EXWM (Deprecated)
WARNING
This configuration of EXWM is no longer maintained and was deprecated on May 24th, 2025. Therefore, it may not be up to date with the latest versions of EXWM.
So, I’m finally slowly getting back to EXWM. I tried it a couple of years ago, but that was with the SpacemacsOS layer on Spacemacs, on a laptop which got accidentally formatted before I could save my config and all… So it got me some time to come back. I’m still a bit worried about Emacs being single threaded, so if I get one blocking function blocking Emacs, my whole desktop will hang, but for now I haven’t had this issue.
All my EXWM config is enabled only if I launch Emacs with the argument --with-exwm, otherwise none of the related packages get installed, let alone activated and made available.
First, I need to install the X protocol Emacs Lisp Bindings. It doesn’t seem to be available in any repo, so I’ll install it directly from Git.
(use-package xelb
:if (seq-contains-p command-line-args "--with-exwm")
:straight (xelb :build t
:type git
:host github
:repo "emacs-straight/xelb"
:fork "ch11ng/xelb"))
Next is a function I’ve stolen copied from Daviwil’s desktop configuration. This allows to launch software in the background easily.
(defun exwm/run-in-background (command &optional once)
(let ((command-parts (split-string command " +")))
(apply #'call-process `(,(car command-parts) nil 0 nil ,@(cdr command-parts)))))
In order to launch Emacs with EXWM with startx, I need a xinit file. This one is exported to $HOME/.xinitrc.emacs.
xhost +SI:localuser:$USER
# Set fallback cursor
xsetroot -cursor_name left_ptr
# If Emacs is started in server mode, `emacsclient` is a convenient
# way to edit files in place (used by e.g. `git commit`)
export VISUAL=emacsclient
export EDITOR="$VISUAL"
# in case Java applications display /nothing/
# wmname LG3D
# export _JAVA_AWT_WM_NONREPARENTING=1
autorandr -l home
exec emacs --with-exwm
EXWM itself
Now we come to the plat de resistance. Like with xelb, I’m using its Git source to install it to make sure I get the right version — the version available on the GNU ELPA is from the same source, true, but I don’t know at which rate it is updated. And more packages down the line will depend on this Git repository, so I might as well just clone it right now.
As you can see, I added in the :config section to two hooks functions that rename buffers accurately. While the average X window will simply get the name of the current X window, I want Firefox and Qutebrowser to be prefixed with the name of the browser. Actually, all these will be renamed this way:
- Kitty
- Qutebrowser
(add-hook 'exwm-update-class-hook
(lambda () (exwm-workspace-rename-buffer exwm-class-name)))
(add-hook 'exwm-update-title-hook
(lambda ()
(pcase exwm-class-name
<<exwm-gen-buffers-rename()>>)))
As you can see below, in the :config section I added two advices and one hook in order to correctly integrate evil with EXWM. When I’m in an X window, I want to be in insert-mode in order to type however I want. However, when I exit one, I want to default back to normal-mode.
(add-hook 'exwm-manage-finish-hook (lambda () (call-interactively #'exwm-input-release-keyboard)))
(advice-add #'exwm-input-grab-keyboard :after (lambda (&optional id) (evil-normal-state)))
(advice-add #'exwm-input-release-keyboard :after (lambda (&optional id) (evil-insert-state)))
Secondly, I add i, C-SPC, and M-m as exwm prefix keys, so they aren’t sent directly to the X windows but caught by Emacs (and EXWM). I’ll use the i key in normal-mode to enter insert-mode and have Emacs release the keyboard so the X window can grab it. Initially, I had s-<escape> as a keybind for grabbing back the keyboard from an X window, as if I were in insert mode and wanted to go back to normal mode, and I had s-I to toggle keyboard grabbing. But I found myself more than once trying to use s-<escape> to toggle this state, s-I completely forgotten. So I removed s-I and made s-<escape> behave like s-I once did.
