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https://github.com/martanne/dvtm

dvtm brings the concept of tiling window management, popularized by X11-window managers like dwm to the console. As a console window manager it tries to make it easy to work with multiple console based programs.
https://github.com/martanne/dvtm

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dvtm brings the concept of tiling window management, popularized by X11-window managers like dwm to the console. As a console window manager it tries to make it easy to work with multiple console based programs.

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# dvtm - dynamic virtual terminal manager



[dvtm](https://www.brain-dump.org/projects/dvtm/) brings the concept

of tiling window management, popularized by X11-window managers like

[dwm](https://dwm.suckless.org) to the console. As a console window

manager it tries to make it easy to work with multiple console based

programs.



![abduco+dvtm demo](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/martanne/dvtm/gh-pages/screencast.gif#center)



## News



- [dvtm-0.15](https://www.brain-dump.org/projects/dvtm/dvtm-0.15.tar.gz)

  [released](https://lists.suckless.org/dev/1601/28095.html) (09.01.2016)

- [dvtm-0.14](https://www.brain-dump.org/projects/dvtm/dvtm-0.14.tar.gz)

  [released](https://lists.suckless.org/dev/1502/25558.html) (19.02.2015)

- [dvtm-0.13](https://www.brain-dump.org/projects/dvtm/dvtm-0.13.tar.gz)

  [released](https://lists.suckless.org/dev/1411/24449.html) (15.11.2014)

- [dvtm-0.12](https://www.brain-dump.org/projects/dvtm/dvtm-0.12.tar.gz)

  [released](https://lists.suckless.org/dev/1407/22702.html) (05.07.2014)

- [dvtm-0.11](https://www.brain-dump.org/projects/dvtm/dvtm-0.11.tar.gz)

  [released](https://lists.suckless.org/dev/1403/20371.html) (08.03.2014)

- [dvtm-0.10](https://www.brain-dump.org/projects/dvtm/dvtm-0.10.tar.gz)

  [released](https://lists.suckless.org/dev/1312/18805.html) (28.12.2013)

- [dvtm-0.9](https://www.brain-dump.org/projects/dvtm/dvtm-0.9.tar.gz)

  [released](https://lists.suckless.org/dev/1304/15112.html) (3.04.2013)

- [dvtm-0.8](https://www.brain-dump.org/projects/dvtm/dvtm-0.8.tar.gz)

  [released](https://lists.suckless.org/dev/1208/12004.html) (1.08.2012)

- [dvtm-0.7](https://www.brain-dump.org/projects/dvtm/dvtm-0.7.tar.gz)

  [released](https://lists.suckless.org/dev/1109/9266.html) (4.09.2011)

- [dvtm-0.6](https://www.brain-dump.org/projects/dvtm/dvtm-0.6.tar.gz)

  [released](https://lists.suckless.org/dev/1010/6146.html) (8.10.2010)

- [dvtm-0.5.2](https://www.brain-dump.org/projects/dvtm/dvtm-0.5.2.tar.gz)

  [released](https://lists.suckless.org/dev/0907/0520.html) (7.07.2009)

- [dvtm-0.5.1](https://www.brain-dump.org/projects/dvtm/dvtm-0.5.1.tar.gz)

  [released](https://lists.suckless.org/dwm/0902/7405.html) (8.02.2009)

- [dvtm-0.5](https://www.brain-dump.org/projects/dvtm/dvtm-0.5.tar.gz)

  [released](https://lists.suckless.org/dwm/0901/7354.html) (26.01.2009)

- [dvtm-0.4.1](https://www.brain-dump.org/projects/dvtm/dvtm-0.4.1.tar.gz)

  [released](https://lists.suckless.org/dwm/0805/5672.html) (10.05.2008)

- [dvtm-0.4](https://www.brain-dump.org/projects/dvtm/dvtm-0.4.tar.gz)

  [released](https://lists.suckless.org/dwm/0802/4850.html) (17.02.2008)

- [dvtm-0.3](https://www.brain-dump.org/projects/dvtm/dvtm-0.3.tar.gz)

  [released](https://lists.suckless.org/dwm/0801/4735.html) (12.01.2008)

- [dvtm-0.2](https://www.brain-dump.org/projects/dvtm/dvtm-0.2.tar.gz)

  [released](https://lists.suckless.org/dwm/0712/4677.html) (29.12.2007)

