Awesome

First, install the Awesome window manager:

$ dnf install awesome

Next, configure Awesome. I maintain my Awesome configuration such that it is accessible with:

$ git clone https://www.flyn.org/git/awesome-config

You should install the contents of the awesome-config folder at ~/.config/awesome (i.e., drop the -config portion of the directory name). My configuration assumes that ~/.config/awesome/themes/flyn/background is a symbolic link to a background picture. Set this with something like:

$ ln -sf /usr/share/backgrounds/default.png ~/.config/awesome/themes/flyn/background.png

To login with awesome, select the “awesome” option presented by GDM (gears button). The result is a very simple configuration with the following input bindings. The modifier key (i.e., Mod) is the key most often labeled something like Command or Windows.

  1. Mod-Ctrl-q: Quit Awesome and thus terminate the login session.
  2. Mod-Ctrl-r: Restart Awesome.
  3. Mod-Ctrl-Space: Toggle the focused window between floating and tiled mode.
  4. Mod-Escape: Return to the previous virtual desktop.
  5. Mod-Left: Select the next virtual desktop to the left.
  6. Mod-Right: Select the next virtual desktop to the right.
  7. Mod-Return: Run a gnome-terminal.
  8. Mod-f: Grow the focused window to span the screen.
  9. Mod-q: Quit the focused application.
  10. Mod-r: Activate a run-command prompt at the bottom of the screen.
  11. Mod-r: Activate a run-command prompt at the bottom of the screen.
  12. Mod-Space: Toggle the tiling style.
  13. Mod-Tab: Shift focus to previous window.
  14. Mod-Volume Down: Lower the speaker volume.
  15. Mod-Volume Mute: Mute the speaker.
  16. Mod-Volume Up: Raise the speaker volume.
  17. Mod-Click-and-drag: Move a window.
  18. Mod-Left-click-and-drag: Resize a window.

I use many of the GNOME tools along with Awesome. Some of them require a little nudging to get to work:

  • gnome-control-center requires the XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP environment variable set to GNOME.