Description

Switches workspaces in the i3 window manager and sway like xmonad. This script will always bring the requested workspace to the current monitor ("output" in i3's terminology). If the requested workspace is showing on another monitor, then the current workspace and requested workspace will swap positions with each other.

Requirements

• i3 window manager
• i3ipc Python module

Install

Just download i3-wk-switch.py and modify your i3 config to call i3-wk-switch.py when the workspace switching keys are pressed.

Arch Linux

i3-wk-switch is on the AUR. This package adds i3-wk-switch to your PATH so you can specify bindings such as bindsym $mod+1 exec --no-startup-id i3-wk-switch 1.

Usage

usage: i3-wk-switch.py [-h] [--log-file LOG_FILE] [--verbose] WORKSPACE_NUM

Switch i3 workspaces in the style of xmonad

positional arguments:
  WORKSPACE_NUM         Workspace number to which to switch

optional arguments:
  -h, --help            show this help message and exit
  --log-file LOG_FILE, -l LOG_FILE
                        Path to file to which to log
  --verbose, -v         Log to stderr

Example

Download script

cd ~/.i3
git clone https://github.com/tmfink/i3-wk-switch.git

Install i3ipc

pip install i3ipc

Add keybindings to ~/.i3/config

# Switch to workspace like xmonad
set $x_switch exec --no-startup-id python3 ~/.i3/i3-wk-switch/i3-wk-switch.py
bindsym $mod+1 $x_switch 1
bindsym $mod+2 $x_switch 2
bindsym $mod+3 $x_switch 3
bindsym $mod+4 $x_switch 4
bindsym $mod+5 $x_switch 5
bindsym $mod+6 $x_switch 6
bindsym $mod+7 $x_switch 7
bindsym $mod+8 $x_switch 8
bindsym $mod+9 $x_switch 9
bindsym $mod+0 $x_switch 10

I also recommend adding fallback workspace switching, which is useful if you copy your i3 config to another computer that does not have the necessary dependencies (no Python support, no i3 module, etc.).

Here is some fallback config that uses Ctrl+$mod+NUM:

# switch to workspace (fallback)
bindsym Control+$mod+1 workspace 1
bindsym Control+$mod+2 workspace 2
bindsym Control+$mod+3 workspace 3
bindsym Control+$mod+4 workspace 4
bindsym Control+$mod+5 workspace 5
bindsym Control+$mod+6 workspace 6
bindsym Control+$mod+7 workspace 7
bindsym Control+$mod+8 workspace 8
bindsym Control+$mod+9 workspace 9
bindsym Control+$mod+0 workspace 10