wmii/man/wmii.1

.TH "WMII" 1 "2010 June" "wmii-@VERSION@"

.SH NAME
.P
wmii \- Window Manager Improved²

.SH SYNOPSIS
.P
wmii \fI[\-a \fI<address>\fR]\fR \fI[\-r \fI<wmiirc>\fR]\fR 
.P
wmii \-v

.SH DESCRIPTION
.SS Overview
.P
\fBwmii\fR is a dynamic window manager for X11. In contrast to
static window management the user rarely has to think about how
to organize windows, no matter what he is doing or how many
applications are used at the same time.  The window manager
adapts to the current environment and fits to the needs of the
user, rather than forcing him to use a preset, fixed layout and
trying to shoehorn all windows and applications into it.

.P
\fBwmii\fR supports classic and tiled window management with
extended keyboard and mouse control. The classic window
management arranges windows in a floating layer in which windows
can be moved and resized freely. The tiled window management is
based on columns which split up the screen horizontally. Each
column handles arbitrary windows and arranges them vertically in
a non\-overlapping way. They can then be moved and resized
between and within columns at will.

.P
\fBwmii\fR provides a virtual filesystem which represents the
internal state similar to the procfs of Unix operating systems.
Modifying this virtual filesystem results in changing the state
of the window manager. The virtual filesystem service can be
accessed through 9P\-capable client programs, like
wmiir(1).  This allows simple and powerful remote control
of the core window manager.

.P
\fBwmii\fR basically consists of clients, columns, views, and
the bar, which are described in detail in the
\fBTerminology\fR section.

.SS Command Line Arguments
.TP
\-a \fI<address>\fR
Specifies the address on which \fBwmii\fR should listen for
connections. The address takes the form
\fB\fI<protocol>\fR!\fI<address>\fR\fR. The default is of the form:

unix!/tmp/ns.\fB$USER\fR.\fB${DISPLAY\fR%.0\fB}\fR/wmii

which opens a unix socket per Plan 9 Port conventions. To
open a TCP socket, listening at port 4332 on the loopback
interface, use:

tcp!localhost!4332

\fB$WMII_NAMESPACE\fR is automatically set to this value.

.TP
\-r \fI<wmiirc>\fR
Specifies which rc script to run. If \fI<wmiirc>\fR consists of a
single argument, \fB$WMII_CONFPATH\fR is searched before \fB$PATH\fR.
Otherwise, it is passed to the shell for evaluation. The
environment variables \fB$WMII_ADDRESS\fR and \fB$WMII_CONFPATH\fR are
preset for the script.

== Terminology ==

.TP
Display
A running X server instance consisting of input
devices and screens.
.TP
Screen
A physical or virtual (Xinerama or Xnest(1))
screen of an X display. A screen displays a bar window
and a view at a time.
.TP
Window
A (rectangular) drawable X object which is
displayed on a screen, usually an application window.
.TP
Client
An application window surrounded by a frame window
containing a border and a titlebar.

.TP
Floating layer
A screen layer of \fBwmii\fR on top of
all other layers, where clients are arranged in a
classic (floating) way.  They can be resized or moved
freely.
.TP
Managed layer
A screen layer of \fBwmii\fR behind the
floating layer, where clients are arranged in a
non\-overlapping (managed) way.  Here, the window
manager dynamically assigns each client a size and
position.  The managed layer consists of columns.
.TP
Tag
Alphanumeric strings which can be assigned to a
client. This provides a mechanism to group clients with
similar properties. Clients can have one tag, e.g.
\fIwork\fR, or several tags, e.g.  \fIwork+mail\fR.
Tags are separated with the \fI+\fR character.
.TP
View
A set of clients containing a specific tag, quite
similar to a workspace in other window managers.  It
consists of the floating and managed layers.
.TP
Column
A column is a screen area which arranges clients
vertically in a non\-overlapping way. Columns provide
three different modes, which arrange clients with equal
size, stacked, or maximized respectively.  Clients can
be moved and resized between and within columns freely.
.TP
Bar
The bar at the bottom of the screen displays a label
for each view and allows the creation of arbitrary
user\-defined labels.
.TP
Event
An event is a message which can be read from a
special file in the filesystem of \fBwmii\fR, such as a
mouse button press, a key press, or a message written by
a different 9P\-client.


.SS Basic window management
.P
Running a raw \fBwmii\fR process without a wmiirc(1)
script provides basic window management capabilities already.
However, to use it effectively, remote control through its
filesystem interface is necessary.  By default it is only usable
with the mouse in conjunction with the \fIMod1 (Alt)\fR
modifier key. Other interactions, such as customizing the style,
killing or retagging clients, and grabbing keys, cannot be
achieved without accessing the filesystem.

