sway configuration

Environment variables

Ensure we have environment variables set such that other apps depending on them will function correctly.

# This file is maintained as a literate file in
# 20260616190442-sway_configuration_file.org
exec dbus-update-activation-environment WAYLAND_DISPLAY

Variables

The following variables are used to store sway specific configuration information.

set $config_dir /home/prabu/.config/sway
set $scripts $config_dir/scripts

The following are for commonly used keys. The reason for using the variables for setting Multimedia keys is so that it can be quickly changed for non-multimedia keyboards.

set $mod Mod4
set $term foot
set $menu tofi-run --require-match false | xargs -r -I {} swaymsg exec "$term --hold -e {}"
set $drun tofi-drun | xargs swaymsg exec --
set $XF86AudioPlay XF86AudioPlay
set $XF86AudioNext XF86AudioNext
set $XF86AudioPrev XF86AudioPrev
set $XF86AudioLowerVolume XF86AudioLowerVolume
set $XF86AudioRaiseVolume XF86AudioRaiseVolume
set $XF86AudioMute XF86AudioMute

For non-multimedia keyboards, i earlier used the below settings.

# set $XF86AudioPlay $mod+F12
# set $XF86AudioNext $mod+Shift+F12
# set $XF86AudioPrev $mod+Alt+F12
# set $XF86AudioLowerVolume F11
# set $XF86AudioRaiseVolume $mod+F11
# set $XF86AudioMute F12

Theme settings

The theme changing is handled by a seperate Sway theme toggle script.

font pango:Roboto 11
seat seat0 xcursor_theme Adwaita 24
exec $scripts/toggle_theme init
include $config_dir/current_theme.conf
bindsym $mod+Shift+t exec $scripts/toggle_theme

Output configuration

The default settings are applied to ANY connected monitor. If HDMI-A-1 is available, then the specific settings are used.

output * {
       subpixel rgb
       background $wallpaper_color solid_color
}
output HDMI-A-1 {
       mode 1920x1080@99.999Hz
       scale 1.25
}

Idle configuration

For idling swaylockd package is used. This is the equivalent of running swaylock in daemon mode with -f option.

exec swayidle -w \
     timeout 120 'pkill -RTMIN+1 wayeyes' resume 'pkill -RTMIN+2 wayeyes' \
     timeout 300 '$scripts/check_player.sh && swaylockd'  \
     timeout 500 'swaymsg "output * dpms off"' resume 'swaymsg "output * dpms on"' \
     timeout 600 'powerctl mem && pkill -SIGUSR2 wayeyes && swaylockd'

Status bar configuration

i3blocks displays status information to swaybar. The color settings in this section is only meant for the status bar.

The background process related to RSI application wayeyes and wob are started here. If wayeyes needs to run only on select outputs, then the output name needs to be added as an argument.

bar {
    position top
    font pango:Roboto Bold 13
    status_edge_padding 10
    status_padding 5
    status_command SCRIPT_DIR=$scripts/i3blocks i3blocks

    colors {
        statusline $bar_text
        background $bar_bg
        focused_workspace   $bar_focused_workspace_border $bar_focused_workspace_bg $bar_focused_workspace_text
        active_workspace    $bar_active_workspace_border  $bar_active_workspace_bg  $bar_active_workspace_text
        inactive_workspace  $bar_inactive_workspace_border $bar_inactive_workspace_bg $bar_inactive_workspace_text
        urgent_workspace    $bar_urgent_workspace_border  $bar_urgent_workspace_bg  $bar_urgent_workspace_text
        binding_mode        $bar_binding_mode_border     $bar_binding_mode_bg     $bar_binding_mode_text
    }
}

exec $scripts/start_wob

Window decorations

These settings are used for all sway window elements.

default_border pixel 2
smart_borders on
# class                     border   bground  text     indicator    child_border
client.focused          $border_focused  $bg_focused    $text_focused    $indicator_focused   $border_focused
client.focused_inactive $border_inactive $bg_inactive   $text_inactive   $indicator_inactive  $border_inactive
client.unfocused        $border_unfocus  $bg_unfocus    $text_unfocus    $indicator_unfocus   $border_unfocus
client.urgent           $border_urgent   $bg_urgent     $text_urgent     $indicator_urgent    $border_urgent

Key bindings

Basics

I have reassigned some common sway Keybindings. Since swaymsg reload is quite rarely needed, that keybinding is used to Kill focused window. The default keybinding used to kill used to quit sway.

bindsym $mod+Shift+Return exec $term fish
bindsym $mod+Shift+c kill
bindsym $mod+d exec $drun
bindsym $mod+Shift+d exec $menu
floating_modifier $mod normal
bindsym $mod+shift+q exec $scripts/tofi-exit
bindsym $mod+b bar mode toggle

Moving around

Move your focus around with Arrow keys. Adding Shift moves the focused window around.

bindsym $mod+Left focus left
bindsym $mod+Down focus down
bindsym $mod+Up focus up
bindsym $mod+Right focus right
bindsym $mod+Shift+Left move left
bindsym $mod+Shift+Down move down
bindsym $mod+Shift+Up move up
bindsym $mod+Shift+Right move right

Workspaces

Workspaces can have any name you want, not just numbers. Commands to switch to a workspace is followed by command to move focused container to workspace.

