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.

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

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:

Detect your environment: Auto-detects if you're running i3 or Sway (or lets you choose)
Install packages: Installs only the necessary packages for your chosen window manager
Configure applications: Lets you choose your preferred terminal, browser, file manager, and calculator
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:

Run the installer twice: Once selecting i3, once selecting Sway
Both configs will be installed: The installer creates symlinks to the same config file
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

Application preferences: Edit files in ~/.config/MyI3Config/settings/
Keybindings: Edit ~/.config/MyI3Config/i3/config
Scripts: Modify ~/.config/MyI3Config/scripts/ for custom behavior
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.

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