- [dvtm-0.1](https://www.brain-dump.org/projects/dvtm/dvtm-0.1.tar.gz)

  [released](https://lists.suckless.org/dwm/0712/4632.html) (21.12.2007)

- [dvtm-0.01](https://www.brain-dump.org/projects/dvtm/dvtm-0.01.tar.gz)

  [released](https://lists.suckless.org/dwm/0712/4424.html) (08.12.2007)



## Download



Either Download the latest [source tarball](https://github.com/martanne/dvtm/releases),

compile (you will need curses headers) and install it



    $EDITOR config.mk && $EDITOR config.def.h && make && sudo make install



or use one of the distribution provided

[binary packages](https://repology.org/project/dvtm/packages).



## Why dvtm? The philosophy behind



dvtm strives to adhere to the

[Unix philosophy](http://www.catb.org/esr/writings/taoup/html/ch01s06.html).

It tries to do one thing, *dynamic* window management on the console,

and to do it well.



As such dvtm does *not* implement [session management](#faq) but instead

delegates this task to a separate tool called

[abduco](https://www.brain-dump.org/projects/abduco/).



Similarly dvtm's copy mode is implemented by piping the scroll back buffer

content to an external editor and only storing whatever the editor writes

to `stdout`. Hence the selection process is delegated to the editor

where powerful features such as regular expression search are available.



As a result dvtm's source code is relatively small

([~4000 lines of C](https://www.ohloh.net/p/dvtm/analyses/latest/languages_summary)),

simple and therefore easy to hack on.



## Quickstart



All of dvtm keybindings start with a common modifier which from now

on is refered to as `MOD`. By default `MOD` is set to `CTRL+g` however

this can be changed at runttime with the `-m` command line option.

For example setting `MOD` to `CTRL-b` is accomplished by starting

`dvtm -m ^b`.



### Windows



New windows are created with `MOD+c` and closed with `MOD+x`.

To switch among the windows use `MOD+j` and `MOD+k` or `MOD+[1..9]`

where the digit corresponds to the window number which is displayed

in the title bar. Windows can be minimized and restored with `MOD+.`.

Input can be directed to all visible window by pressing `MOD+a`,

issuing the same key combination again restores normal behaviour

i.e. only the currently focused window will receive input.



### Layouts



Visible Windows are arranged by a layout. Each layout consists of a

master and a tile area. Typically the master area occupies the largest

part of the screen and is intended for the currently most important

window. The size of the master area can be shrunk with `MOD+h`

and enlarged with `MOD-l` respectively. Windows can be zoomed into

the master area with `MOD+Enter`. The number of windows in the

master area can be increased and decreased with `MOD+i` and `MOD+d`.



By default dvtm comes with 4 different layouts which can be cycled

through via `MOD+Space`



 * vertical stack: master area on the left half, other clients

   stacked on the right

 * bottom stack: master area on the top half, other clients stacked below

 * grid: every window gets an equally sized portion of the screen

 * fullscreen: only the selected window is shown and occupies the

   whole available display area `MOD+m`



Further layouts are included in the source tarball but disabled by

default.



### Tagging



Each window has a non empty set of tags [1..n] associated with it. A view

consists of a number of tags. The current view includes all windows

which are tagged with the currently active tags. The following key

bindings are used to manipulate the tagsets.



- `MOD-0`  view all windows with any tag

- `Mod-v-Tab` toggles to the previously selected tags

- `MOD-v-[1..n]` view all windows with nth tag

- `Mod-V-[1..n]` add/remove all windows with nth tag to/from the view

- `Mod-t-[1..n]` apply nth tag to focused window

- `Mod-T-[1..n]` add/remove nth tag to/from focused window



### Statusbar



dvtm can be instructed to read and display status messages from a named

pipe. As an example the

[`dvtm-status` script](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/martanne/dvtm/master/dvtm-status)

is provided which shows the current time.



### Copymode ###



`MOD+e` pipes the whole scroll buffer content to an external editor.

What ever the editor writes to `stdout` is remembered by dvtm and can

later be pasted with `MOD+p`.



In order for this to work the editor needs to be usable as a filter

and should use `stderr` for its user interface. Examples where this is

the case include `sandy(1)` and [vis](https://www.brain-dump.org/projects/vis).