bindsym $mod+1 workspace number 1
bindsym $mod+2 workspace number 2
bindsym $mod+3 workspace number 3
bindsym $mod+4 workspace number 4
bindsym $mod+5 workspace number 5
bindsym $mod+6 workspace number 6
bindsym $mod+7 workspace number 7
bindsym $mod+8 workspace number 8
bindsym $mod+9 workspace number 9
bindsym $mod+0 workspace number 10

bindsym $mod+Shift+1 move container to workspace number 1
bindsym $mod+Shift+2 move container to workspace number 2
bindsym $mod+Shift+3 move container to workspace number 3
bindsym $mod+Shift+4 move container to workspace number 4
bindsym $mod+Shift+5 move container to workspace number 5
bindsym $mod+Shift+6 move container to workspace number 6
bindsym $mod+Shift+7 move container to workspace number 7
bindsym $mod+Shift+8 move container to workspace number 8
bindsym $mod+Shift+9 move container to workspace number 9
bindsym $mod+Shift+0 move container to workspace number 10

Layout management

bindsym $mod+h splith
bindsym $mod+v splitv
bindsym $mod+m exec $scripts/monocle_sway_toggle
bindsym $mod+e layout toggle split
bindsym $mod+f fullscreen
bindsym $mod+Shift+space floating toggle
bindsym $mod+space focus mode_toggle
bindsym $mod+a focus prev
#Toggle focus script
exec_always $scripts/track_prev_focus
bindsym $mod+Tab [con_mark=_prev] focus

The following standard shortcuts have been commented out to prevent accidental activation of them.

# bindsym $mod+s layout stacking
# bindsym $mod+t layout tabbed

Scratchpad

Scratchpad is currently used for playing cmus in the background.

bindsym $mod+Shift+minus move scratchpad
bindsym $mod+minus scratchpad show

Resize mode

mode "resize" {
    bindsym Left resize shrink width 10px
    bindsym Down resize grow height 10px
    bindsym Up resize shrink height 10px
    bindsym Right resize grow width 10px
    bindsym Return mode "default"
    bindsym Escape mode "default"
    bindsym $mod+r mode "default"
}
bindsym $mod+r mode "resize"
bindsym $mod+Shift+r resize set width 60

Application launchers

bindsym $mod+F3 exec $scripts/toggle_wlsunset
bindsym $mod+Shift+s exec pkill -SIGUSR1 wayeyes
bindsym $mod+w exec firefox
bindsym $mod+Shift+w exec epiphany
bindsym $mod+z exec swaymsg "workspace 4; exec $term nnn"
bindsym Print exec $scripts/slurpshot

Clipboard

exec wl-paste --watch cliphist store
bindsym $mod+p exec foot -T clip_history_fzf_foot -L sh -c "cliphist list | fzf -d $'\t' --with-nth 2 | cliphist decode | wl-copy" -H

Media control

For controlling media, i install and use playerctl utility. For multimedia volume management, i use pipewire tool wpctl with a custom script sway-volume-notify. I use cmus as my audio player and play it in a Scratchpad window.

bindsym --locked $XF86AudioLowerVolume exec $scripts/sway-volume-notify "-"
bindsym --locked $XF86AudioRaiseVolume exec $scripts/sway-volume-notify "+"
bindsym --locked $XF86AudioMute exec $scripts/sway-volume-notify "0"
bindsym --locked $XF86AudioPlay exec playerctl play-pause && pkill -RTMIN+2 i3blocks
bindsym --locked $XF86AudioNext exec playerctl next
bindsym --locked $XF86AudioPrev exec playerctl previous
bindsym Alt+$XF86AudioPlay exec sway-notify -i multimedia-audio-player "cmus started" && foot -a play_cmus_in_scratch cmus

Help

bindsym $mod+F1 exec cat ~/.config/sway/config |grep bindsym |grep -v "^#"| sed 's/^[[:space:]]*//'|sed 's/bindsym//'| tofi

Application specific rules

There are two coding styles available to set these rules. Both are used below:

assign [app_id="firefox"] 1
assign [app_id="org.gnome.Epiphany"] 10
assign [app_id="chromium"] 10
assign [app_id="librewolf"] 10
for_window [app_id="emacs"] move to workspace 3
for_window [app_id="org.gnome.Calculator"] floating enable, border normal, move position cursor
for_window [app_id="org.twosheds.iwgtk"] floating enable, move position 900 0
for_window [app_id="nemo"] floating enable
for_window [app_id="xed"] floating enable, focus, resize set width 30 ppt height 40 ppt, border pixel 2
for_window [title=^clip_history_fzf_foot$] floating enable,focus,resize set width 80 ppt height 50 ppt, border pixel 2
for_window [app_id=^play_cmus_in_scratch$] {
           move scratchpad
           inhibit_idle open
           }
for_window [app_id="com.github.johnfactotum.Foliate"] {
           move to workspace 5
           inhibit_idle focus
           }
for_window [app_id="lagrange"] {
           move to workspace 5
           inhibit_idle focus
           }

Miscellaneous settings

Disable Xwayland as no legacy X11 application is used.

xwayland disable

Include any other config files from system sway config.d folder.

include /etc/sway/config.d/*

Start OpenRC user services at gui runlevel

exec openrc -U gui