files can be found in the [examples](examples) directory.
-- `alternate_desktop` — Alternate between the current and the last focused desktop.
+## Monitors, desktops and windows
-- `alternate_monitor` — Alternate between the current and the last focused monitor.
+*bspwm* holds a list of monitors.
-- `add DESKTOP_NAME ...` — Make new desktops with the given names.
+A monitor is just a rectangle that contains desktops.
-- `add_in MONITOR_NAME DESKTOP_NAME ...` — Make new desktops with the given names in the given monitor.
+A desktop is just a pointer to a tree.
-- `rename_monitor CURRENT_NAME NEW_NAME` — Rename the monitor named `CURRENT_NAME` to `NEW_NAME`.
+Monitors only show the tree of one desktop at a time (their focused desktop).
-- `rename CURRENT_NAME NEW_NAME` — Rename the desktop named `CURRENT_NAME` to `NEW_NAME`.
+The tree is a partition of a monitor's rectangle into smaller rectangular regions.
-- `cycle_monitor next|prev` — Select the next or previous monitor.
+Each node in a tree either has zero or two children.
-- `cycle_desktop next|prev [--skip-free|--skip-occupied]` — Select the next or previous desktop.
+Each internal node is responsible for splitting a rectangle in half.
-- `layout monocle|tiled [DESKTOP_NAME ...]` — Set the layout of the given desktops (current if none given).
+A split is defined by two parameters: the type (horizontal or vertical) and the ratio (a real number *r* such that *0 < r < 1*).
-- `cycle_layout` — Cycle the layout of the current desktop.
+Each leaf node holds exactly one window.
-- `rotate clockwise|counter_clockwise|full_cycle` — Rotate the window tree.
+## Insertion Modes
-- `flip horizontal|vertical` — Flip the window tree.
+### Prelude
-- `balance` — Adjust the split ratios so that all windows occupy the same area.
+When *bspwm* receives a new window, it inserts it into a window tree at the specified insertion point (a leaf) using the insertion mode specified for that insertion point.
-- `rule PATTERN [DESKTOP_NAME] [floating] [follow]` — Create a new rule (`PATTERN` must match the class or instance name).
+The insertion mode tells *bspwm* how it should alter the tree in order to insert new windows on a given insertion point.
-- `remove_rule UID ...` — Remove the rules with the given UIDs.
+By default the insertion point is the focused window and its insertion mode is *automatic*.
-- `adopt_orphans` — Manage all the unmanaged windows remaining from a previous session.
+### Manual Mode
-- `restore FILE_PATH` — Restore the layout of each desktop from the content of `FILE_PATH`.
+The user can specify a region in the insertion point where the next new window should appear by sending a *node -p|--presel-dir DIR* message to *bspwm*.
-- `quit [EXIT_STATUS]` — Quit.
+The *DIR* argument allows to specify how the insertion point should be split (horizontally or vertically) and if the new window should be the first or the second child of the new internal node (the insertion point will become its *brother*).
-## Settings
+After doing so the insertion point goes into *manual* mode.
-Colors are either [X color names](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X11_color_names) or *#RRGGBB*, booleans are *true* or *false*.
+Let's consider the following scenario:
-- `focused_border_color` — Color of the border of a focused window of a focused monitor.
+```
+ a a a
+ / \ / \ / \
+ 1 b ---> c b ---> c b
+ ^ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \
+ 2 3 4 1 2 3 d 1 2 3
+ ^ / \
+ 5 4
+ ^
-- `active_border_color` — Color of the border of a focused window of an unfocused monitor.
++-----------------------+ +-----------------------+ +-----------------------+
+| | | | | | | | | |
+| | 2 | | 4 | 2 | | 5 | 4 | 2 |
+| | | | ^ | | | ^ | | |
+| 1 |-----------| |-----------|-----------| |-----------|-----------|
+| ^ | | | | | | | |
+| | 3 | | 1 | 3 | | 1 | 3 |
+| | | | | | | | |
++-----------------------+ +-----------------------+ +-----------------------+
-- `normal_border_color` — Color of the border of an unfocused window.
+ X Y Z
+```
-- `presel_border_color` — Color of the `presel` message feedback.
+In state *X*, the insertion point is *1*.
-- `focused_locked_border_color` — Color of the border of a focused locked window of a focused monitor.
+We send the following message to *bspwm*: *node -p north*.
-- `active_locked_border_color` — Color of the border of a focused locked window of an unfocused monitor.
+Then add a new window: *4*, this leads to state *Y*: the new internal node, *c* becomes *a*'s first child.
-- `normal_locked_border_color` — Color of the border of an unfocused locked window.
+Finally we send another message: *node -p west* and add window *5*.
-- `urgent_border_color` — Color of the border of an urgent window.
+The ratio of the preselection (that ends up being the ratio of the split of the new internal node) can be changed with the *node -o|--presel-ratio* message.
