add release notes for 4.0 (no, we’re still not releasing yet)
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Michael Stapelberg
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┌────────────────────────────┐
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│ Release notes for i3 v4.0 │
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└────────────────────────────┘
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This is the first release of the new major version of i3, v4.0. It has been a
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long time since v3.ε was released (over one year). A lot has been happening
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since then, we made 736 commits – compare that to the total number of 1664
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commits for i3.
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The reason for the high number of commits and long time for this release is the
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big refactoring we have been doing. Instead of using several lists and a table
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as data structures, we now use a single tree of containers. These containers
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represent invisible entities like your X11 root window, your different monitors
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and workspaces, but also visible entities like actual windows.
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Using a tree has made a lot of things cleaner and easier – in the code *and* in
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the user interface. Admittedly though, you will probably need a day or two to
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get used to a few more advanced movement commands if you are used to v3.ε right
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now.
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┌────────────────────────────┐
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│ New features │
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└────────────────────────────┘
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• Like we introduced a proper flex/bison based parser in 3.δ for the
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configfile, we now also have a flex/bison parser for commands. This means,
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instead of the cryptic commands like 'f' for fullscreen or 'mh' for move
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left, we now have human-readable, beautiful command names. In fact, the
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commands for the just mentioned functions *are* 'fullscreen' and 'move
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left'!
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• You can now chain commands using ';' (a semicolon). One example for that is
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'workspace 3 ; exec /usr/bin/urxvt' to switch to a new workspace and open a
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terminal.
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• You can specify which windows should be affected by your command by using
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different criteria. A good example is '[class="Iceweasel"] kill' to get rid
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of all Firefox windows.
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• As the configuration file needs new commands (and a few options are
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obsolete), you need to change it. To make this process a little bit easier
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for you, this release comes with the script i3-migrate-config-to-v4.pl. Just
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run it on your current config file and it will spit out a v4 config file to
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stdout. To make things even better, i3 automatically detects v3 config files
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and calls that script, so you never end up with a non-working config :).
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• Similarly to the criteria when using commands, we now have a 'for_window'
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configuration directive, which lets you automatically apply certain commands
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to certain windows. Use it to set border styles per window, for example with
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'for_window [class="XTerm"] border 1pixel'.
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• Since dock clients (like dzen2) are now part of the layout tree (as opposed
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to a custom data structure as before), it was easy to implement top and
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bottom dock areas. Programs which properly specify the dock hint get placed
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on the edge of the screen they request. i3bar has the -dtop and -dbottom
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parameters, for example.
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• The internal workspace bar is obsolete. Use i3bar instead.
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• Resizing now works between everything!
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• Fullscreen now works for everything!
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• Floating now works for everything!
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• Your layout is now preserved when doing an inplace restart.
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• When you have an error in your config file, a new program called i3-nagbar
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will tell you so. It offers you two buttons: One to view the error in your
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$PAGER and one to edit your config in your $EDITOR.
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• The default config used key symbols (like 'bind Mod1+f fullscreen') instead
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of key codes. If you use a non-qwerty layout, the program i3-config-wizard
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can create a key symbol based config file based on your current layout. You
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can also chose between Windows (Mod4) and Alt (Mod1) as your default
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modifier. i3-config-wizard will automatically be started as long as you
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don’t have a configuration file for i3.
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• Custom X cursor themes are now supported.
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• The RandR backend now respects the primary output.
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• A wrong 'font' configuration in your config file will no longer make i3
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exit. Instead, it will fall back to a different font and tell you about the
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error in its log.
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• The default split direction (whether a new window gets placed right next to
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the current one or below the current one) is now automatically set to
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horizontal if you have a monitor that is wider than high or vertical if you
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a monitor which is higher than wide. This works great with rotated monitors.
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• Sockets and temporary files are now placed in XDG_RUNTIME_DIR, if set (this
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is used on systemd based systems).
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• Tools like i3bar, i3-msg etc. use the I3_SOCKET_PATH property which is set
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to the X11 root window, so you don’t have to configure your socket path
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anywhere.
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• The kill command kills single windows by default now. To kill a whole
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application, use 'kill client'.
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• IPC: Commands can now have custom replies. When the parser encounters an
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error, a proper error reply is sent.
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• There now is an 'exec_always' configuration directive which works like
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'exec' but will also be run when restarting.
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┌────────────────────────────┐
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│ Future features │
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└────────────────────────────┘
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Our plans were big but our time and manpower is limited. Therefore, the
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following features did not make it into this release. However, the foundation
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is now in place and implementing them is possible, so stay tuned!
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• Saving/Restoring specific parts of your layout
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• Session saving
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• Sticky windows
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┌────────────────────────────┐
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│ Thanks! │
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└────────────────────────────┘
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Thanks for testing, bugfixes, discussions and everything I forgot go out to:
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aniou, artoj, badboy, cloud, cradle, David Coppa, dbp, dothebart, eeemsi,
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eelvex, f8l, fernando, jan, jimdigriz, jon, julien, kacper, ktosiek,
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lexszero, litemotiv, lourens, madroach, marcus, merovius, mike, mirko, mseed,
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mxf, phnom, quaec, rogutes, sardemff7, smartass, thepub, tiago, tucos,
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woddf2, xpt, ys
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-- Michael Stapelberg, 2011-07-24
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