(general-define-key
:keymaps 'exwm-mode-map
:states 'normal
"i" #'exwm-input-release-keyboard)
(exwm-input-set-key (kbd "s-<escape>") #'exwm-input-toggle-keyboard)
(push ?\i exwm-input-prefix-keys)
(push (kbd "C-SPC") exwm-input-prefix-keys)
(push (kbd "M-m") exwm-input-prefix-keys)
As stated a couple of times in my different configuration files, I’m using the bépo layout, which means the default keys in the number row are laid as follows:
(defconst exwm-workspace-keys '("\"" "«" "»" "(" ")" "@" "+" "-" "/" "*"))
With this, we can create keybinds for going or sending X windows to workspaces 0 to 9.
(setq exwm-input-global-keys
`(,@exwm-input-global-keys
,@(mapcar (lambda (i)
`(,(kbd (format "s-%s" (nth i exwm-workspace-keys))) .
(lambda ()
(interactive)
(exwm-workspace-switch-create ,i))))
(number-sequence 0 9))
,@(mapcar (lambda (i)
`(,(kbd (format "s-%d" i)) .
(lambda ()
(interactive)
(exwm-workspace-move-window ,(let ((index (1- i)))
(if (< index 0)
(- 10 index)
;; FIXME: does not work with s-0
index))))))
(number-sequence 0 9))))
You can then see the list of the keybinds I have set for EXWM, which are all prefixed with SPC x in normal mode (and C-SPC x in insert mode), except for s-RET which opens an eshell terminal.
(exwm-input-set-key (kbd "s-<return>") (lambda ()
(interactive)
(eshell)))
(phundrak/leader-key
:infix "x"
"" '(:ignore t :which-key "EXWM")
"d" #'exwm-debug
"k" #'exwm-input-send-next-key
"l" '((lambda ()
(interactive)
(start-process "" nil "plock"))
:which-key "lock")
"r" '(:ignore t :wk "rofi")
"rr" '((lambda () (interactive)
(shell-command "rofi -show drun" (current-buffer) (current-buffer)))
:wk "drun")
"rw" '((lambda () (interactive)
(shell-command "rofi -show window" (current-buffer) (current-buffer)))
:wk "windows")
"R" '(:ignore t :wk "restart")
"Rr" #'exwm-reset
"RR" #'exwm-restart
"t" '(:ignore t :which-key "toggle")
"tf" #'exwm-layout-toggle-fullscreen
"tF" #'exwm-floating-toggle-floating
"tm" #'exwm-layout-toggle-mode-line
"w" '(:ignore t :which-key "workspaces")
"wa" #'exwm-workspace-add
"wd" #'exwm-workspace-delete
"ws" #'exwm-workspace-switch
"x" '((lambda ()
(interactive)
(let ((command (string-trim (read-shell-command "RUN: "))))
(start-process command nil command)))
:which-key "run")
"RET" #'eshell-new)
A couple of commands are also automatically executed through my autostart script written [here](file:///scripts.md#autostart).
(exwm/run-in-background "autostart")
Finally, let’s only initialize and start EXWM once functions from exwm-randr ran, because otherwise having multiple monitors don’t work.
(with-eval-after-load 'exwm-randr
(exwm-init))
The complete configuration for the exwm package can be found below.
(use-package exwm
:if (seq-contains-p command-line-args "--with-exwm")
:straight (exwm :build t
:type git
:host github
:repo "ch11ng/exwm")
:custom
(use-dialog-box nil "Disable dialog boxes since they are unusable in EXWM")
(exwm-input-line-mode-passthrough t "Pass all keypresses to emacs in line mode.")
