SXHKD

PRIMARY CATEGORY → DESKTOP SETUP

SXHKD → Simple X Hotkey Daemon

sxhkd process is listen and reacts to input events and execute commands according to them

Most of that commands are bspc invocations. That bspc commands write in bspwm’s socket

$ pgrep --list-full --exact sxhkd
1643 /usr/local/bin/sxhkd

sxhkd is launched by bspwm from bspwmrc script →

# ~/.config/bspwm/bspwmrc - sxhkd Binary Launch
checkProcess sxhkd || launchProcess sxhkd

INFO

Note that checkProcess and launchProcess are shell functions declared in the ~/.config/bspwm/src/bspwmrc.sh source file

Above implementation would be something similar to the usual approach through pgrep --exact process_name || binary|script_path &

#!/usr/bin/env sh
pgrep --exact sxhkd > /dev/null 2>&1 || sxhkd &

All input events such as hotkeys are defined within its configuration file.

It declares all hotkeys related to launch and deploy processes and its functionalities such as:

• bspwm → Windows Generation, Configuration Daemon Reload, Shortcuts…
  
• kitty → Launchs Terminal Emulator
  
• roffi → Deploys Program Launcher
  
• Other processes such as Firefox, Burpsuite…

Configuration File → ~/.config/sxhkd/sxhkdrc

More information here

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Installation

CAUTION

First, see the bspwm’s installation before proceeding with this one related to sxhkd

There are some dependencies that are needed in the following installation steps

Clone the sxhkd’s Github Repository →

cd ~/Downloads
git clone https://github.com/baskerville/sxhkd.git sxhkd

cd !$ # cd ~/Downloads/sxhkd
make
sudo make install

~/.config/sxhkd directory and sxhkdrc file →

mkdir -p ~/.config/sxhkd
cp ~/Downloads/bspwm/examples/sxhkdrc !$

IMPORTANT

Be aware that sxhkdrc’s example/template file is copied from the bspwm repository rather than from the sxhkd one

That’s it

$ command -V sxhkd
sxhkd is /usr/local/bin/sxhkd

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TL;DR ⌨

Shorcuts’ Meaning

Key	Meaning
C	Control	C-c → Control+c
M	Alt	M-a → Alt+a
S	Shift	S-o → Shift+o
Super	Windows	Super-s → Windows+s
Return	Enter	C-S-Return → Control+Shift+Enter
-	+	C-z → Control+z
{a,b,c,d}	a b c d	C-{a,b,c,d} → C-a C-b C-c C-d

Sxhkd

Reference

Action	Shortcut
Reload Sxhkd Configuration File	Super-Esc

Bspwm

Reference

Action	Shortcut
Quit Bspwm (Return to the greeter)	Super-S-q
Restart Bspwm	Super-S-r

OS Window

Reference

Action	Shortcut
OS Windows Closing	Super-q
OS Windows - Monocle Layout	Super-m
OS Windows - Tiled Layout	Super-t
OS Windows - Floating Layout	Super-s
OS Windows - Full Screen	Super-f
Os Windows Focus ⬅️⬇️⬆️➡️	Super-{h,j,k,l}
OS Windows Movement ⬅️⬇️⬆️➡️	Super-S-{h,j,k,l}
OS Windows Resize ⬅️⬇️⬆️➡️	Super-M-{h,j,k,l}
OS Windows to another Desktop	Super-S-DESKTOP_NUMBER
Desktop Focus	Super-DESKTOP_NUMBER
Last Desktop Focus	Super-TAB

Program Launch

Reference I    •    Reference II    •    Reference III

Action	Shortcut
Kitty	Super-Return
Rofi	Super-d
Firefox	Super-S-f
Burpsuite	Super-S-b
I3Lock-Fancy	Super-S-x

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Configuration File

Copy from here the sxhkdrc Full Customised Configuration File

sxhkd Section

Reload sxhkd’s Configuration File → Super-Esc

Note that super refers to the Windows key

super + Escape
  pkill -USR1 -x sxhkd

bspwm Section

The rest of the key bindings related to bspwm in the sxhkdrc file are in the link above

Quit/Restart → Super-S-{q,r}

To Return to the greeter closing the Windows Manager → W-S-q

To Restart the Windos Manager → W-S-r

super + shift + {q,r}
    bspc {quit,wm -r}

OS Windows - Open/Close → Super-Return/Super-q

• Open → Check the Kitty Section
• Close, as follows →

super + {_,shift + }q
    bspc node -{c,k}

OS Windows State - Monocle Layout (Zoom {in,out}) → Super-m

See the different OS Windows Layouts/States for bspwm here

It switches the Focused Windows display to a Monocle State

super + z
    bspc desktop -l next

OS Windows State - Tiled → Super-t

bspwm Layouts/States here

It switches the Focused Windows display to its default state, the Tiled one

super + {t,shift + t,s,f}
    bspc node -t {tiled,pseudo_tiled,floating,fullscreen}

OS Windows State - Floating → Super-s

bspwm Layouts/States here

It switches the Focused Windows display to a Floating State

super + {t,shift + t,s,f}
    bspc node -t {tiled,pseudo_tiled,floating,fullscreen}

OS Windows State - Full-Screen → Super-f

bspwm Layouts/States here

It switches the Focused Windows display to a Full-Screen State

super + {t,shift + t,s,f}
    bspc node -t {tiled,pseudo_tiled,floating,fullscreen}

OS Windows - Focus → Super-{h,j,k,l}

To change the focus between the different OS Windows on a specific Desktop →

super + {_,shift + }{h,j,k,l}
    bspc node -{f,s} {west,south,north,east}

OS Windows - Movement → Super-S-{h,j,k,l}

Moves the focused OS Window in the specificed direction. It is like a Windows Exchange

super + shift + {Left,Down,Up,Right}
    bspc node -v {-20 0,0 20,0 -20,20 0}

OS Windows - Resize → Super-M-{h,j,k,l}

In the bspwm keybinding section, a custom bash script is set as the command to be executed when the following input events (hotkeys) are performed →

super + alt + {h,j,k,l}
    /home/al3xbb/.config/bspwm/bin/bspwm_resize.sh {west,south,north,east}

The above code allows to resize an OS Window with the super + alt shortcut regardless of the state

Create a directory inside ~/.config/bspwm called bin and store the bspwm_resize.sh’s content as a script (i.e. an executable file)

bspwm_resize.sh Content here

$ mkdir ~/.config/bspwm/bin
$ touch bspwm_resize.sh
$ chmod +x !$
$ nvim $

OS Windows - Move it to another Desktop → Super-S-desktop_number

Moves the focused OS Windows to another bspwm Desktop

super + {_,shift + }{1-9,0}
    bspc {desktop -f,node -d} '^{1-9,10}'

OS Desktop - Focus → Super-desktop_number

To move between the different OS Desktops via the Desktop Number → Super-desktop_number

super + {_,shift + }{1-9,0}
    bspc {desktop -f,node -d} '^{1-9,10}'

To move to the last OS Desktop → Super-Tab

super + {grave,Tab}
    bspc {node,desktop} -f last

Kitty Section

Launch kitty Terminal → Super-Return

super + Return
  /opt/kitty/bin/kitty

Rofi Section

Launch Rofi → Super-d

super + d
  /usr/bin/rofi -show run

Other Processess Section

Launch Firefox → Super-S-f

super + shift + f
    /usr/bin/firefox

Launch Burpsuite → Super-S-b

super + shift + b
    /usr/bin/burpsuite-launcher

Launch I3Lock-Fancy → Super-S-x

super + shift + x
    /usr/bin/i3lock-fancy