i3 is a tiling display manager for Linux based systems. Sometimes, there are handy options you can add to the config which I will list here.


====== i3 config ======


Trying to configure i3 but missing common functionality? Here are some helper commands I use!


===== Open certain programs in floating mode =====


This is useful for some programs like 'pavucontrol' or 'qt5ct'. Use this template for other programs as well

<code>for_window [class="SMPlayer"] floating enable
for_window [class="qt5ct"] floating enable sticky enable border normal
</code>


===== Set desktop background color =====

Don't want to stare at your DM as your wallpaper?
  
  exec --no-startup-id xsetroot -solid "#333333" &

Just pick the background color.

Or use feh.



===== Pick which monitor gets the i3bar icons =====

Programs that stay in the tray on i3bar usually default to one of your monitors. 
To change this, just tell i3 which monitor to put the tray on.

<code>bar {
        status_command i3status
        tray_output primary
}
</code>
Where primary defaults to your primary monitor. This can be a single monitor as well.


===== Use rofi instead of dmenu =====


Rofi is a program launcher with some more features.

Just bind the key used to launch dmenu to rofi instead.

  bindsym Mod1+d exec exec rofi -combi-modi window#drun#ssh -theme gruvbox-dark -font "hack 10" -show combi


===== Change monitor brightness (laptops) =====

On laptops, it is handy to have a way to change monitor brightness.

This can be done with a number of tools, I currently use light. -A is up, -U is down, don't ask me why.

<code>
bindsym XF86MonBrightnessUp exec light -A 5
bindsym XF86MonBrightnessDown exec light -U 5
</code>

On desktops, one can use ddcci to change the brightness of external displays.