How to install i3wm + mate

[Phantorm]

Result:

i3 is a tiling window manager inspired by wmii that is primarily targeted at developers and advanced users(vim users).

i3 User's Guide

Installation

1. Open your terminal.
2. Install i3:

sudo apt install i3
sudo apt remove dunst

3. Change your window manager to i3:

dconf write /org/mate/desktop/session/required-components/windowmanager "'i3'"

4. Prevent desktop with icons to cover your windows:

dconf write /org/mate/desktop/background/show-desktop-icons false

5. Log out and go back:
   
   

Tip: You can use dconf-editor(sudo apt install dconf-editor) to easily change dconf.

How to hide i3bar

1. Open your i3 config(~/.config/i3/config) and replace(at the end of the config):

bar {
        status_command i3status
}

to:

#bar {
#        status_command i3status
#}

2. Press SUPER+SHIFT+R:
   
   

Installation of picom

picom is a standalone compositor for Xorg, suitable for use with window managers that do not provide compositing. picom is a fork of compton, which is a fork of xcompmgr-dana, which in turn is a fork of xcompmgr.

It's necessary for some mate's desktop effects and to prevent some visual bugs.
Before:

After:

1. Install picom:

sudo apt install picom

2. Add exec --no-startup-id picom to your i3 config(~/.config/i3/config).
3. Log out and go back.

Disable XDG autostart in i3 config to prevent double applications autostart

Open your i3 config(~/.config/i3/config) and replace:

# Start XDG autostart .desktop files using dex. See also
# https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/XDG_Autostart
exec --no-startup-id dex --autostart --environment i3

to:

# Start XDG autostart .desktop files using dex. See also
# https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/XDG_Autostart
#exec --no-startup-id dex --autostart --environment i3

How to change/disable brisk-menu hotkey

If you have WIN as your i3 modifier(SUPER) and brisk-menu as your applet, you will have bad experience with i3wm.

Open your terminal and write to disable:

dconf write /com/solus-project/brisk-menu/hot-key "''"

to change hotkey(<CTRL> - CTRL, <ALT> - ALT, <SHIFT> - SHIFT, <Mod4> - SUPER/WIN):

dconf write /com/solus-project/brisk-menu/hot-key "'<CTRL>P'"

to change to default:

dconf reset /com/solus-project/brisk-menu/hot-key

Tip: You can use dconf-editor(sudo apt install dconf-editor) to easily change dconf.

Fixing i3 border for firefox

Before:

After:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Uninstallation

Open your terminal and paste:

sudo apt purge i3 i3-wm -y
dconf reset /org/mate/desktop/session/required-components/windowmanager
dconf reset /org/mate/desktop/background/show-desktop-icons
mate-session-save --force-logout 

Optional:

How to replace 'exit i3' to 'exit mate' (log out dialog shortcut)

1. Open your i3 config(~/.config/i3/config) and replace:

bindsym $mod+Shift+e exec "i3-nagbar -t warning -m 'You pressed the exit shortcut. Do you really want to exit i3? This will end your X session.' -B 'Yes, exit i3' 'i3-msg exit'"

to:

#bindsym $mod+Shift+e exec "i3-nagbar -t warning -m 'You pressed the exit shortcut. Do you really want to exit i3? This will end your X session.' -B 'Yes, exit i3' 'i3-msg exit'"
bindsym $mod+Shift+e exec --no-startup-id "mate-session-save --logout-dialog"

or to(if you want a shut down dialog instead of a log out dialog):

#bindsym $mod+Shift+e exec "i3-nagbar -t warning -m 'You pressed the exit shortcut. Do you really want to exit i3? This will end your X session.' -B 'Yes, exit i3' 'i3-msg exit'"
bindsym $mod+Shift+e exec --no-startup-id "mate-session-save --shutdown-dialog"

2. Press SUPER+SHIFT+R

How to add icons to titlebars

1. Add for_window [all] title_window_icon padding 1px to your i3 config(~/.config/i3/config).

2. Press SUPER+SHIFT+R

How to close windows by pressing the middle mouse button(scroll wheel) on i3 title bars

1. Add bindsym --release --border button2 kill to your i3 config(~/.config/i3/config).

2. Press SUPER+SHIFT+C

Ubuntu mate-like theme for i3 borders

1. Add client.focused #87a556 #5f743c #ffffff #dfef9f #5f743c to your i3 config(~/.config/i3/config).

2. Press SUPER+SHIFT+R

[Bombilla]

Welcome @Phantorm to the community!

[erik242]

Thanks for this. I use it on all my installs.

I like to use Gnome Web. Mostly because it looks nicer on my Gnome installs. Do you know how I can fix this?

[Phantorm]

Hello, just install picom

[erik242]

I did. I just need to have it start at the beginning. Thank you for the tip.