    $ echo Hello World | vis - | cat



## Patches



There exist a number of out of tree patches which customize dvtm's

behaviour:



 - [pertag](http://waxandwane.org/dvtm.html) (see also the corresponding

   [mailing list post](https://lists.suckless.org/hackers/1510/8186.html))



## FAQ



### Detach / reattach functionality



dvtm doesn't have session support built in. Use

[abduco](https://www.brain-dump.org/projects/abduco/) instead.



    $ abduco -c dvtm-session



Detach using `CTRL-\` and later reattach with



    $ abduco -a dvtm-session



### Copy / Paste does not work under X



If you have mouse support enabled, which is the case with the

default settings, you need to hold down shift while selecting

and inserting text. In case you don't like this behaviour either

run dvtm with the `-M` command line argument, disable it at run

time with `MOD+M` or modify `config.def.h` to disable it completely

at compile time. You will however no longer be able to perform

other mouse actions like selecting windows etc.



### How to change the key bindings?



The configuration of dvtm is done by creating a custom `config.h`

and (re)compiling the source code. See the default `config.def.h`

as an example, adapting it to your preference should be straightforward.

You basically define a set of layouts and keys which dvtm will use.

There are some pre defined macros to ease configuration.



### WARNING: terminal is not fully functional



This means you haven't installed the `dvtm.info` terminfo description

which can be done with `tic -s dvtm.info`. If for some reason you

can't install new terminfo descriptions set the `DVTM_TERM` environment

variable to a known terminal when starting `dvtm` as in



    $ DVTM_TERM=rxvt dvtm



This will instruct dvtm to use rxvt as `$TERM` value within its windows.



### How to set the window title?



The window title can be changed by means of a

[xterm extension](https://tldp.org/HOWTO/Xterm-Title-3.html#ss3.2)

terminal escape sequence



    $ echo -ne "\033]0;Your title here\007"



So for example in `bash` if you want to display the current working

directory in the window title this can be accomplished by means of

the following section in your startup files.



    # If this is an xterm set the title to user@host:dir

    case "$TERM" in

    dvtm*|xterm*|rxvt*)

        PROMPT_COMMAND='echo -ne "\033]0;${USER}@${HOSTNAME}: ${PWD/$HOME/~}\007"'

        ;;

    *)

        ;;

    esac



Other shells provide similar functionality, zsh as an example has a

[precmd function](http://zsh.sourceforge.net/Doc/Release/Functions.html#Hook-Functions)

which can be used to achieve the same effect.



### Something is wrong with the displayed colors



Make sure you have set `$TERM` correctly for example if you want to

use 256 color profiles you probably have to append `-256color` to

your regular terminal name. Also due to limitations of ncurses by

default you can only use 255 color pairs simultaneously. If you

need more than 255 different color pairs at the same time, then you

have to rebuild ncurses with



    $ ./configure ... --enable-ext-colors



Note that this changes the ABI and therefore sets SONAME of the

library to 6 (i.e. you have to link against `libncursesw.so.6`).



### Some characters are displayed like garbage



Make sure you compiled dvtm against a unicode aware curses library

(in case of ncurses this would be `libncursesw`). Also make sure

that your locale settings contain UTF-8.



### The numeric keypad does not work with Putty



Disable [application keypad mode](https://the.earth.li/~sgtatham/putty/0.64/htmldoc/Chapter4.html#config-features-application)

in the Putty configuration under `Terminal => Features => Disable application keypad mode`.



### Unicode characters do not work within Putty



You have to tell Putty in which

[character encoding](https://the.earth.li/~sgtatham/putty/0.64/htmldoc/Chapter4.html#config-translation)

the received data is. Set the dropdown box under `Window => Translation`

to UTF-8. In order to get proper line drawing characters you proabably

also want to set the TERM environment variable to `putty` or `putty-256color`.

If that still doesn't do the trick then try running dvtm with the

following ncurses related environment variable set `NCURSES_NO_UTF8_ACS=1`.



## Development



You can always fetch the current code base from the git repository

located at [Github](https://github.com/martanne/dvtm/) or

[Sourcehut](https://git.sr.ht/~martanne/dvtm).



If you have comments, suggestions, ideas, a bug report, a patch or

something else related to dvtm then write to the

[suckless developer mailing list](https://suckless.org/community)

or contact me directly.



## License



dvtm reuses some code of dwm and is released under the same

[MIT/X11 license](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/martanne/dvtm/master/LICENSE).

The terminal emulation part is licensed under the ISC license.