-- `border_width` — Window border width.
+### Automatic Mode
-- `window_gap` — Value of the gap that separates windows.
+The *automatic* mode, as opposed to the *manual* mode, doesn't require any user choice. The way the new window is inserted is determined by the value of the automatic scheme and the initial polarity settings.
-- `{top,right,bottom,left}_padding` — Padding space added at the sides of the current monitor.
+#### Longest side
-- `wm_name` — The value that shall be used for the `_NET_WM_NAME` property of the root window.
+When the value of the automatic scheme is `longest_side`, the window will be attached as if the insertion point was in manual mode and the split direction was choosen based on the dimensions of the tiling rectangle and the initial polarity.
-- `borderless_monocle` — Whether to remove borders for tiled windows in monocle mode.
+Let's consider the following scenario, where the initial polarity is set to `second_child`:
-- `gapless_monocle` — Whether to remove gaps for tiled windows in monocle mode.
+```
+ 1 a a
+ ^ / \ / \
+ ---> 1 2 ---> 1 b
+ ^ / \
+ 2 3
+ ^
-- `focus_follows_pointer` — Whether to focus the window under the pointer.
+ +-----------------------+ +-----------------------+ +-----------------------+
+ | | | | | | | |
+ | | | | | | | 2 |
+ | | | | | | | |
+ | 1 | | 1 | 2 | | 1 |-----------|
+ | ^ | | | ^ | | | |
+ | | | | | | | 3 |
+ | | | | | | | ^ |
+ +-----------------------+ +-----------------------+ +-----------------------+
-- `adaptative_raise` — Prevent floating windows from being raised when they might cover other floating windows.
+ X Y Z
+```
-- `apply_shadow_property` — Enable shadows for floating windows via the `_COMPTON_SHADOW` property.
+In state *X*, a new window is added.
-## Environment Variables
+Since *1* is wide, it gets split vertically and *2* is added as *a*'s second child given the initial polarity.
-- `BSPWM_SOCKET` — The path of the socket used for the communication between `bspc` and `bspwm`.
+This leads to *Y* where we insert window *3*. *2* is tall and is therefore split horizontally. *3* is once again added as *b*'s second child.
-## Key Features
+#### Spiral
-- Configured and controlled through messages.
-- Multiple monitors support (via *Xinerama*).
-- EWMH support (`tint2` works).
-- Automatic and manual modes.
+When the value of the automatic scheme is `spiral`, the window will *take the space* of the insertion point.
-## Panels
+Let's dive into the details with the following scenario:
-- Any EWMH compliant panel (e.g. `tint2`, `bmpanel2`, etc.).
-- A custom panel if the `-s` flag is used (have a look at the files in `examples/panel`).
-- `dzen2` fed with the output of `ewmhstatus`. Example: [launchpanel](https://github.com/baskerville/bin/blob/master/launchpanel).
+```
+ a a a
+ / \ / \ / \
+ 1 b ---> 1 c ---> 1 d
+ / \ / \ / \
+ 2 3 4 b 5 c
+ ^ ^ / \ ^ / \
+ 3 2 b 4
+ / \
+ 3 2
-## Required Libraries:
+ +-----------------------+ +-----------------------+ +-----------------------+
+ | | | | | | | | |
+ | | 2 | | | 4 | | | 5 |
+ | | ^ | | | ^ | | | ^ |
+ | 1 |-----------| | 1 |-----------| | 1 |-----------|
+ | | | | | | | | | 3 | |
+ | | 3 | | | 3 | 2 | | |-----| 4 |
+ | | | | | | | | | 2 | |
+ +-----------------------+ +-----------------------+ +-----------------------+
-- libxcb
-- xcb-util
-- xcb-util-wm
+ X Y Z
+```
-## Installation
+In state *X*, the insertion point, *2* is in automatic mode.
- make
- make install
+When we add a new window, *4*, the whole tree rooted at *b* is reattached, as the second child of a new internal node, *c*.
-## Contributors
+The splitting parameters of *b* (type: *horizontal*, ratio: *½*) are copied to *c* and *b* is rotated by 90° clockwise.
-- [Ivan Kanakarakis](https://github.com/c00kiemon5ter)
+The tiling rectangle of *4* in state *Y* is equal to the tiling rectangle of *2* in state *X*.
-- [Thomas Adam](https://github.com/ThomasAdam)
+Then the insertion of *5*, with *4* as insertion point, leads to *Z*.
-## Mailing List
+The *spiral* automatic scheme generates window spirals that rotate clockwise (resp. anti-clockwise) if the insertion point is the first (resp. second) child of its parent.
-bspwm *at* librelist *dot* com.
-## License
+## Supported protocols and standards
-BSD.
+- The RandR and Xinerama protocols.
+- A subset of the EWMH and ICCCM standards.
projects / bspwm.git / blobdiff