Okay, here is my sharing about the i3 cheatsheet, hope you guys find it helpful.
Recently, I’ve been messing around with this i3 window manager thing. Man, it’s a whole different world compared to what I was used to. At first, I was totally lost, it felt like learning to walk again. But, I stuck with it, and now I’ve got this little cheat sheet that’s been a lifesaver. I figured I’d share my experience with you guys, from the beginning to how I finally figured things out.
Getting Started
So, the first thing I did was, obviously, install i3. It was pretty straightforward, just a simple command in the terminal. After that, I restarted my computer, and bam, there it was, the i3 desktop. It was super bare-bones, nothing like the fancy desktops I was used to. I felt like I’m in a black hole without any idea.
Basic Navigation
The first hurdle was figuring out how to move around. I mean, there are no icons, no menus, nothing! I learned that everything in i3 is done with keyboard shortcuts. The main key is the “Mod” key, which is usually the Windows key or Alt. Holding that down and pressing other keys does different things.
- Mod + Enter: This was the first one I learned. It opens up a new terminal window. I used this like a million times a day.
- Mod + d: This opens up dmenu, which is like a little search bar at the top of the screen. You can type in the name of an app, and it’ll launch it. Super handy.
- Mod + Shift + q: Close the window.
Managing Windows
Next up was figuring out how to manage windows. In i3, windows don’t overlap like they normally do. They “tile,” which means they automatically arrange themselves to fill up the screen. I have to say, once I got used to it, it was pretty awesome. I didn’t realize that it’s a really good function to me!
- Mod + j, k, l, semicolon: These keys let you move the focus between different windows, just like using the arrow keys.
- Mod + Shift + j, k, l, semicolon: These move the actual windows around.
- Mod + h, v: These split the current window horizontally or vertically. It’s like creating new panes.
- Mod + f: This makes the current window fullscreen.
Workspaces
Workspaces in i3 are like virtual desktops. You can have different sets of windows open on different workspaces and switch between them. This was a game-changer for me. I could have one workspace for work, one for browsing, one for music, etc. I never knew that I can work so efficiently!
- Mod + 1, 2, 3…: These switch to different workspaces.
- Mod + Shift + 1, 2, 3…: These move the current window to a different workspace.
Configuration
The cool thing about i3 is that you can customize it like crazy. There’s a config file that you can edit to change all sorts of things, like keybindings, colors, and even the behavior of the window manager itself. In the beginning, I felt lost, however, I found that it’s not that hard as I thought.
I spent a good chunk of time just tweaking this file and trying out different settings. I ended up with a setup that’s just perfect for me. You can also find various config files that shared by other people to get started.
My Cheatsheet
Throughout all of this, I started jotting down the commands and shortcuts that I used the most. That’s how my little i3 cheat sheet was born. It’s nothing fancy, just a simple text file with a list of commands, but it’s been super helpful.
Here are a few of the most useful ones from my cheat sheet:
- Mod + Shift + r: Reload i3, I need this whenever I make changes to the config file.
- Mod + r: Enter resize mode, so I can resize windows with the arrow keys.
- Mod + w, e, s: Switch between different window layouts (tabbed, stacking, split).
Wrapping Up
So, that’s my i3 journey so far. It’s been a wild ride, going from totally lost to actually feeling productive with this new setup. It definitely wasn’t easy, but I’m glad I stuck with it. If you’re thinking about trying out i3, I say go for it! Just be prepared for a bit of a learning curve. And remember, the cheat sheet is your friend, use it well!
Hope this helps someone out there who’s also diving into the world of i3. It’s a bit of work, but totally worth it in the end. Happy tiling!
