Tricks

Get workspace dimensions

swaymsg -t get_outputs | jq -r '.. | select(.focused?) | .current_mode | "\(.width)x\(.height)"'

Start a program on a specific workspace

swaymsg 'workspace test; exec gnome-calculator; workspace back_and_forth'

This works as long as sway can match the PID of a new window to the PID of the exec'd command (or one of its children).

Upload screenshot and copy url to clipboard

bindsym $mod+Shift+Print exec slurp | grim -g - - | curl --form 'file=@-' http://0x0.st | wl-copy && swaynag -m "screenshot uploaded & url copied to clipboard"

Take screenshots and open them in annotation tool

It's super convenient to be able to take a screenshot and pass it to Swappy for possible annotations in one step. Actions in the .desktop file feel like a natural place to offer these options.

Using rofi as a launcher, ".desktop" file actions are findable if the -drun-show-actions is passed.

With these actions, you can snapshot any of the following and have the result opened in swappy:

• current window
• current output
• select a window
• select an area

Install this file into ~/.local/share/applications/grimshot-swappy.desktop:

[Desktop Entry]
Name=Swappy
GenericName=Annotation Tool
GenericName[de]=Anmerkungswerkzeug
GenericName[fr]="Outil d'annotat"
GenericName[pt_BR]=Ferramenta de Anotação
Comment=A Wayland native snapshot editing tool
Comment[de]=Ein natives Wayland Bildschirmfoto-Bearbeitungswerkzeug
Comment[fr]="Un outil d'édition de capture d'écran avec support natif pour Wayland"
Comment[pt_BR]=Uma ferramenta de edição de snapshot nativa do Wayland
TryExec=swappy
Exec=swappy -f %F
Terminal=false
Type=Application
Keywords=wayland;snapshot;annotation;editing;
Icon=swappy
Categories=Utility;Graphics;Annotation;
StartupNotify=true
MimeType=image/png;image/jpeg;
Actions=current-window;current-output;select-window;select-area;

[Desktop Action current-window]
Name=Current Window
Exec=sh -c 'grimshot save active - | swappy -f -'

[Desktop Action current-output]
Name=Current Output
Exec=sh -c 'grimshot save output - | swappy -f -'

[Desktop Action select-window]
Name=Select Window
Exec=sh -c 'grimshot save window - | swappy -f -'

[Desktop Action select-area]
Name=Select Area
Exec=sh -c 'grimshot save area - | swappy -f -'

HTML color picker

Bind this to a key, select a point on the screen and get a HTML color code for that point copied to the clipboard. Requires ImageMagick, grim and slurp to be installed.

grim -g "$(slurp -p)" -t ppm - | convert - -format '%[pixel:p{0,0}]' txt:- | tail -n 1 | cut -d ' ' -f 4 | wl-copy

If you don't use a color picker frequently enough to remember the keybinding, you can create a simple .desktop file for it in ~/.local/share/applications/ and then launch it searching for the name with a desktop file launcher like Rofi. Here's an example .desktop file:

[Desktop Entry]
Name=HTML Color Picker for Sway
Comment=Copies HTML color code to clipboard
Encoding=UTF-8
Version=1.0
Keywords=
Icon=
Exec=$HOME/.local/bin/html-color-picker-for-sway
Terminal=false
Type=Application
StartupNotify=true

Put the command above in ~/.local/bin/html-color-picker-for-sway and add a shebang line as the first line: #!/bin/sh

Tamefox - suspend Firefox when loses focus

#!/bin/sh
firefox=
swaymsg -m -t subscribe '["window"]' | \
        jq -r --unbuffered '.change +" "+  .container.app_id + " " + (.container.pid | tostring)' | \
        grep --line-buffered '^focus ' | \
        while read -r x app pid; do
                #echo "# x=$x app=$app pid=$pid" >&2
                if [ "$app" = 'firefox' ]; then
                        echo "CONT $pid" >&2
                        firefox=$pid
                        kill -CONT $pid
                        pkill -CONT -P $pid
                elif [ -n "$firefox" ]; then
                        echo "STOP $firefox" >&2
                        pkill -STOP -P $firefox
                        kill -STOP $firefox
                fi
        done

save it as $HOME/bin/tamefox and add this to your .config/sway/config:

exec [ -x $HOME/bin/tamefox ] && $HOME/bin/tamefox

Use space as $mod

If using Arch Linux, install Interception tools:

pacman -S interception-tools

Otherwise follow instructions here: https://gitlab.com/interception/linux/tools

Also install the space2meta plugin:

If using Arch, install from the AUR:

yay -S interception-space2meta

Otherwise follow instructions here: https://gitlab.com/interception/linux/plugins/space2meta

Drop this in /etc/interception/udevmon.yaml:

- JOB: intercept -g $DEVNODE | space2meta | uinput -d $DEVNODE
  DEVICE:
    EVENTS:
      EV_KEY: [KEY_SPACE]

Create a systemd service file with the following content:

[Unit]
Description=Monitor input devices for launching tasks
Wants=systemd-udev-settle.service
After=systemd-udev-settle.service
Documentation=man:udev(7)

[Service]
ExecStart=/usr/bin/udevmon -c /etc/interception/udevmon.yaml
Nice=-20
Restart=on-failure
OOMScoreAdjust=-1000

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

(Taken from: https://gitlab.com/interception/linux/tools/-/blob/master/udevmon.service)

Enable the service:

sudo systemctl enable udevmon.service

Start the service:

sudo systemctl start udevmon

The space key should now behave as the Super/Windows/Mod4 key when held and combined with another key.

If your chording style does not agree with this method:

You may find that your typing style makes it hard to hit the "chord timing" needed to trigger the Mod4 key. There is an alternative plugin for interception-tools you can use which changes the behaviour of the tool. Feel free to play with the "delay" value in /etc/interception/spacetomod4.yaml to adjust it to your taste.

Install this alternative plugin for interception tools:

yay -S interception-dual-function-keys

Create a new file in /etc/interception (name it spacetomod4.yaml for example) with the following content:

TIMING:
    TAP_MILLISEC: 200
    DOUBLE_TAP_MILLISEC: 0

MAPPINGS:
    - KEY: KEY_SPACE
      TAP: KEY_SPACE
      HOLD: KEY_LEFTMETA

Modify the /etc/interception/udevmon.yaml file to this instead:

- JOB: "intercept -g $DEVNODE | dual-function-keys -c /etc/interception/spacetomod4.yaml | uinput -d $DEVNODE"
  DEVICE:
    EVENTS:
      EV_KEY: [KEY_SPACE, KEY_LEFTMETA]

And remember to restart the udevmon service:

sudo systemctl restart udevmon