:init
(require 'exwm-config)
(setq exwm-workspace-number 6)
:config
(set-frame-parameter (selected-frame) 'alpha-background 0.7)
(require 'exwm-randr)
(exwm/run-in-background "xwallpaper --zoom \"${cat $HOME/.cache/wallpaper}\"")
(start-process-shell-command
"xrandr" nil "xrandr --output eDP1 --mode 1920x1080 --pos 2560x0 --rotate normal --output HDMI1 --primary --mode 2560x1080 --pos 0x0 --rotate normal --output VIRTUAL1 --off --output DP-1-0 --off --output DP-1-1 --off")
(exwm-randr-enable)
(setq exwm-randr-workspace-monitor-plist '(3 "eDP1"))
(add-hook 'exwm-update-class-hook
(lambda () (exwm-workspace-rename-buffer exwm-class-name)))
(add-hook 'exwm-update-title-hook
(lambda ()
(pcase exwm-class-name
("kitty" (exwm-workspace-rename-buffer (concat "EXWM: Kitty - " exwm-title)))
("qutebrowser" (exwm-workspace-rename-buffer (concat "EXWM: Qutebrowser - " exwm-title)))
(_otherwise (exwm-workspace-rename-buffer exwm-title)))))
(add-hook 'exwm-manage-finish-hook (lambda () (call-interactively #'exwm-input-release-keyboard)))
(advice-add #'exwm-input-grab-keyboard :after (lambda (&optional id) (evil-normal-state)))
(advice-add #'exwm-input-release-keyboard :after (lambda (&optional id) (evil-insert-state)))
(general-define-key
:keymaps 'exwm-mode-map
:states 'normal
"i" #'exwm-input-release-keyboard)
(exwm-input-set-key (kbd "s-<escape>") #'exwm-input-toggle-keyboard)
(push ?\i exwm-input-prefix-keys)
(push (kbd "C-SPC") exwm-input-prefix-keys)
(push (kbd "M-m") exwm-input-prefix-keys)
(defconst exwm-workspace-keys '("\"" "«" "»" "(" ")" "@" "+" "-" "/" "*"))
(setq exwm-input-global-keys
`(,@exwm-input-global-keys
,@(mapcar (lambda (i)
`(,(kbd (format "s-%s" (nth i exwm-workspace-keys))) .
(lambda ()
(interactive)
(exwm-workspace-switch-create ,i))))
(number-sequence 0 9))
,@(mapcar (lambda (i)
`(,(kbd (format "s-%d" i)) .
(lambda ()
(interactive)
(exwm-workspace-move-window ,(let ((index (1- i)))
(if (< index 0)
(- 10 index)
;; FIXME: does not work with s-0
index))))))
(number-sequence 0 9))))
(exwm-input-set-key (kbd "s-<return>") (lambda ()
(interactive)
(eshell)))
(phundrak/leader-key
:infix "x"
"" '(:ignore t :which-key "EXWM")
"d" #'exwm-debug
"k" #'exwm-input-send-next-key
"l" '((lambda ()
(interactive)
(start-process "" nil "plock"))
:which-key "lock")
"r" '(:ignore t :wk "rofi")
"rr" '((lambda () (interactive)
(shell-command "rofi -show drun" (current-buffer) (current-buffer)))
:wk "drun")
"rw" '((lambda () (interactive)
(shell-command "rofi -show window" (current-buffer) (current-buffer)))
:wk "windows")
"R" '(:ignore t :wk "restart")
"Rr" #'exwm-reset
"RR" #'exwm-restart
"t" '(:ignore t :which-key "toggle")
"tf" #'exwm-layout-toggle-fullscreen
"tF" #'exwm-floating-toggle-floating
"tm" #'exwm-layout-toggle-mode-line
"w" '(:ignore t :which-key "workspaces")
"wa" #'exwm-workspace-add
"wd" #'exwm-workspace-delete
"ws" #'exwm-workspace-switch
"x" '((lambda ()
(interactive)
(let ((command (string-trim (read-shell-command "RUN: "))))
(start-process command nil command)))
:which-key "run")
"RET" #'eshell-new)
(exwm/run-in-background "autostart")
(with-eval-after-load 'exwm-randr
(exwm-init)))
EXWM-Evil integration
(use-package evil-exwm-state
:if (seq-contains-p command-line-args "--with-exwm")
:defer t
:after exwm
:straight (evil-exwm-state :build t
:type git
:host github
