MyI3Config

A minimal, practical window manager configuration that supports both i3 (X11) and Sway (Wayland). The configuration is designed to stay close to upstream behavior while adding convenience features for daily use.

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Features

• Dual compatibility: Works with both i3 (X11) and Sway (Wayland)
• Focus follows mouse: Natural window focus behavior
• Keyboard-driven workflow: All common actions accessible via keyboard
• Minimal visual noise: No bars, no bloat, just windows
• Environment-aware scripts: Auto-detect i3 vs Sway and use appropriate tools
• Easy extensibility: Simple shell scripts for customization
• Unified configuration: One config file for both window managers

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Structure

MyI3Config/
├── i3/                    # i3-specific configuration and scripts
├── scripts/              # Environment-aware scripts (work in both i3/Sway)
├── settings/             # User application preferences
├── install.sh           # Smart installer with i3/Sway detection
├── packages-common.txt  # Packages shared by both i3 and Sway
├── packages-i3.txt      # i3-specific packages (X11)
└── packages-sway.txt    # Sway-specific packages (Wayland)

Installation

1. Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/JGH0/MyI3Config.git
cd MyI3Config

2. Run the installer

./install.sh

The installer will:

1. Detect your environment: Auto-detects if you're running i3 or Sway (or lets you choose)
2. Install packages: Installs only the necessary packages for your chosen window manager
3. Configure applications: Lets you choose your preferred terminal, browser, file manager, and calculator
4. Set up configuration: Copies files to ~/.config/MyI3Config and creates appropriate symlinks

Package Management

The repository uses three package lists for clean dependency management:

• packages-common.txt: Applications that work on both i3 and Sway
  • rofi, brightnessctl, playerctl, etc.
• packages-i3.txt: i3/X11 specific packages
  • i3-wm, xorg-server, maim, xclip, i3lock, etc.
• packages-sway.txt: Sway/Wayland specific packages
  • sway, grim, slurp, wl-clipboard, swaylock, etc.

Environment-Aware Scripts

The scripts/ directory contains smart scripts that detect whether they're running under i3 or Sway and use the appropriate tools:

• screenshot.sh: Uses maim + xclip on i3, grim + wl-copy on Sway
• display-tool.sh: Launches arandr on i3, wdisplays on Sway
• lock.sh: Uses i3lock on i3, swaylock on Sway
• keyboard-setup.sh: Uses setxkbmap on i3, swaymsg input on Sway
• startup.sh: Runs appropriate startup commands for each environment

Application Settings

All user-configurable applications are defined in the settings/ directory. Each file contains only the binary name, for example:

# settings/terminal.sh
kitty

The configuration reads these files, keeping your app choices separate from keybindings.

Switching Between i3 and Sway

If you want to use both window managers:

1. Run the installer twice: Once selecting i3, once selecting Sway
2. Both configs will be installed: The installer creates symlinks to the same config file
3. Log out and switch: Choose your window manager from your display manager

Note: The configuration file is written in i3 syntax but uses environment-aware scripts to handle differences between i3 and Sway.

Keybindings (Common to Both)

Key Combination	Action
Super + Return	Terminal
Super + b	Browser
Super + e	File manager
Super + Ctrl + c	Calculator
Super + Ctrl + Return	Application launcher (rofi)
Super + 1-0	Switch workspaces
Super + Shift + 1-0	Move window to workspace
Super + q	Close window
Super + f	Toggle fullscreen
Super + Shift + s	Take screenshot
Super + l	Lock screen
Super + space	Toggle keyboard layout
Super + Shift + c	Reload configuration
Super + Shift + r	Restart window manager

Customization

1. Application preferences: Edit files in ~/.config/MyI3Config/settings/
2. Keybindings: Edit ~/.config/MyI3Config/i3/config
3. Scripts: Modify ~/.config/MyI3Config/scripts/ for custom behavior
4. Package lists: Update the packages-*.txt files to add/remove packages

Troubleshooting

i3 Issues

• Ensure X11 packages are installed (packages-i3.txt)
• Check that ~/.config/i3/config is symlinked correctly
• Verify X server is running (startx or display manager)

Sway Issues

• Ensure Wayland packages are installed (packages-sway.txt)
• Check that ~/.config/sway/config is symlinked correctly
• Make sure to select Sway from your display manager
• Some applications may need Wayland flags (e.g., --enable-features=WaylandWindowDecorations)

General Issues

• Run install.sh again to reinstall
• Check script permissions: chmod +x ~/.config/MyI3Config/scripts/*.sh
• Reload configuration: Super + Shift + c

License

This configuration is licensed under the MIT License. See LICENSE for details.

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Goal: Predictable tiling behavior with keyboard-driven workflow, minimal visual noise, and easy extensibility via simple shell scripts.