.P
The filesystem can be accessed by connecting to the
\fIaddress\fR of \fBwmii\fR with any 9P\-capable client, such
as wmiir(1)

.SS Actions
.P
An action is a shell script in the default setup, but it can
actually be any executable file.  It is executed usually by
selecting it from the actions menu.  You can customize an action
by copying it from the global action directory
\&'@CONFPREFIX@/wmii@CONFVERSION@' to '\fB$HOME\fR/.wmii@CONFVERSION@' and then
editing the copy to fit your needs.  Of course you can also
create your own actions there; make sure that they are
executable.

.P
Here is a list of the default actions:

.TS
tab(^); ll.
 quit^leave the window manager nicely
 status^periodically print date and load average to the bar
 welcome^display a welcome message that contains the wmii tutorial
 wmiirc^configure wmii
.TE

.SS Default Key Bindings
.P
All of the provided \fBwmiirc\fR scripts accept at least the following key
bindings. They should also provide a \fBshowkeys\fR action to open a
key binding quick\-reference.

.SS Moving Around
.TS
tab(^); ll.
 \fBKey\fR^\fBAction\fR
 Mod\-h^Move to a window to the \fIleft\fR of the one currently focused
 Mod\-l^Move to a window to the \fIright\fR of the one currently focused
 Mod\-j^Move to the window \fIbelow\fR the one currently focused
 Mod\-k^Move to a window \fIabove\fR the one currently focused
 Mod\-space^Toggle between the managed and floating layers
 Mod\-t \fI<tag>\fR^Move to the view of the given \fI<tag>\fR
 Mod\-\fI\fI[0\-9]\fR\fR^Move to the view with the given number
.TE

.SS Moving Things Around
.TS
tab(^); ll.
 \fBKey\fR^\fBAction\fR
 Mod\-Shift\-h^Move the current window \fIwindow\fR to a column on the \fIleft\fR
 Mod\-Shift\-l^Move the current window to a column on the \fIright\fR
 Mod\-Shift\-j^Move the current window below the window beneath it.
 Mod\-Shift\-k^Move the current window above the window above it.
 Mod\-Shift\-space^Toggle the current window between the managed and floating layer
 Mod\-Shift\-t \fI<tag>\fR^Move the current window to the view of the given \fI<tag>\fR
 Mod\-Shift\-\fI\fI[0\-9]\fR\fR^Move the current window to the view with the given number
.TE

.SS Miscellaneous
.TS
tab(^); ll.
 \fBKey\fR^\fBAction\fR
 Mod\-m^Switch the current column to \fImax mode\fR
 Mod\-s^Switch the current column to \fIstack mode\fR
 Mod\-d^Switch the current column to \fIdefault mode\fR
 Mod\-Shift\-c^\fBKill\fR the selected client
 Mod\-p \fI<program>\fR^\fBExecute\fR \fI<program>\fR
 Mod\-a \fI<action>\fR^\fBExecute\fR the named <action
 Mod\-Enter^\fBExecute\fR an \fB@TERMINAL@\fR
.TE

.SH Configuration
.P
If you feel the need to change the default configuration, then
customize (as described above) the \fBwmiirc\fR action.  This
action is executed at the end of the \fBwmii\fR script and does
all the work of setting up the window manager, the key bindings,
the bar labels, etc.

.SS Filesystem
.P
Most aspects of \fBwmii\fR are controlled via the filesystem.
It is usually accessed via the wmiir(1) command, but it
can be accessed by any 9P, including plan9port's
9P\fI[1]\fR, and can be mounted natively on Linux via v9fs\fI[1]\fR,
and on Inferno (which man run on top of Linux).

.P
The filesystem is, as are many other 9P filesystems, entirely
synthetic. The files exist only in memory, and are not written
to disk. They are generally initiated on wmii startup via a
script such as rc.wmii or wmiirc. Several files read commands,
others simply act as if they were ordinary files (their contents
are updated and returned exactly as written), though writing
them has side\-effects (such as changing key bindings). A
description of the filesystem layout and control commands
follows.

.SS Hierarchy
.TP
/
Global control files
.TP
/client/\fI*\fR/
Client control files
.TP
/tag/\fI*\fR/
View control files
.TP
/lbar/, /rbar/
Files representing the contents of the bottom bar


.SS The / Hierarchy
.TP
colrules
The \fIcolrules\fR file contains a list of
rules which affect the width of newly created columns.
Rules have the form:

.nf
      /\fI<regex>\fR/ -> \fI<width>\fR\fI[+\fI<width>\fR]\fR*
.fi


Where,

.nf
      \fI<width>\fR := \fI<percent of screen>\fR | \fI<pixels>\fRpx
.fi


When a new column, \fI<n>\fR, is created on a view whose name
matches \fI<regex>\fR, it is given the \fI<n>\fRth supplied \fI<width>\fR.
If there is no \fI<n>\fRth width, it is given 1/\fI<ncol>\fRth of the
screen.

