NAME

echinus —

a lightweight window manager for X11

SYNOPSIS

echinus [-v] [-f conf]

DESCRIPTION

echinus is a lightweight window manager for X based on dwm's source code. It manages windows in maximized, floating and tiled layouts. Either layout can be applied dynamically, optimizing the environment for the application in use and the task performed.

In maximized layout only one window can be seen at the moment, but you can switch between them with hotkeys. In floating layout windows can be resized and moved freely. Dialog windows are always managed floating, regardless of the layout applied.

Windows are grouped by tags. Each window can be tagged with one or multiple tags. Selecting certain tags displays all windows with these tags.

echinus draws a small border around windows to indicate the focus state and an optional titlebar.

The options are as follows:

-v: Prints version information to standard output, then exits.
-f conf: Specifies an alternative configuration file. By default, echinus loads the configuration file from ~/.echinus/echinusrc, if present, then looks for the system-wide configuration file CONFDIR/echinusrc.

The following notation is used in this page:

A: Alt.
C: Control.
S: Shift.
W: Windows key.
M1: Left mouse button.
M2: Middle mouse button.
M3: Right mouse button.

KEY BINDINGS

The default key bindings are:

A-[F1..Fn]: Views all windows with n-th tag.
A-Return: Zooms/cycles current window to/from master area (tiled layout only).
A-Space: Toggles between tiled and floating layout (affects all windows).
A-Tab: Toggles to the previously selected tags.
A-b: Toggles on/off statusbar space.
A-f: Enables floating mode.
A-h: Decreases the master area width about 5% (tiled layout only).
A-i: Enables floating mode.
A-j: Focuses next window.
A-k: Focuses previous window.
A-l: Increases the master are width about 5% (tiled layout only).
A-m: Enables maximized (monocle) mode.
A-r: Enables tiled mode.
A-t: Starts xterm.
A-w: Enables bottom-tiled mode.
A-C-[1..n]: Adds/removes all windows with n-th tag to/from the view.
A-C-q: Quits echinus.
A-C-S-[1..n]: Adds/removes n-th tag to/from current window.
A-S-[1..n]: Applies n-th tag to current window.
A-S-c: Closes focused window.

MOUSE BINDINGS

The default mouse bindings are:

M1: When pressed on the titlebar, focuses window and raises it on top of the stack.
M2: When pressed on the titlebar, resizes window.
M3: When pressed on the root window, draws a rectangle to start a terminal in it.
A-M1: Moves current window while dragging. Tiled windows will be toggled to the floating state.
A-M2: Zooms/cycles current window to/from master area. If it is floating (but not fixed) it will be toggled to the tiled state, instead.
A-M3: Resizes current window while dragging. Tiled windows will be toggled to the floating state.

CUSTOMIZATION

The configuration file is a set of X resources (with a class of Echinus), which are described in the sections below.

Every relative path specified is relative to the directory in which the configuration file is in.

MAIN SETTINGS

deflayout

Layout applied to tag if not explicitly set by tags.layout later.

Value	Meaning
`b`	Bottom Stack
`f`	Floating
`i`	Ifloating
`m`	Maximized
`t`	Tiled

modkey

Choose modkey.

mwfact

Space occupied by master window in tiled layout (fraction of 1).

nmaster

Number of clients in master area in tiled layout.

sloppy

Sets the type of sloppy focus to use.

Value	Meaning
`0`	Click to focus
`1`	Sloppy focus for floating clients
`2`	Sloppy focus for everything
`3`	Sloppy focus and raise on focus

BORDER SETTINGS

border: Width of the border (in pixels).

BUTTON SETTINGS

button.close.pixmap
button.iconify.pixmap
button.maximize.pixmap: Sets the close, iconify and maximize buttons in the titlebar.

COLOR SETTINGS

normal.bg: Sets the titlebar background for unfocused windows.
normal.border: Sets the color of a small border around each unfocused window.
normal.button: Sets the button foreground for unfocused windows.
normal.fg: Sets the titlebar foreground for unfocused windows.
selected.bg
selected.border
selected.button
selected.fg: Sets color options for focused windows.

HACKS SETTINGS

hidebastards: Hide panels, pagers and others with togglestruts function.

KEYBINDINS SETTINGS

ACSW + key [= options]

Binds key to the specified command (see COMMANDS). Spaces are mandatory.

Key is taken from the X11 files (usually located under an include directory) keysym.h and, XF86keysym.h and removing the XK_ prefix before use.

Commands options are specified after an equal sign.

MISC SETTINGS

command: Application to run on right click on root window.
opacity: Opacity value for inactive windows (xcompmgr needed).

TAGS SETTINGS

tags.layout{...}: Layout per tag on start (see deflayout).
tags.name{...}: Names of the tags.
tags.number: Number of tags.

TITLE SETTINGS

decoratetiled

If one, draw titles in tiled mode.

font

Titlebar font.

title

Titlebar height.

titlelayout

Titlebar consists of 3 parts separated with dashes or spaces. Left is aligned to left, center to center and right to right (obviously). Default value is "N IMC" meaning name on the left iconify, maximize and close buttons on right (note 2 spaces).

Value	Meaning
`dash`	skip space (space can't be used as first character)
`space`	Same as the above
`C`	Close
`I`	Iconify
`M`	Maximize
`N`	Window name
`T`	Tagbar

COMMANDS

focusnext
focusprev: Focuses next or previous window.
focusview#: Toggles view number # and focuses the first client in it.
killclient: Closes current focused window.
movedown
moveleft
moveright
moveup x y w h: Moves the window by the specified number of pixels in the specified direction.
restart: Restarts echinus.
quit: Exits echinus.
resizedecx
resizedecy
resizeincx
rezizeincy x y w h: Resizes the window by the specified number of pixels in the specified direction.
rule# class.title tag isfloating hastitle: Sets a rule for the specified window class or title. NULL indicates that no tag is needed.
spawn#: Runs specified program (upto 64).
tag#: Tags current window with tag number #.
togglefloating: Toggles floating or tiled mode.
togglemonitor: Switches from one monitor to another.
togglestruts: echinus has no bar, but this command switches the area on top or bottom which won't be covered by windows in tiled on monocle mode.
toggleview#: Toggles view number #.
view#: Views tag number #.
viewlefttag
viewrighttag: Views tag on left or right.
viewprevtag: View previous tag set.

EXAMPLES

To move a window five pixels to the right:

Echinus*moveright: AS + l = +5 0 0
  0

To resize a window five pixels down:

Echinus*resizedecy: AS + v = 0 0 0
  -5

To make mplayer float and with a title by default:

Echinus*rule0: Mplayer.* NULL 1
  1

To spawn an xterm when A + T is pressed:

Echinus*spawn0: A + t =
  xterm

To show the title centered and the close button on the right:

Echinus*titlelayout:
  -T-C

CONFORMING TO

echinus is partially EWMH (NetWM) compliant, so you can use your favourite panel or pager.

BUGS

parsekey() doesn't handle non-alphanumeric keysyms.

You should find lots of them. If you did please contact me, my mail is <polachok at gmail dot com>.