Tonight in silly things with onre I would like to present you a handy little configuration bit that makes life a little bit better.
When using the X11 desktop, it's nice to have a modifier key that's rarely bound by applications available for the window manager. As I can live a perfectly happy life without the Caps Lock key, I chose to use that one.
So, let's see how the modifiers are setup in IRIX by default. The
If I needed the caps lock functionality, I could remap another key as the lock modifier, but I never use it. The following
First, we remove Caps_Lock from the list of lock modifiers. Then we tell X to translate keysym Caps_Lock into Super_L, aka the left-hand Super key. Then we add this keysym to the list of mod3 modifiers. After saving this to
Success! The mod3 modifier can now be used in
Damn, such productivity. But why stop here? Let's add the following to
Now I can move windows with mod3 and left mouse button and resize them with mod3 and right mouse button. Wow. Such.
When using the X11 desktop, it's nice to have a modifier key that's rarely bound by applications available for the window manager. As I can live a perfectly happy life without the Caps Lock key, I chose to use that one.
So, let's see how the modifiers are setup in IRIX by default. The
-pm option makes xmodmap print the current modifier map.
Code:
esp@multimedia ~ $ xmodmap -pm
xmodmap: up to 2 keys per modifier, (keycodes in parentheses):
shift Shift_L (0x1a), Shift_R (0x61)
lock Caps_Lock (0x1c)
control Control_L (0x19), Control_R (0x60)
mod1 Alt_L (0x21), Alt_R (0x41)
mod2 Num_Lock (0x7e)
mod3
mod4
mod5 Scroll_Lock (0x67)If I needed the caps lock functionality, I could remap another key as the lock modifier, but I never use it. The following
xmodmap expressions make that happen.
Code:
remove lock = Caps_Lock
keysym Caps_Lock = Super_L
add mod3 = Super_LFirst, we remove Caps_Lock from the list of lock modifiers. Then we tell X to translate keysym Caps_Lock into Super_L, aka the left-hand Super key. Then we add this keysym to the list of mod3 modifiers. After saving this to
~/.Xmodmap, I tell xmodmap to execute the expressions in the file. Then, I check the outcome.
Code:
esp@multimedia ~ $ xmodmap .Xmodmap
esp@multimedia ~ $ xmodmap -pm
xmodmap: up to 2 keys per modifier, (keycodes in parentheses):
shift Shift_L (0x1a), Shift_R (0x61)
lock
control Control_L (0x19), Control_R (0x60)
mod1 Alt_L (0x21), Alt_R (0x41)
mod2 Num_Lock (0x7e)
mod3 Super_L (0x1c)
mod4
mod5 Scroll_Lock (0x67)Success! The mod3 modifier can now be used in
~/.4Dwmrc - I've got four desktops named after the background graphics colour, and now I can bind changing the desktop to mod3 and number keys. I've copied /usr/lib/X11/system.4Dwmrc to my home directory before, and now I add the following to the Keys 4DwmKeyBindings section.
Code:
mod3<Key>1 root|icon|window f.switch_desk Blue
mod3<Key>2 root|icon|window f.switch_desk Magenta
mod3<Key>3 root|icon|window f.switch_desk Green
mod3<Key>4 root|icon|window f.switch_desk OrangeDamn, such productivity. But why stop here? Let's add the following to
Buttons 4DwmButtonBindings:
Code:
mod3<Btn1Down> window|frame|icon f.move
mod3<Btn3Down> window|frame|icon f.resizeNow I can move windows with mod3 and left mouse button and resize them with mod3 and right mouse button. Wow. Such.