.TP
rules
\fBPROVISIONAL\fR

The \fIrules\fR file contains a list of rules that may be used
to automatically set properties of new clients. Rules are
specified as:

.nf
      /\fI<regex>\fR/ \fI<key>\fR=\fI<value>\fR ...
.fi


where each \fI<key>\fR represents a command in the clients \fIctl\fR
file, and each \fI<value>\fR represents the value to assign to it.
The rules are applied when the client is first started and
the contents of the \fIprops\fR file match the regular
expression \fI<regex>\fR.

Additionally, the following keys are accepted and have
special meaning:

.RS 8
.TP
default\-tags \fI<tags>\fR
Like \fItags\fR, but only sets the tags if they can't be
obtained from the client's group or from the
_WMII_TAGS window property. This key should be
preferred to the \fItags\fR key in most cases.
.RS -8
.TP
keys
The \fIkeys\fR file contains a list of keys which
\fBwmii\fR will grab. Whenever these key combinations
are pressed, the string which represents them are
written to '/event' as: Key \fI<string>\fR
.TP
event
The \fIevent\fR file never returns EOF while
\fBwmii\fR is running. It stays open and reports events
as they occur. Included among them are:
.RS 8
.TP
\fI[Not]\fRUrgent \fI<client>\fR \fI[Manager|Client]\fR
\fI<client>\fR's urgent hint has been set or
unset. The second arg is \fI[Client]\fR if it's
been set by the client, and \fI[Manager]\fR if
it's been set by \fBwmii\fR via a control
message.
.TP
\fI[Not]\fRUrgentTag \fI<tag>\fR \fI[Manager|Client]\fR
A client on \fI<tag>\fR has had its urgent hint
set, or the last urgent client has had its
urgent hint unset.
.TP
Client\fI<Click|MouseDown>\fR \fI<client>\fR \fI<button>\fR
A client's titlebar has either been clicked or
has a button pressed over it.
.TP
\fI[Left|Right]\fRBar\fI[Click|MouseDown]\fR \fI<button>\fR \fI<bar>\fR
A left or right bar has been clicked or has a
button pressed over it.
.TP
 
.RS -8
For a more comprehensive list of available events, see
\fIwmii.pdf\fR\fI[2]\fR

.TP
ctl
The \fIctl\fR file takes a number of messages to
change global settings such as color and font, which can
be viewed by reading it. It also takes the following
commands:
.RS 8
.TP
quit
Quit \fBwmii\fR
.TP
exec \fI<prog>\fR
Replace \fBwmii\fR with \fI<prog>\fR
.TP
spawn \fI<prog>\fR
Spawn a new program, as if by the \fI\-r\fR flag.
.RS -8


.SS The /client/ Hierarchy
.P
Each directory under '/client/' represents an X11 client.
Each directory is named for the X window id of the window the
client represents, in the form that most X utilities recognize.
The one exception is the special 'sel' directory, which
represents the currently selected client.

.TP
ctl
When read, the 'ctl' file returns the X window id
of the client. The following commands may be written to
it:
.RS 8
.TP
floating \fI<on | off | toggle>\fR
Defines whether this client is likely to float when
attached to a new view.
.TP
fullscreen \fI<on | off | toggle>\fR
Sets the client's fullscreen state.
.TP
group \fI<group id>\fR
The client's group ID, or 0 if not part of a group.
Clients tend to open with the same tags and in the
same columns as the last active member of their
group. Setting this property is only useful when
done via the rules file.
.TP
kill
Close the client's window.
.TP
slay
Forcibly kill the client's connection to the X
server, closing all of its windows. Kill the parent
process if the client provides its PID.
.TP
tags \fI<tags>\fR
The client's tags. The same as the tags file.
.TP
urgent \fI<on | off | toggle>\fR
Set or unset the client's urgent hint.
.RS -8

.TP
label
Set or read a client's label (title).
.TP
props
Returns a clients class and label as:
\fI<instance>\fR:\fI<class>\fR:\fI<label>\fR.
.TP
tags
Set or read a client's tags. Tags are separated by
\fB+\fR or \fB\-\fR. Tags beginning with \fB+\fR are
added, while those beginning with \fB\-\fR are removed.
If the tag string written begins with \fB+\fR or
\fB\-\fR, the written tags are added to or removed from
the client's set, otherwise, the set is overwritten.


