Configuration

Xest uses Dhall for all of its configuration. If you're unfamiliar with it, I would highly recommend checking out the examples on that website. Xest definitely doesn't use Dhall to its full potential.

If your window manager fails to start because of a configuration problem, an extremely verbose error message is printed to standard out.

Default modes

Normal mode

Overrides plenty of keys to perform actions. Also, unhides a polybar window if it exists.

Insert mode

Allows you to interact with your windows in a normal way.

Mouse mode

Takes control of the mouse allowing you to resize/move tilers around.

Default keybindings

Note, these try to be fairly mnemonic, but some were picked because they were convenient in the 3l keyboard layout. If you have a better default layout, let me know.

Insert Mode:

• super = Enter normal mode

Normal Mode

• esc = Exit normal mode and enter insert mode
• r = Enter mouse mode. While in this mode, try dragging while clicking one of the buttons.
• t = Open termite.
• b = Exit Xest.
• Left = Focus to the left.
• Right = Focus to the right.
• number keys = Focus the tiler at that position.
• v = Insert a rotation tiler.
• f = Insert a full screen tiler.
• d = Launch rofi.
• h = Insert a floating/hovering tiler.
• n = Insert a horizontal tiler.
• i = Move the input controller inwards, away from the root.
• o = Move the input controller out, towards the root.
• y = Pop the Tiler after the input controller out of the tree and on to the stack.
• p = Pop the tiler at the top of the stack into the tree.
• s = Perform some special action based on the tiler. Currently only implemented for the floating tiler to make the currently focused tiler the background.
• m = Kill the active window.
• z = Zoom the monitor of whatever screen you're on inwards, away from the root.
• q = Zoom the monitor out.

Mouse mode

• u exit mouse mode