Well, you see, if you’re just gettin’ started with this thing called i3, it’s a way to make your computer’s windows all neat and tidy, like stackin’ your firewood just right. Now, to make it work, you gotta use these keyboard shortcuts, and that’s where the magic happens. You don’t gotta click on no buttons all the time, you just press some keys, and bam, things move around like you’re a wizard or somethin’. I’ll tell you all about these shortcuts, so sit back, relax, and let me walk you through ‘em.
First things first, when you open up i3 for the first time, you’ll need to get your hands on the mod key. This is the one that starts everything off. By default, it’s the Windows key, but you can change that if you want. Now, once you got that, you’re ready to start using shortcuts like a pro.
- $mod+Enter: This one opens up the terminal, so you can start typing all your commands. It’s like opening the door to your shed, where you keep all your tools!
- $mod+d: This one opens up the application launcher. It’s like when you wanna grab a tool, but you don’t know where you left it. You just press this key and type what you need.
- $mod+Shift+q: Now, if you wanna close something, you just hit this one. It’s like lockin’ the door when you’re done with your work. Simple and easy!
Now, movin’ around the windows is where it gets real fun. You don’t have to go clickin’ around with your mouse. You just press a couple of keys, and your windows will move like a herd of cattle, followin’ your lead. To move between windows, you use these:
- $mod+h: Moves you to the left window.
- $mod+j: Moves you down to the window below.
- $mod+k: Moves you up to the window above.
- $mod+l: Moves you to the right window.
If you hold down the Shift key along with these, you can actually move the whole window itself, like pushin’ a heavy box around. Real handy when you’re workin’ in a tight space!
Now, if you want to resize a window, you don’t need no mouse. Just press these shortcuts:
- $mod+r: Starts the resize mode. Then you can use the arrow keys to resize the window.
- $mod+Shift+r: Resets the window size to the default, like startin’ over from scratch.
One of the neatest things about i3 is the ability to split windows. If you got a bunch of windows open, you can split ‘em up and make everything neat. To do this:
- $mod+v: Splits the window vertically. It’s like dividin’ your garden into rows so you can plant different vegetables.
- $mod+h: Splits the window horizontally, like makin’ rows of crops in the other direction.
Now, if you want some extra space, you can press $mod+Shift+g to enter gap mode. This lets you add or remove gaps between your windows. It’s like rearrangin’ the furniture to give you a bit more room to move around.
And don’t forget about your workspaces. i3 lets you have multiple workspaces open at once, so you can switch between different tasks without them all gettin’ mixed up. To switch between workspaces, just press:
- $mod+1, $mod+2, etc. to switch to workspace 1, 2, and so on.
If you want to go back to the previous workspace, just press $mod+backspace. It’s like takin’ a step back to see where you’ve been.
And if you’ve got lots of things open and you need to find something, you can press $mod+f to open up the search bar. It’s like lookin’ through your toolbox to find the right wrench.
There’s also a bunch of other shortcuts for things like takin’ screenshots, lockin’ the screen, and adjusting the volume, but I won’t get into all those right now. What’s important is that once you get the hang of these basic shortcuts, you’ll feel like a pro runnin’ around in your own little workspace.
So, there you have it! With i3 and these shortcuts, you’ll be movin’ around your computer like a fox in a chicken coop. It might seem tricky at first, but once you get the rhythm, it’ll be as easy as pie. Just keep practicin’ and before you know it, you’ll be usin’ i3 like you’ve been doin’ it all your life.
Tags：[i3 Keyboard Shortcuts, i3 Window Management, Tiling Window Manager, Linux, Keyboard Shortcuts for i3, Window Management Shortcuts, Productivity, Linux i3, i3 Customization]