.SS The /tag/ Hierarchy
.P
Each directory under '/tag/' represents a view, containing
all of the clients with the given tag applied. The special
\&'sel' directory represents the currently selected tag.

.TP
ctl
The 'ctl' file can be read to retrieve the name
of the tag the directory represents, or written with the
following commands:
.RS 8
.TP
select
Select a client:
select \fI[left|right|up|down]\fR 
.P
select \fI[\fI<row number>\fR|sel]\fR \fI[\fI<frame number>\fR]\fR 
.P
select client \fI<client>\fR
.TP
send
Send a client somewhere:
.RS 8
.TP
send \fI[\fI<client>\fR|sel]\fR \fI[up|down|left|right]\fR
.TP
send \fI[\fI<client>\fR|sel]\fR \fI<area>\fR
Send \fI<client>\fR to the \fIn\fRth \fI<area>\fR
.TP
send \fI[\fI<client>\fR|sel]\fR toggle
Toggle \fI<client>\fR between the floating and managed layer.
.RS -8
.TP
swap
Swap a client with another. Same syntax as send.

.TP
grow
Grow or shrink a client.

.nf
     grow \fI<frame>\fR \fI<direction>\fR \fI[\fI<amount>\fR]\fR
.fi

.TP
nudge
Nudge a client in a given direction.

.nf
     grow \fI<frame>\fR \fI<direction>\fR \fI[\fI<amount>\fR]\fR
.fi

.RS -8
Where the arguments are defined as follows:
.RS 8
.TP
area
Selects a column or the floating area.

.nf
     area        ::= \fI<area_spec>\fR | \fI<screen_spec>\fR:\fI<area_spec>\fR
.fi


When \fI<screen_spec>\fR is omitted and \fI<area_spec>\fR is not "sel",
0 is assumed. "sel" by itself represents the selected client no
matter which screen it is on.

.nf
     area_spec   ::= "~" | \fI<number>\fR | "sel"
.fi


Where "~" represents the floating area and \fI<number>\fR represents a column
index, starting at one.

.nf
     screen_spec ::= \fI<number>\fR
.fi


Where \fI<number>\fR representes the 0\-based Xinerama screen number.

.TP
frame
Selects a client window.

.nf
     frame ::= \fI<area>\fR \fI<index>\fR | \fI<area>\fR sel | client \fI<window-id>\fR
.fi


Where \fI<index>\fR represents the nth frame of \fI<area>\fR or \fI<window\-id>\fR is
the X11 window id of the given client.

.TP
amount
The amount to grow or nudge something.

.nf
     amount ::= \fI<number>\fR | \fI<number>\fRpx
.fi


If "px" is given, \fI<number>\fR is interperated as an exact pixel count.
Otherwise, it's interperated as a "reasonable" amount, which is
usually either the height of a window's title bar, or its sizing
increment (as defined by X11) in a given direction.
.RS -8
.TP
index
Read for a description of the contents of a tag.


.SS The /rbar/, /lbar/ Hierarchy
.P
The files under '/rbar/' and '/lbar/' represent the
items of the bar at the bottom of the screen. Files under
\&'/lbar/' appear on the left side of the bar, while those
under '/rbar/' appear on the right, with the leftmost item
occupying all extra available space. The items are sorted
lexicographically.

.P
The files may be read to obtain the colors and text of the bars.
The colors are at the beginning of the string, represented as a
tuple of 3 hex color codes for the foreground, background, and
border, respectively. When writing the bar files, the colors may
be omitted if the text would not otherwise appear to contain
them.

.SH FILES
.TP
/tmp/ns.\fB$USER\fR.\fB${DISPLAY\fR%.0\fB}\fR/wmii
The wmii socket file which provides a 9P service.
.TP
@CONFPREFIX@/wmii@CONFVERSION@
Global action directory.
.TP
\fB$HOME\fR/.wmii@CONFVERSION@
User\-specific action directory. Actions are first searched here.


.SH ENVIRONMENT
.TP
\fB$HOME\fR, \fB$DISPLAY\fR
See the section \fBFILES\fR above.

.P
The following variables are set and exported within \fBwmii\fR and
thus can be used in actions:

.TP
\fB$WMII_ADDRESS\fR
The address on which \fBwmii\fR is listening.
.TP
\fB$NAMESPACE\fR
The namespace directory to use if no address is provided.

.SH SEE ALSO
.P
dmenu(1), wmiir(1)

.P
@DOCDIR@/wmii.pdf

.P
\fI[1]\fR http://www.suckless.org/wiki/wmii/tips/9p_tips
\fI[2]\fR @DOCDIR@/wmii.pdf


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