cwmrc5

Overview

This manual page describes the cwm(1) configuration file.

The current line can be extended over multiple lines using a backslash (‘\’). Comments can be put anywhere in the file using a hash mark (‘#’), and extend to the end of the current line. Care should be taken when commenting out multi-line text: the comment is effective until the end of the entire block.

Arguments containing whitespace should be surrounded by double quotes (").

The following options are accepted:

autogroup group [windowname,]windowclass

Automatically add new windows to group if their class property matches windowclass, or if their name and class properties match windowname and windowclass, respectively. The more specific last match wins. group is a number between 0 and 9. If group is 0, matching windows will not be added to any group; this may be used to override “sticky group mode”.

The name and class values, respectively, for existing windows are both set in the WM_CLASS property and may be obtained using xprop(1).

bind-key key function

Bind or rebind key key to function. The modifier keys come first, followed by a ‘-’, then a keysym name, taken from /usr/X11R6/include/X11/keysymdef.h.

The following modifiers are recognised:

C

Control key.

M

Meta key.

S

Shift key.

4

Mod4 (windows) key.

5

Mod5 (AltGr) key.

The function may either be one from the BIND FUNCTION LIST (see below) or the command line that is to be executed.

bind-mouse button function

Bind or rebind button button to function. The modifier keys come first, followed by a ‘-’, then the button number.

The same modifiers are recognised as for key in bind-key.

The following buttons are recognised:

1

Left mouse button.

2

Middle mouse button.

3

Right mouse button.

4

Scroll up mouse button.

5

Scroll down mouse button.

The function may be taken from the BIND FUNCTION LIST (see below) or the command line that is to be executed.

borderwidth pixels

Set the window border width to pixels.

color activeborder color

Set the color of the active border.

color font color

Set menu font color.

color selfont color

Set font color for selected menu item.

color groupborder color

Set the color of the border while grouping a window.

color inactiveborder color

Set the color of the inactive border.

color menubg color

Set menu background color.

color menufg color

Set menu foreground color.

color urgencyborder color

Set the color of the border of a window indicating urgency.

color ungroupborder color

Set the color of the border while ungrouping a window.

command name path

Every name entry is shown in the application menu. When selected, the defined path is executed with execvp(3).

The name entries term and lock have a special meaning. They point to the terminal and screen locking programs specified by key bindings. The defaults are xterm(1) and xlock(1), respectively.

fontname font

Change the default font for Xft(3).

gap top bottom left right

Define a “gap” in pixels at the edge of the screen, so that when a window is maximized it will not overlap this area. This “gap” can be used for applications such as xclock(1), where the user may wish to remain visible.

htile percent

Set the percentage of screen the master window should occupy after calling window-htile. If set to 0, the horizontal size of the master window will remain unchanged. The default is 50.

ignore windowname

Ignore, and do not warp to, windows with the name windowname when drawing borders and cycling through windows.

moveamount pixels

Set a default size for the keyboard movement bindings, in pixels. The default is 1.

snapdist pixels

Minimum distance to snap-to adjacent edge, in pixels. The default is 0.

sticky yes|no

Toggle sticky group mode. The default behavior for new windows is to not assign any group. By enabling sticky group mode, cwm(1) will assign new windows to the currently selected group.

unbind-key key

Unbind function bound to key. A special key keyword “all” can be used to unbind all keys.

unbind-mouse button

Unbind function bound to button. A special button keyword “all” can be used to unbind all buttons.

vtile percent

Set the percentage of screen the master window should occupy after calling window-vtile. If set to 0, the vertical size of the master window will remain unchanged. The default is 50.

wm name path

Every name entry is shown in the wm menu. When selected, the window manager is replaced by path.

Bind function list

restart

Restart the running cwm(1).

quit

Quit cwm(1).

terminal

Spawn a new terminal.

lock

Lock the screen.

menu-window

Launch window search menu.

menu-window-hidden

Launch hidden window search menu.

menu-cmd

Launch application search menu.

menu-group

Launch group search menu.

menu-exec

Launch “exec program” menu.

menu-exec-wm

Launch “exec WindowManager” menu.

menu-ssh

Launch “ssh” menu.

group-toggle-[n]

Toggle visibility of group n, where n is 1-9.

group-only-[n]

Show only group n, where n is 1-9, hiding other groups.

group-last

Show only the previously active group.

group-close-[n]

Close all windows in group n, where n is 1-9.

