alttab

alttab [-w N] [-d N] [-sc N] [-mk str] [-kk str] [-bk str] [-pk str] [-nk str] [-mm N] [-bm N] [-t NxM] [-i NxM] [-vp str] [-p str] [-s N] [-theme name] [-bg color] [-fg color] [ -frame color] [-bc color] [-bw N] [-font name] [-vertical] [-v| -vv]

DESCRIPTION

The task switcher designed for minimalistic window managers or standalone X11 session.

Unlike task switchers integrated in most simple WMs, alttab features visual interface and convenient tactile behaviour, switching windows on releasing Alt key.

Being lightweight and depending only on core X11 libs, it still features customizable look and behaviour.

OPTIONS

Most command line options have corresponding X resource, see doc/alttab.ad for example.

-w NUMBER: resource: alttab.windowmanager

default: autodetect, fallback to 3

: Control how to obtain window list and set focus. NUMBER must be between 0 and 3:

: 0: No WM, raw X.

: Set this value manually, as it's not autodetected. Only top-level viewable children of root window are listed. Running -w 0 under WM is discouraged: hidden windows or windows on another desktops will not be listed; instead, some strange windows may be included.

: 1: EWMH compatible.

: Compatible WM list is in [SEE ALSO] below. alttab functions in xmonad (EWMH must be allowed, details in doc/wm-setup.md), i3, evilwm, xfwm4, metacity, jwm, openbox, fluxbox, icewm, enlightenment, blackbox, aewm, fvwm, sawfish, bspwm. The following WMs support EWMH partially but work in -w 1 mode too: dwm (issue #9), matchbox (issue #34), windowmaker (issue #9), xpra (issue #37), cwm (issue #35), ctwm (issue #39), lwm (issue #40), awesome (issue #41).

: 2: Ratpoison.

: Alttab uses ratpoison own remote control capability. Additionally, alttab registers itself in its "unmanaged list" automatically.

: 3: Ancient WM.

: Fallback, worse than 0. Search for application windows at random nodes of window tree (WM is probably reparenting) and select only those with a name, including non-viewable (WM is probably iconifying). May cause lag. Tested in twm, flwm, wm2.

-d NUMBER: resource: alttab.desktops

default: 0

: Show windows belonging to desktops (workspaces, groups). NUMBER must be between 0 and 3:

: 0: Current desktop.

: This is default, although in non EWMH-compatible WM, except ratpoison, it's effectively the same as 1.

: 1: All desktops.

: 2: All desktops, excluding special (-1) one.

: In various EWMH WM this desktop may be designed hidden or containing sticky windows. In i3, it's "scratchpad".

: 3: All desktops, excluding current and special.

-sc NUMBER: resource: alttab.screens

default: 1

: Show windows belonging to xrandr/xinerama screens. NUMBER must be 0 or 1:

: 0: Current screen.

: As defined according to -vp pointer or -vp focus.

: 1: All screens.

: This is default.

-mk str: resource: alttab.modifier.keysym

default: Alt_L

: Keysym of main modifier. String or number accepted. Suitable examples: Control_L, Super_L.

-kk str: resource: alttab.key.keysym

default: Tab

: Keysym of main key. For example, grave (aka tilde), Escape.

-bk str: resource: alttab.backscroll.keysym

default: any Shift, according to ShiftMask

: Keysym of backward scroll key.

-pk str: resource: alttab.prevkey.keysym

default: no key assigned

: Keysym of auxiliary 'previous' key. For example, Left, H.

-nk str: resource: alttab.nextkey.keysym

default: no key assigned

: Keysym of auxiliary 'next' key. For example, Right, L.

-ck str: resource: alttab.cancelkey.keysym

default: Escape

: Keysym of auxiliary 'cancel' key.

-mm NUM: resource: alttab.modifier.mask

: OBSOLETED, guessed from -mk instead.

-bm NUM: resource: alttab.backscroll.mask

: OBSOLETED, guessed from -bk instead.

