How do I use the awesome window manager?

Question

I've installed awesome on my Ubuntu laptop, and I like it. But I feel kind of lost. I don't know any keyboard shortcuts and the man pages aren't really any help (for instance, what does Mod4 mean?).

Is there any kind of brief introduction to awesome I can read?

Solution 1

Here is one person's introduction

Here is a guide to installing it with Ubuntu

And here is a history and additional links via Wikipedia

Hope that helps!

Solution 2

I assume Mod4 is the same as meta which is the Windows key on most modern keyboards.

Solution 3

Here is my bare bones intro to awesome window manager: http://isomorphismes.tumblr.com/post/33846445632/awesome-window-manager. First few lines:

The main keys you need to know are:

• ⌘+space = change screen layout type
• ⌘+shift + space = change screen layout type, cycling backwards
• ⌘+j = go to the next window on this desktop (focus on, as if you had hovered your mouse over it … but without needing to reach over to the mouse)
• ⌘+k = go to the previous window on this desktop
• ⌘+J = swap this window and the next one
• ⌘+K = swap this window and the previous one
• ⌘+h = → the center partition squashing the right pane(s)
• ⌘+l = ← the center partition expanding the right pane(s)
• ⌘+← = desktop to the left
• ⌘+→ = desktop to the right
• ⌘+9 = desktop number nine

Notice that h,j,k,l are the right-handed home row keys on a QWERTY|AZERTY.

Solution 4

Press Mod4+Enter (typically this would be the Wind*ws key and Enter) to open a terminal and then enter man awesome. A list of default key-bindings is shown.

Solution 5

I put this together before finding this page.

---

Using Awesome

• Windows are "Tiled" by default, and you organise the tiles instead of click-dragging windows around.
• Virtual Desktops are called Tags, there's 9 of them, and they're per-Screen.

Moving Between Windows

Win+J/K         | Prev / Next Window (like Alt+tab)
Win+Ctrl+J/K    | Prev / Next Screen
Win+1-9         | Change to Desktop

Rearranging Windows

Win+Space       | Change Screen Layout Type
Win+O           | Move window to Other Screen
Win+Ctrl+Space  | Toggle window Floating/Tiled
Win+Shift+J/K   | Move window to next position
Win+H/L         | Resize window

Other

Win+Enter       | New Terminal
Win+Shift+C     | Close Window

Mousey Things

Win+Left-Click  | Move
Win+Right-Click | Resize

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Comments

[SabreWolfy]

Mod4 is the "Wind*ws" Key.

[100rabh]

typo on the Wiki link, the ending curly brace is not linked

[Ivo Flipse]

Funny that leaving out the ) will take you to a different page