https://github.com/tleino/cocowm

Column Commander Window Manager for X11 Window System is inspired by Plan9's acme editor and strives to minimize the need for micromanagement.
https://github.com/tleino/cocowm

acme-like plan9 tiling-window-manager window-manager x11 x11-wm

Last synced: 3 months ago
JSON representation

Column Commander Window Manager for X11 Window System is inspired by Plan9's acme editor and strives to minimize the need for micromanagement.

• Host: GitHub
• URL: https://github.com/tleino/cocowm
• Owner: tleino
• License: isc
• Created: 2021-05-03T17:38:45.000Z (over 3 years ago)
• Default Branch: main
• Last Pushed: 2023-02-01T16:11:04.000Z (almost 2 years ago)
• Last Synced: 2024-05-11T06:34:22.090Z (6 months ago)
• Topics: acme-like, plan9, tiling-window-manager, window-manager, x11, x11-wm
• Language: C
• Homepage: https://namhas.dev/#cocowm
• Size: 194 KB
• Stars: 10
• Watchers: 1
• Forks: 1
• Open Issues: 0
• Metadata Files:
  • Readme: README.md
  • Changelog: history.c
  • License: LICENSE

Awesome Lists containing this project

• awesome-ricing - cocowm - Column Commander Window Manager for X11 Window System. (C) (Packages / window-managers)

README

        
# cocowm

*cocowm* is a Column Commander Window Manager for X11 Window System that

specializes in automating layout management by arranging program windows

automatically in columns. Therefore, *cocowm* is a tiling window manager

and in particular is most inspired by the Plan9 acme editor, as well as

the Plan B operating system's GUI.

A key differentiation of *cocowm* as compared to other window managers is

that *cocowm* is oriented towards receiving high-level commands from the

user, such as "move window to left", via a keyboard shortcut, which

moves a window one column to the left and resizes if space allows for

it, rather than by manually micro-managing precise placement and size

using a mouse.

## Controls

*cocowm* is fully controllable using keyboard and partially controllable

using mouse.

Edit keyboard.c to modify default key bindings.

*cocowm* is used best when windows are explicitly created by the user

using *cocowm command line* via **Win+Enter** or **Win+Space**.

So, for example, don't ask your browser to create a new window,

but ask *cocowm* to do it.

*cocowm* tries to help in selecting the correct program using the

following magic:

### Running commands

Open the prompt via **Win+Enter** or **Win+Space**. Exit the prompt

using **Esc** (cancel) or **Enter** (launch).

* **Run URLs:** If no spaces but has at least one '.', prefix the line

with "firefox-esr ".

* **Run shell commands:** If the line begins with '!', prefix the line

with "xterm -hold -e "

Edit action.c to modify these.

### Focusing windows

* **Win+Left** Left.

* **Win+Right** Right.

* **Win+Up** Up.

* **Win+Down** Down.

* **Win+Tab** Previous.

### Moving the focused window

* **Ctrl+Win+Left** Left.

* **Ctrl+Win+Right** Right.

* **Ctrl+Win+Up** Up.

* **Ctrl+Win+Down** Down.

### Actions for the focused window

* **Win+o** Toggle keep open.

* **Win+m** Toggle minimize.

* **Win+h** Toggle hide others.

* **Win+f** Toggle fullscreen.

* **Win+r** Restart command.

* **Win+Space** Replace with new command.

* **Win+Enter** Run new command.

* **Win+q** Close.

_Minimize_ means window is explicitly hidden and needs to be reopened manually.

_Hide_ means window is temporarily hidden and is shown automatically

when hiding is toggled off.

### Managing the window manager.

* **F11** Restart.

* **F12** Quit.

## Dependencies

* No dependencies if you're compiling for a normal/sane Unix-like system that

has X11 Window System.

## Compiling

	$ ./configure ~

	$ make

	$ make install

## Customizing

* Edit Makefile.in and e.g. remove or add compile-time options using -D in

the CFLAGS. E.g. see 'WANT_ONE_PER_COLUMN' option.

* Edit files such as keyboard.c

* Edit *hspacing* and *vspacing* in init.c

## Customize using .Xresources / .Xdefaults

Have the .Xresources or.Xdefaults file, based on what your system

reads when logging in to X11 session, or read it manually.

The file could look like this:

	*font: -xos4-terminus-bold-r-normal--16-160-72-72-c-80-iso10646-1

	*foreground: black

	*background: #f5efe0

	*internalBorder: 4

Load it:

	$ xrdb -load ~/.Xdefaults

And restart cocowm.

## Running

Running with 3 columns:

	$ cocowm 3

## See also

* [mxswm](https://github.com/tleino/mxswm) another window manager by the same

author.

* [cocovt](https://github.com/tleino/cocovt) terminal emulator by the same

author that is friends with *cocowm*.