group-toggle-all

Toggle visibility of all groups.

window-group

Toggle group membership of current window.

window-movetogroup-[n]

Hide current window from display and move to group n, where n is 1-9.

group-cycle

Forward cycle through groups.

group-rcycle

Reverse cycle through groups.

window-cycle

Forward cycle through windows.

window-rcycle

Reverse cycle through windows.

window-cycle-ingroup

Forward cycle through windows in current group.

window-rcycle-ingroup

Reverse cycle through windows in current group.

window-close

Close current window.

window-hide

Hide current window.

window-lower

Lower current window.

window-raise

Raise current window.

window-menu-label

Label current window.

window-freeze

Freeze current window geometry.

window-stick

Stick current window to all groups (same as assigning to nogroup).

window-fullscreen

Full-screen current window (gap + border removed).

window-maximize

Maximize current window (gap + border honored).

window-vmaximize

Vertically maximize current window (gap + border honored).

window-hmaximize

Horizontally maximize current window (gap + border honored).

window-htile

Current window is placed at the top of the screen, maximized horizontally and resized to htile (default half) of the vertical screen space. Other windows in its group share remaining screen space.

window-vtile

Current window is placed on the left of the screen, maximized vertically and resized to vtile (default half) of the horizontal screen space. Other windows in its group share remaining screen space.

window-move

Move current window.

window-resize

Resize current window.

window-move-up

Move window moveamount pixels up.

window-move-down

Move window moveamount pixels down.

window-move-right

Move window moveamount pixels right.

window-move-left

Move window moveamount pixels left.

window-move-up-big

Move window 10 times moveamount pixels up.

window-move-down-big

Move window 10 times moveamount pixels down.

window-move-right-big

Move window 10 times moveamount pixels right.

window-move-left-big

Move window 10 times moveamount pixels left.

window-resize-up

Resize window moveamount pixels up.

window-resize-down

Resize window moveamount pixels down.

window-resize-right

Resize window moveamount pixels right.

window-resize-left

Resize window moveamount pixels left.

window-resize-up-big

Resize window 10 times moveamount pixels up.

window-resize-down-big

Resize window 10 times moveamount pixels down.

window-resize-right-big

Resize window 10 times moveamount pixels right.

window-resize-left-big

Resize window 10 times moveamount pixels left.

window-snap-up

Snap window to top edge.

window-snap-down

Snap window to bottom edge.

window-snap-right

Snap window to right edge.

window-snap-left

Snap window to left edge.

window-snap-up-right

Snap window to top-right corner.

window-snap-up-left

Snap window to top-left corner.

window-snap-down-right

Snap window to bottom-right corner.

window-snap-down-left

Snap window to bottom-left corner.

pointer-move-up

Move pointer moveamount pixels up.

pointer-move-down

Move pointer moveamount pixels down.

pointer-move-right

Move pointer moveamount pixels right.

pointer-move-left

Move pointer moveamount pixels left.

pointer-move-up-big

Move pointer 10 times moveamount pixels up.

pointer-move-down-big

Move pointer 10 times moveamount pixels down.

pointer-move-right-big

Move pointer 10 times moveamount pixels right.

pointer-move-left-big

Move pointer 10 times moveamount pixels left.

Files

~/.cwmrc

Default cwm(1) configuration file.

Examples

# Set default Xft(3) font
fontname "sans-serif:pixelsize=14:bold"
# Turn on sticky-group mode
sticky yes
# Any entry here is shown in the application menu
command firefox		firefox
command xmms		xmms
command top		"xterm -e top"
# Autogroup definitions
autogroup 3 "aterm,XTerm"
autogroup 3 "xterm,XTerm"
# Ignore programs by that name by not drawing borders around them.
ignore XMMS
ignore xwi
ignore xapm
ignore xclock
# Key bindings
bind-key CM-r		window-menu-label
bind-key CS-Return	"xterm -e top"
bind-key C4-equal	window-vmaximize
bind-key C4S-equal	window-hmaximize
bind-key M-1		group-only-1
bind-key M-2		group-only-2
bind-key M-3		group-only-3
bind-key MS-1		window-movetogroup-1
bind-key MS-2		window-movetogroup-2
bind-key MS-3		window-movetogroup-3
unbind-key 4-o
unbind-key CM-equal
unbind-key CMS-equal
# Mouse bindings
bind-mouse M-2		window-lower
bind-mouse M-3		window-resize