-t NNxMM: resource: alttab.tile.geometry

default: 112x128

: Size of a single tile (mini-window). If switcher doesn't fit the viewport ( -vp), tile may be thinner.

-i NNxMM: resource: alttab.icon.geometry

default: 32x32

: Size of icons.

-vp str: resource: alttab.viewport

default: focus

: Limit viewport for the switcher. The switcher always has variable size and position, but tries to never break out of -vp container, while -p specifies position relative to this container. Together these options allow for WM-independent multi-monitor support. Possible values for -vp:

: focus: in multihead configuration: the monitor which shows largest part of currently focused window. If this part is shared with other monitors, then the smallest of these monitors is chosen. In single head configuration: the geometry of default root window.

: pointer: the monitor which has mouse pointer, otherwise the same as focus.

: The "multihead" above means more than one active XRANDR output. They are detected at runtime, so hopefully monitors may be attached/detached without restarting alttab.

: total: the geometry of default root window.

: If you specify this in tiling multihead configuration, then the switcher will be drawn relative to the entire combined screen, crossing monitors' borders.

: WxH+X+Y: Specific position relative to default root window.

: This allows for static manual bounding if XRANDR detection fails. Suppose X root window spans over two 2560х1440 monitors, resulting in combined screen of 5120x1440 size. Then the switcher may be positioned at the center of the right monitor with -vp 2560x1440+2560+0 -p center.

-p str: resource: alttab.position

default: center

: Position of switcher: "center", "none" or specific position relative to upper left corner of viewport, in the form +X+Y.

-s NUMBER: resource: alttab.icon.source

default: 2

: Source of icons. NUMBER must be between 0 and 3:

: 0: Use icons from X11 window attributes only.

: 1: Load icon from file if not found in window attributes.

: Alttab searches for PNG and XPM icons in $XDG_DATA_DIRS and also under:

: /usr/share/icons

/usr/local/share/icons

~/.icons

~/.local/share/icons

: Directory structure should obey freedesktop standard, but desktop files are ignored, instead file name is expected to be equal to application class. That is, if alttab doesn't recognize an icon for window of class foo, as obtained by 'xprop WM_CLASS', then just drop a 32x32 icon into /usr/local/share/icons/hicolor/32x32/apps/foo.png.

: Also, alttab scans for icons in legacy directories without freedesktop directory structure:

: /usr/share/pixmaps

~/.local/share/pixmaps

: 2: Prefer icon from file when it matches requested size better (see -i option).

: 3: Use icons from files only.

-theme name: resource: alttab.theme

default: hicolor

: Desktop theme for application icons. Used when -s is 1, 2 or 3.

The following three options accept color names or #rrggbb. Special value _rnd_low or _rnd_high produce random color from lower or upper RGB space respectively.

-bg color: resource: alttab.background

default: black

: Tile background color.

-fg color: resource: alttab.foreground

default: grey

: Foreground color.

-frame color: resource: alttab.framecolor

default: #a0abab

: Color of frame around selected tile.

-bc color: resource: alttab.bordercolor

default: black

: Color of extra border around the entire switcher. This border may look redundant. Do not confuse with -frame.

-bw N: resource: alttab.borderwidth

default: 0 (no extra border)

: Width of extra border above.

-font name: resource: alttab.font

default: xft:sans-10

: Label font name in format: xft:fontconfig_pattern, like in emacs and rxvt. See [SEE ALSO] for fontconfig pattern. It's neither GTK font pattern nor legacy XLFD.

Your Xresources database probably already has *background, *foreground or *font wildcard definitions, which alttab will obey. Precedence order (preferred first):

alttab.font resource,

-font option,

wildcard resource like *font in xfd: format.

-vertical: resource: alttab.vertical

default: no

: Vertical layout (experimental).

-v, -vv: resource: no

default: silent

: Verbosity.

-h: short help

alttab

NAME

SYNOPSIS

DESCRIPTION

OPTIONS

CAVEATS

AUTHOR

REPORTING BUGS

SEE ALSO

Questions & Answers