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i3 Window Manager Notes

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Author: Me

Purpose: Quick reference for i3 shortcuts, fixes, and commands

Last Updated: [Update this when needed]

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i3 Basics & Navigation

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# Mod key (usually the "Windows" key) is represented as $mod

$mod+Enter           → Open terminal (Alacritty)

$mod+d               → Launch application launcher (rofi)

$mod+Shift+q         → Close focused window

$mod+Shift+r         → Reload i3 config

$mod+Shift+e         → Exit i3 (with confirmation)

$mod+f               → Toggle fullscreen

$mod+h/j/k/l         → Focus left/down/up/right

$mod+Shift+h/j/k/l   → Move window left/down/up/right

$mod+1..9            → Switch to workspace 1–9

$mod+Shift+1..9      → Move window to workspace 1–9

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App Launcher (rofi)

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- Installed via: `sudo pacman -S rofi`

- Bound to: `$mod+d`

- You can change the theme or use dmenu if preferred

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Terminal (Alacritty)

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- Installed via: `sudo pacman -S alacritty`

- Bound to: `$mod+Enter`

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Keybinds You Added

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# Example custom binding:

$mod+n → Open this notes file in terminal

bindsym $mod+n exec alacritty -e nano ~/i3-notes.txt

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Editing i3 Config

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File location:

~/.config/i3/config

Edit with:

nano ~/.config/i3/config

After editing, reload i3:

$mod+Shift+r

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Networking Fixes

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If pacman can't resolve hosts (no internet):

→ Reboot into Arch Live USB

→ Mount partitions and chroot:

    mount /dev/sdXn /mnt

    mount /dev/sdXn /mnt/boot

    mount /dev/sdXn /mnt/boot/efi

    arch-chroot /mnt

Then install network tools:

    pacman -S networkmanager dhcpcd

    systemctl enable NetworkManager

Then exit and reboot.

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Useful Tools

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pacman          → Package manager

reflector       → Update mirrors

rofi/dmenu      → App launchers

i3lock          → Lock screen

flameshot       → Screenshots

feh             → Wallpaper

htop            → System monitor

neofetch        → System info

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Tips & Tricks

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- Comment lines in config with `#`

- Don't duplicate keybinds (i3 will throw an error)

- Use `$mod+Shift+r` to reload i3 after edits

- Use `i3-dump-log` to debug i3 startup/config issues

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To-Do / My Changes

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[ ] Add screenshot binding

[ ] Add volume control

[ ] Try custom wallpaper with feh

[ ] Setup autostart apps in config