Introduction

Some folks enjoy using the mouse. If that describes you, you don't need to read this document.

Since you're still reading, I assume you prefer keyboard operation of your computer's User Interface. From experience, you've found that in the time it takes you to just reach for the mouse, you can do two or three keyboard-based operations. To the extent possible, you prefer to operate your computer with your keyboard.

Well, there's good news for you. Ctwm can be set up to be run pretty much completely from the keyboard. You can spawn programs using your keyboard by incorporating dmenu into your ctwm setup. You can change workspaces via keyboard commands. You can circle focus among the windows on a given workspace. You can close the currently focused window with a keyboard command. You can invoke menus with a keyboard command, and navigate those menus using the keyboard.

This document tells you how to do all of these things.

About the Hotkeys In This Document

Most of the hotkeys in this document use Shift+Ctrl+another_key. You can change as you feel necessary: The principle remains the same. The rest of this section explains why I personally like Shift+Ctrl as a modifier.

Unlikely to be used by other programs. Most programs don't use Shift+Ctrl. My three most important hotkeys involve punctuation, and I've never seen another program use these:
- Shift+Ctrl+semicolon: Invoke dmenu
- Shift+Ctrl+period: Invoke the window list across all workspaces
- Shift+Ctrl+comma: Bring up the ctwm main menu
Shift+Ctrl is easy to get into and easy to get back from for the touch-typist. All you do is slide your left hand left and the little finger down, so your little finger presses Ctrl while your left ring finger presses Shift. To get back, you just move your left hand right again. The motion sort of resembles a snake, requires no sight, gives tactile feedback all the way, and is extremely fast.

Once again, if you don't like Shift+Ctrl, you can use any hotkeys that work for you.

First, Incorporate dmenu

If you haven't already, incorporate dmenu into your ctwm using these instructions. Once dmenu is incorporated, everything becomes much more efficient.

Now Review How Ctwm Menus Work

Nothing ruins a keyboard controlling experience like being forced to pick up the mouse to navigate submenus, and unless you know the ctwm method of menu navigation (or unless you install the patch), that's what you'll be forced to do.

So now's a good time to review the keyboard portion of ctwm menu navigation. If you have any uncertainties, review the Menu Behavior section of the Ctwm Menu Unexpected Behavior document.

Put the Rest of Your Hotkeys in ~/.ctwmrc

On any WMDE (Window Manager or Desktop Environment), there are a few functionalities that must be hotkeyed for proper keyboard operation. These include:

Invoke dmenu (I use Shift+Ctrl+semicolon)
Invoke the WMDE main menu (I use Shift+Ctrl+comma)
Invoke the all-workspaces window list (I use Shift+Ctrl+period)
Invoke focused window's window operations menu (I use the traditional Alt+space)
Close currently focused window (I use Alt+0 because I do it a lot and it's a heck of a lot quicker and easier than the traditional Alt+F4)
Cycle through windows on workspace (I use the traditional Alt+Tab to cycle forward, and Alt+` (that's a grave accent) to get back. Additioally, I use Shift+Ctrl+l to cycle forward, Shift+Ctrl+h to cycle backward, because the Alt+Tab doesn't work like it does in most WMDEs, so that might be confusing).
Go to next workspace (I use the traditional Ctrl+Alt+Right)
Go to prev workspace(I use the traditional Ctrl+Alt+Left
)
Go to a specific workspace (I use Alt+digit)
Send focused window to a specific workspace(I use Alt+Ctrl+digit)

The preceding hotkeys are implemented by the following code:

# Explicitly path dmenu_run_vertical if it isn't on the path
"comma"     = s | c   : all     : f.exec  "dmenu_run_vertical"
"semicolon" = s | c   : all     : f.menu "defops"
"period"    = s | c   : all     : f.menu "TwmAllWindows"
"space"     = m       : window  : f.menu "windowops"
"0"         = m       : window  : f.delete
"l"         = s | c   : all     : f.warpring "next" # Cycle wins fwd 
"h"         = s | c   : all     : f.warpring "prev" # Cycle wins rev 
"l"         = c | m   : all     : f.nextworkspace
"h"         = c | m   : all     : f.prevworkspace

### GO TO SPECIFIC WORKSPACE
"1"         = m       : all : f.gotoworkspace "one"
"2"         = m       : all : f.gotoworkspace "two"
"3"         = m       : all : f.gotoworkspace "three"
"4"         = m       : all : f.gotoworkspace "four"
"5"         = m       : all : f.gotoworkspace "five"
"6"         = m       : all : f.gotoworkspace "six"
"7"         = m       : all : f.gotoworkspace "seven"
"8"         = m       : all : f.gotoworkspace "eight"
"9"         = m       : all : f.gotoworkspace "nine"

### SEND FOCUSED WINDOW TO SPECIFIC WORKSPACES
#   TO BE LATER DETERMINED
#"1"         = c | m   : all : f.whatever "one"

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