:repo "domenzain/evil-exwm-state"))
Multimonitor support
(require 'exwm-randr)
(exwm/run-in-background "xwallpaper --zoom \"${cat $HOME/.cache/wallpaper}\"")
(start-process-shell-command
"xrandr" nil "xrandr --output eDP1 --mode 1920x1080 --pos 2560x0 --rotate normal --output HDMI1 --primary --mode 2560x1080 --pos 0x0 --rotate normal --output VIRTUAL1 --off --output DP-1-0 --off --output DP-1-1 --off")
(exwm-randr-enable)
(setq exwm-randr-workspace-monitor-plist '(3 "eDP1"))
Keybinds for a desktop environment
(use-package desktop-environment
:defer t
:straight (desktop-environment :build t
:type git
:host github
:repo "DamienCassou/desktop-environment")
:after exwm
:diminish t
:config
(add-hook 'exwm-init-hook #'desktop-environment-mode)
(setq desktop-environment-update-exwm-global-keys :prefix
exwm-layout-show-al-buffers t)
(setq desktop-environment-bluetooth-command "bluetoothctl"
desktop-environment-brightness-get-command "xbacklight -get"
desktop-environment-brightness-get-regexp (rx line-start (group (+ digit)))
desktop-environment-brightness-set-command "xbacklight %s"
desktop-environment-brightness-normal-increment "-inc 5"
desktop-environment-brightness-normal-decrement "-dec 5"
desktop-environment-brightness-small-increment "-inc 2"
desktop-environment-brightness-small-decrement "-dec 2"
desktop-environment-volume-normal-decrement "-d 5"
desktop-environment-volume-normal-increment "-i 5"
desktop-environment-volume-small-decrement "-d 2"
desktop-environment-volume-small-increment "-i 2"
desktop-environment-volume-set-command "pamixer -u %s"
desktop-environment-screenshot-directory "~/Pictures/Screenshots"
desktop-environment-screenlock-command "plock"
desktop-environment-music-toggle-command "mpc toggle"
desktop-environment-music-previous-command "mpc prev"
desktop-environment-music-next-command "mpc next"
desktop-environment-music-stop-command "mpc stop")
(general-define-key
"<XF86AudioPause>" (lambda () (interactive)
(with-temp-buffer
(shell-command "mpc pause" (current-buffer) (current-buffer)))))
(desktop-environment-mode))
Bluetooth
(defvar bluetooth-command "bluetoothctl")
(defun bluetooth-turn-on ()
(interactive)
(let ((process-connection-type nil))
(start-process "" nil bluetooth-command "power" "on")))
(defun bluetooth-turn-off ()
(interactive)
(let ((process-connection-type nil))
(start-process "" nil bluetooth-command "power" "off")))
(defun create-bluetooth-device (raw-name)
"Create a Bluetooth device cons from RAW NAME.
The cons will hold first the MAC address of the device, then its
human-friendly name."
(let ((split-name (split-string raw-name " " t)))
`(,(mapconcat #'identity (cddr split-name) " ") . ,(cadr split-name))))
(require 'dbus)
(defun bluetooth-get-devices ()
(let ((bus-list (dbus-introspect-get-node-names :system "org.bluez" "/org/bluez/hci0")))
(mapcar (lambda (device)
`(,(dbus-get-property :system
"org.bluez"
(concat "/org/bluez/hci0/" device)
"org.bluez.Device1"
"Alias")
. ,device))
bus-list)))
(defun bluetooth-connect-device ()
(interactive)
(progn
(bluetooth-turn-on)
(let* ((devices (bluetooth-get-devices))
(device (alist-get (completing-read "Device: " devices)
devices nil nil #'string=)))
(dbus-call-method-asynchronously
:system "org.bluez"
(concat "/org/bluez/hci0" device)
"org.bluez.Device1"
"Connect"
(lambda (&optional msg)
(when msg (message "%s" msg)))))))